How gypsies are buried: funeral customs of the Roma

The wealth of the gypsy barons is legendary. Their huge castles, luxury cars, gold jewelry, newfangled gadgets from time to time come to the attention of journalists and ordinary people. But no matter how the representatives of the Roma elite live, they also die. And they are buried. True, influential barons are escorted to the afterlife in a completely different way from ordinary mortals. The funeral rites of the gypsy elite evoke thoughts of the Egyptian pharaohs.

Who are the barons?

According to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, there are approximately 220 thousand Roma in our country. Although, according to demographers, representatives of this mysterious people there may be more: just some of them are documented according to Moldovans, Romanians, Greeks... Despite the large number and long centuries during which the Gypsies have lived in Russia, their customs and traditions remain a mystery to us.

For example, contrary to the established misconception, the life of all representatives of this people is subject to a strict management system, and at the head of each camp is not a baron (as we used to believe), but a respected person called “baro”. Translated from the Gypsy language, this word means “important, respectable.” Native Europeans began to call representatives of the nomadic elite barons, apparently due to the similarity of the sound of the word “baro” with an aristocratic title.

The decision of such a leader is indisputable for the members of the camp. He considers any disputes, disagreements between Roma, and also regulates relations with local authorities. All people subordinate to the baron regularly give him certain part their income. “Tax” rates vary in each camp, but usually it is about 10% of the profit of each family.

Often the income of the Roma is semi-criminal in nature (smuggling, gambling, illegal trade, etc.), so the barons hide their level of wealth. Their wealth can be judged by their four-story mansions with fountains and statues, interior decoration which amazes with the abundance of marble and gilding. While ordinary gypsies can live very poorly, in real shacks, their barons seem to compete with each other in excessive luxury. It's about about luxury cars, latest model gadgets, and the weight of gold jewelry is measured in kilograms.

According to the Moldovan press, the annual income of the local gypsy clan, headed by Artur Mihailovich Cerari, ranges from 20 to 40 million euros. One can only guess what amounts his Russian “colleagues” have.

Gypsy funeral

When these people were nomadic, they buried their dead in forest thickets or in the steppe, away from roads. The transition to settled life led to the emergence of gypsy cemeteries, which are located on the outskirts of their settlements.

The funeral rites of this people are known only from the words of eyewitnesses who, for one reason or another, were allowed to attend the funeral.

Russian, Eastern European and Baltic clans organize similar ceremonies in almost the same way. Main features of a funeral:

special prayers are read over the deceased, which people who do not know the gypsy language mistake for magical spells;

the corpse is washed not with water, but with a herbal decoction that helps hide the smell of decomposition;

sometimes funerals last much longer than the usual three days, because everyone who knew him must say goodbye to the deceased;

Before burial, the body of the deceased is placed in a “bender” - a special tent that is built on the street;

things are buried with the owner, as they will be useful to him in the afterlife, money is often thrown into the grave;

at a wake you cannot grieve quietly, you must behave noisily: first sob loudly, demonstrating despair due to separation from the deceased, and then you should sing and dance a lot, rejoicing at his transition to a “better world”;

all the scraps left over from the funeral are buried in the ground, because according to popular belief, such food contains the energy of the other world.

However, funerals differ markedly depending on social status deceased.

Afterlife of the Elite

Although most ethnographers adhere to the Indian version of the origin of the Gypsies, the burials of representatives of the elite of this people have clear parallels with the traditions of Ancient Egypt. Pyramids were built only for the pharaohs, and rooms imitating houses were dug in the ground for the barons. In such crypts they set up several rooms, furnish them with expensive furniture, appliances, household items and what the deceased loved: from expensive wines to computers and plasma TVs.

The underground “mansions” of the barons amaze with their luxury. They are decorated with marble and gold, using the most expensive materials, laying antique carpets. They try to provide maximum comfort to the deceased afterlife. Often they don’t forget to put in the crypts: a razor, slippers, dark glasses, dishes, not to mention jewelry.

The aforementioned gypsy baron Artur Mikhailovich Cherari mentioned in an interview with various journalists that, among other things, a prestigious Soviet time Volga car.

In Russia, no one invites government officials or the press to the funeral of barons, but local politicians and journalists were present at the funeral ceremony of the Romanian “king of all gypsies.” They were amazed by the scale and luxury of the event.

Florian Cioaba, 59, died in August 2013. Delegations from many countries of the world arrived in the town of Sibiu to say goodbye to him; the funeral procession stretched for 7 km. Even the coffin of the deceased was a complex technical device, equipped with an air conditioning system and other electronics. At the same time, a window was installed in the coffin.

