Author Description

This book is about the Gypsies of Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. The choice of Andalusia was based on the fact that it has been regarded throughout the centuries as the dominant Gypsy "stronghold" in Spain. Accordingly, the culture of its Gypsy inhabitants may be considered to be representative of Spanish sedentary Gypsies in general, albeit increased tourism has operated greatly to accelerate the acculturative process in the decade spanned by the field studies reported in this work. Our focus is principally on the sedentary Gypsies of Granada, some of whom have continued to occupy the cave dwellings of Granada's Sacro Monte (Sacred Mountain) for more than five centuries. Descendants of the Gypsy tribes who settled in Andalusia, and who adapted themselves to Andalusian civilization, these Gypsies (gitanos) are differentiated from other Gypsy inhabitants of southern Spain primarily in that they are not nomadic. In addition, many of our informants are Gypsies engaged in the performing flamenco arts, a fact which distinguishes them occupationally and economically from other sedentary Gypsies. Although the current popularity of flamenco music has drawn the best of the dancers, singers, and guiatists away from the Sacro Monte, those who remain continue, sometimes under extreme duress, to perpetuate their traditional ways of life. - Overview. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Overview. Why study gypsies? -- How do you get in? -- Once in, then what? -- Following the patrin -- The unsolved X -- The gitaneria -- Gypsies in Andalusia. What is a gypsy? -- Movement into Spain -- Social and political climate of Fifteenth-Century Andalusia -- The gypsy in Spanish law -- Early gypsy culture contacts in Andalusia -- The gypsy ethos -- Themes in traditional gypsy culture. Gypsy pride -- Preeminence of gypsy law -- Gypsy loyalty -- Gypsy freedom -- Gypsy fatalism -- Gypsy deep song. Theories of origin -- Form of deep song -- Meaning of deep song -- Use of deep song -- Function of deep song -- Cultural regard for deep song -- The gypsy “way”. Gypsy Catholicism -- By rote, by faith, by tradition -- “That’s why we are gypsies” -- Children of the sacro Monte -- “Just a little schooling” -- Las escuelas del Ave Maria -- “I wish..., I wish” -- “If I were the government …” -- “The babies come out dancing” -- Patrins of change. “You will eat, but you will not work” -- “After that meeting with the pope …” -- “While the mothers look for life …” -- “We make league even with dogs” -- “Mal tiempo” -- American culture: a gypsy view -- Pulling it off. The gypsy as a creature of culture -- The gypsy as a carrier of culture -- The gypsy as creator / manipulator of culture -- Glossary.