For centuries, the Gypsies have been marginalized, stereotyped, hated, loved, envied and despised. They have confounded philologists, anthroplogists, ethnologists, sociologists, musicologists and historians. Ask them questions and you often get answers fanciful or false–or no answer at all. Evasion is their tactic of survival. Just as coloring protects game, so an air of romantic mystery has camouflaged these enigmatic people.
But, through various blog posts and presentations, I will attempt to introduce you to what I know about the Gypsy culture. All writings on this subject will appear under the category “Gypsies and Romani Culture” found on the right side bar of this site.
To begin, just a quick note on the word “Gypsy.” I struggled with the use of this word in City of Sorrows, because to some members of this group, it is considered an ethnic slur. They prefer the word “Roma,” “Rom,” or “Romani.” Others do not mind being called Gypsies. However, as the story is about Spanish Gypsies, and the direct translation from the Spanish gitano is Gypsy, I chose to stay with this usage throughout the book. I apologize in advance to any who may take offense at the term..