Graves of the Gypsy barons

Another source of information about the funeral traditions of the Gypsies is their tombstones. They differ from the graves of representatives of other nations in their creativity and artistic diversity.

Firstly, the deceased on the monument is depicted standing in full height, either riding a beautiful horse, or sitting at a table that is bursting with food. The purpose of such an image is to provide a person with the most prosperous existence in the afterlife. Graves reflect the passions of the deceased; tombstones can be engraved with bottles of expensive alcohol, cigarettes with brand names, fishing gear, cars and even... while living relatives of the deceased.

Secondly, usually with reverse side monument indicate family name or a nickname for a gypsy. For example, Pyotr Petrovich Petrov - on the one hand, and on the other hand - Shuko. Or Raisa Vasilyevna Mukhina, but for her own people - Rada.

Thirdly, tables with benches are installed next to many graves, because it is customary to remember the deceased with a hearty meal.

But the graves of the gypsy barons look completely different. These are real works architectural art. Richly decorated chapels with monuments, gazebos for organizing funerals, golden statues - each grave reflects the individuality of the representative of the Gypsy elite buried here.

Displaying wealth among these people is not considered indecent. On the contrary, material wealth is put on display, because a large number of money and gold, according to the gypsies, bring honor to their owner.

Despite the luxurious burials, no one plunders the graves of the gypsy barons. Even seasoned criminals who have nothing to do with this people are careful not to do this. After all, it is believed that gypsy funeral gold can bring great misfortune to the one who covets it.

Probably the most interesting traditions among the numerous funeral traditions various peoples The burials of the gypsies remain.

The reasons for this interest are precisely gypsy rituals among learned minds are dictated by the very nomadic way of life of a given people. After all, there is no settled area in them, and that part of the gypsies that began to lead a sedentary way of life borrows the traditions of the local population or shares their certain knowledge with them.

Let us remind you that you can look at the catalog with prices and buy a monument in Minsk. Fast production, warranty, installment plan, installation throughout Belarus.

The gypsies were able to combine two funeral traditions in their culture and worldview in a fairly harmonious manner. On the one hand, they honor the dead, deify them and may even create a cult out of them, but on the other hand, they may disdain death and call everything connected with it “dirty.”

Every gypsy considers it his duty to organize a magnificent and rich funeral for his relatives. It happens that a person even own life tries to save something to bury relatives in the crypt, along with the objects they used, as well as to establish decent gravestones, install granite monuments, on which both the necessary dates and large photographs of the deceased will be carved. Once upon a time, gypsies did not put the deceased’s things in the grave, but boldly used them in everyday life, but today they put all his things with the deceased, since they, especially bad ones, can harm another living person.

Roma funerals can last quite a long time. From several days to several weeks, until everyone wishes to say goodbye to the deceased. The farewell itself is also interesting. As you know, Orthodox Gypsies believe that a person’s soul stays with the body for 40 days. Therefore, when they come to the tent, they always talk to the deceased, and may even treat him to a glass of wine. But among Muslim gypsies such a tradition has not taken root, or it happens quite rarely.

Gypsies are generous funeral rite, and at memorial ceremonies after it. Gypsy funerals can continue for another 2 days after the funeral. Even when the relatives of the deceased announce their end, none of the guests leave, and the wake itself begins to take on the character of ordinary gypsy festivities.

In the case of nomadic gypsies, it should be noted that they observe the same traditions, but in very frequent cases they simply do not have the opportunity to perform such magnificent ceremonies. Then they dig a hole in the cemetery they are currently passing by, or in the area where they are temporarily staying.

There is one thing you must do in life: see a gypsy funeral.

— Izya, when you become an adult, you will marry Galya from Ukraine.
- Ma, why do I need Galya?
- It is obvious! Her relatives live in the village, they have their own piglets and lard. You will become plump and rosy-cheeked. And then you will file for divorce and take Sarah as your wife, she is Jewish.
“Ma, I’ve never seen anyone worse than Sarah in this life.”
— Actually, her parents have connections, and they definitely won’t interfere in life. And after divorcing the Jewish woman, you will take Azaza as your wife.
- Mom, what’s the use of a gypsy?
- What kind of funeral they arrange, you should know!

And it’s true, gypsy funerals are divine. Comparing with funerals in Egypt, we can say with certainty that the pharaohs have a lot to learn.

The oldest representatives of the Roma people, who will die very soon, are the most feared in our medical institutions. If it suddenly happens that he dies in the hospital, then an incredible scandal will begin, because all his relatives from all over the planet will come and start screaming and yelling at him. different languages. But this is far from the end. If you pick up a video camera, you can later create a real horror movie: gypsy girls and women, like crazy people, tear the hair from their heads, and not only their own, beat their heads on the floor, lie and roar on the concrete (they organize this “competition” for the reason that whoever sheds the least tears and shows the least grief will be condemned) . The male part simply shouts in different languages ​​at someone unknown, but when they see one of the doctors, a long and meaningless showdown begins: “How did it happen that our 120-year-old grandfather Janusz died so suddenly and in just a couple of days? I think it was your fault!" It may even lead to a fight in which not only medical workers will suffer. institutions, but also technology. If for some reason the grandfather did not resurrect even after the fight, then his relatives have no choice but to begin preparations for the funeral. Funeral at different groups Gypsies, accordingly, are different. The Crimeans, as well as the Chisinau residents, bury the most beautifully: in a few days, the relatives of the deceased dig out a real mansion underground, make repairs in it, which many living people on the surface do not have. Considering the fact that dead person prefers to lie down, they buy him the newest bed and other accessories.

One of the most expensive things is a coffin, the price of which can be more than the cost of your apartment. They put the most expensive fabric they can find on the coffin, then lay carpets everywhere. Naturally, this all also depends on how rich the gypsy was during his lifetime. They also put in the coffin those things that are necessary for a living person: a razor, as well as replacement blades (although during their lifetime many gypsies have long forgotten what a razor is and how to use it), perfume, slippers, a telephone and a charger for it (in case it rings when something), dark glasses, money and stuff like that. The deceased in his coffin looks more like a grocery cart, in which there are all sorts of little things for the promotion “each for 100 rubles.” It even gets to the point that a deceased gypsy, who loved to eat smoked meat during his lifetime, will rot along with his favorite dish.

If we talk about workers in medical institutions, then they only dress normally as gypsies, and this is all due to an event that happened several years ago. As you know, deceased people do not put their outerwear over their heads, so as not to bother with threading their arms and so on. The clothing is simply cut and envelops the deceased. But one gypsy woman really wanted to say goodbye to her relative and hugged him so much that he sat down in the coffin. Because of this, everyone saw that the jacket was cut. Of course, no one expected this, and the gypsy people were furious beyond belief. The male part gathered their brothers and went to beat the orderlies at the morgue. Although they acted within the framework of instructions, it is apparently impossible to explain this to such people. After this incident, all the deceased are buried in their clothes, carefully passing their hands through the sleeves.

After the body of the deceased has lain safely at home for several days, relatives take it out. Naturally, this whole procedure also requires a priest. By the way, the Holy Father will be very surprised if he sees at least one gypsy who knows how to cross himself correctly. After the procedure, the priest will be surprised again, since the gypsies pay handsomely: large sum money is not all the gratitude of the gypsy people. They will also give the church worker several kilograms of sausage, meat and other products. This is why priests like to hold gypsy funerals.

Let's talk about what happens at the cemetery itself. It's more comparable to zombie movies, where millions of people resurrected from the dead moan and make strange noises. This is approximately the picture you will see in the cemetery. The lower the coffin with the deceased descends, the louder the gypsies will make sounds. Some people even jump after the deceased, although they are later pulled out of there. After the ceremony, carpets are laid at the resting place. Then relatives begin to throw money into the grave. If the family is rich, then the bills will be large. After several minutes of throwing money into the void, the burying of the coffin begins. I wonder how surprised archaeologists will be when, in a few hundred years, they unearth similar cottages, and inside them are not only bones, but also razors, Sunglasses, as well as telephone.

Commemoration of the deceased begins at the moment when he is still at home. Almost at any time of the year, gypsies set up tables on the street. They smoke so heavily next to the coffin that the deceased is practically invisible due to the smoke. But contrary to popular belief, gypsies do not sing our songs at funerals. After kissing the corpse on the forehead and saying goodbye, people start drinking, quite a lot. Considering that there are several tiers of food on the table, no one denies themselves anything. It's like a gypsy wedding, but without the champagne.

Several times I came across posts about bones being thrown on the ground at funerals. All for the reason that the gypsies bury all waste with funeral table. They even put basins to throw away waste; for them this is an important part of the wake. But this is not how things happen on Titovka. The fact is that our gypsies are not basketball champions, which is why it is quite difficult to get into the basin; it is easier to just throw everything on the ground and then bury everything underground with an excavator.

Drunkenness, or so-called gypsy wakes, lasts for several days. All these days, each of the representatives of the people with swollen faces tells others that today in a dream they saw their deceased relative and communicated with him. Naturally, most of these stories are nothing more than fiction. This is done because among our gypsies, communicating with the dead means elevating the deceased to the rank of saint.

Each of memorial days It is also celebrated vigorously, whether for nine days, forty days, or even a year. This is how they can celebrate 25 years from the date of death, if there is at least one gypsy left who will remind.

Let's talk about monuments: they are 2-3 meters high, some have gold inscriptions, but the most basic attribute is a full-length photograph of the deceased. On background They always do what the gypsy loved: cars, fishing rods, whatever! In our cemetery, on one of the monuments, there is a picture of a huge syringe, almost the entire length. The funny thing is that the monument also depicts living representatives of the people. Living people at the monument and in the cemetery, their traditions are strange...

Those gypsies who are richer than others always put a gazebo near the grave. Sometimes entire chapels are erected. Well, these are those who have no problems with money at all. Naturally, you can’t go without a table, because every time a group of relatives visits the grave of the deceased, they carry with them a lot of plates, pots and other cutlery. Looks like an outdoor cafe. After the wake, relatives begin to walk throughout the cemetery and remember other people, which is why the cemetery is slowly turning into a real reserve for drunkards. Sometimes they also pour alcohol into a glass for the deceased. The cigarette is often set on fire and left next to the monument. After the wake, everything left uneaten remains near the grave, as well as a pile of garbage and leftovers.

Vital, full of joy life, gypsy tombstones still cause bewilderment or even rejection among many residents of the post-USSR. The design of these tombstones is based on fidelity to pre-Christian and pre-Islamic traditions - the cult of ancestors and the joys of the afterlife. The ashes of their relatives cannot disappear - hence the burial in brick-lined graves, as well as vital tombstones. These tombstones are in our photo gallery.

Much has been written about the life of gypsies, a North Indian tribe, in Europe. This is how, until the 15th century, the gypsies were wandering artisans, mainly blacksmiths, but powerful persecution throughout almost all of Europe (except Spain, Ottoman and Russian Empire) made them a rogue nation.

The study of the traditions of the Gypsies, due to the rejection of strangers and the lack of a written culture, began late, with late XIX century. One of interesting traditions- This is a funeral rite. This people has a peculiar attitude towards death - it is at the same time fear, almost disgust for the “dirty” process of dying and at the same time extreme reverence for the dead. It would seem impossible, but these people combined these two opposites together. The body of the deceased is part of the cult of ancestors, so Gypsy funerals are traditionally rich; sometimes children save money for several years for the funeral of their parents, who are still alive and well at that time. A monument made of expensive stone with a full-length portrait of the deceased is also required.

The belongings of the deceased are considered unclean, so they are lowered underground along with the body of the deceased. By what things lie in the grave, they judge the wealth of the person who has passed on to another world. Sometimes relatives even buy new things and put them in the grave that the deceased never had during his lifetime. Moreover, they are arranged as in a room, so that everyone can see how well the deceased lived. This is somewhat reminiscent of the burial of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Gypsy funerals usually caused great surprise among representatives of other cultures. This is how writer Vladimir Voinovich described gypsy funerals in one of his stories in the 1970s:

One morning I left our house and saw strange picture. A white horse, driven by a gypsy teenager, rushed in circles across a wasteland, dragging behind it a cart with something white that looked like a coffin.

The teenager twirled his whip cheerfully, apparently having fun. Marveling at this performance, I went to the beach, and when I returned, I saw that work was in full swing in the vacant lot. The gypsies brought boards and first put together a flooring, then they stretched a tent over the flooring, large, for several hundred people, and extended electricity there. In the evening, people gathered in the tent, and a brass band (as I later found out, ordered and brought from Riga) began to play Soviet songs and marches. “Katyusha”, “Dark-skinned Moldavian”, “Little blue modest handkerchief”. I became curious about what this meant, I took Pasha with me, we walked up to the tent and looked inside. The bare light bulbs hanging one after another from the ceiling shone brightly. Two rows of long tables were laden with drinks and snacks. Gypsies in nice suits and ties and gypsy women in bright silks - some sat at tables, while others waltzed between the tables, then started dancing. Our appearance at the door was noticed. I saw that someone said something to someone and nodded at me. An old gypsy woman in a colorful dress immediately appeared, holding a glass of vodka in one hand and a pickled cucumber in the other.

Darling, will you have a drink with us? - she turned to me.
She handed me vodka and a cucumber.
- Sorry for not inviting you to the tent, there’s no room.
“Okay,” I had to agree. - What are you celebrating? What should I drink to?
“Drink to your peace,” she said. - Our girl died. Thirteen years. We are seeing her off."

"We approached the grave, or rather the crypt. The gypsies bury their dead differently than others. They line the inside of the grave with bricks, place a coffin in it and place a concrete slab on top. In the crypt along with the remains of the deceased they can, as if in ancient Egypt, put some things, carpets, bottles of wine.
The coffin was placed on a raised platform, the widow is on her knees and continues to scream with a heartbreaking cry: “Breadwinner, who did you leave us with?!”

I lean towards the woman and quietly ask: “Will you still have a long time?” I would like to serve. The scream stops for a moment, and I hear in response: “Another minute and a half.” Okay, let's wait.
The scream ended as suddenly as it began. The widow quickly and business-likely placed several bundles into the coffin. One of them, as it seemed to me from the shape, contained alcohol, but I couldn’t figure out what was in the others.”

Funerals among these people are fun, and are more like a birthday or a wedding. The guests dance, sing and rejoice so that the deceased goes into the world without tears, need and suffering. Very often, relatives invite an orchestra to a funeral, but instead of funeral marches, folk melodies are performed (these melodies are precisely what Vladimir Voinovich describes). Funerals sometimes last two or three days and also do not look like a mournful spectacle - the same songs, dances and music. Sometimes relatives stay for another fourth day.

And further important detail. The grave and tombstone are the only “stationary property” of a gypsy nomad. And, as the gypsies say, this is their only real home, to which they move only after death.

Photo sources, Livejournal nostradamvs, m-porcius-cato, vakin, Evelyne, funkypig, Donetsk portal

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Gypsy customs associated with funerals are one of the most interesting in the world. This nomadic people, which does not have common established traditions associated with departure to another world. Living in different countries, these people borrow various rituals, including funeral ones.

Traditions associated with funerals among gypsies

This people have a peculiar attitude towards death - it is at the same time fear, almost disgust for the “dirty” process of dying and at the same time extreme reverence for the dead. It would seem impossible, but these people combined these two opposites together.

• Previously, these people simply buried their dead in the steppe, but later the gypsies decided that the ashes of their relatives could not just disappear, and began to bury their loved ones in graves lined with bricks.

• The belongings of the deceased are considered unclean, so they are lowered underground along with the body of the deceased. By what things lie in the grave, they judge the wealth of the person who has passed on to another world. Sometimes relatives, wanting to “show off” their loved ones, buy and put in the grave new things that the deceased never had during his lifetime, and they are not put there just like that, but are arranged as in a room, so that everyone can see how well he lived deceased. This is somewhat reminiscent of the burial of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

• These people believe that when a person dies, he pollutes the house and bed, so the dying person is taken to a tent (bendery) to die there. For them, dying in their bed is considered bad sign, because in this case the bed becomes “unclean”.

• Autopsy among Roma is a taboo. They will never allow this to be done, even if doctors or law enforcement agencies insist on it.

• The funeral service for the deceased is in a coffin, but they are buried in different ways, some gypsies - in a coffin, and others - wrapped in carpets or expensive fabric; the carpet is then laid at the bottom of the crypt.

Funeral and commemoration

• A gypsy funeral is a lengthy process; the body of the deceased may not be buried for several days. At this time, everyone who knew him comes to the tent where he died and says goodbye to the deceased, sometimes this can drag on for several days.

• The person who has passed on to another world is buried in his best clothes; women wear many elegant gypsy skirts.

• Some gypsies have a negative attitude towards cremation, others agree, and some ask to be cremated loved one. In this case, the urn with ashes may not be taken from the crematorium and not buried for quite a long time.

• In general, funerals among these people are quite cheerful, and are more like a birthday or a wedding. The guests dance, sing and rejoice that the deceased has gone into the world without tears, need and suffering.

• Very often, relatives invite an orchestra to a funeral, but instead of funeral marches, folk melodies are performed.

• Funerals sometimes last two or three days and also do not look like some kind of mournful spectacle - the same songs, dances and music. Sometimes relatives stay for another fourth day.

• Some representatives of this people also perform funeral services on the ninth and fortieth day, but some do not. Most gypsies do not fast.

This is how Russian gypsies bury their dead relatives. In other states, these people profess other religions (for example, there are gypsies - Muslims and even Jews), and then the customs are slightly different, but the songs and dances in world of the dead The deceased is almost always seen off.