Gypsies refer to nomadic people who have no permanent homes and move with the seasons in search of food, water, and shelter. They are usually small ethnic and cultural groups of no specific nationality; nomads from most countries are called gypsies. Gypsy is also sometimes used as a derogatory term.
The biggest group of gypsy is the Roma. The term gypsy is usually normally used to refer to anyone leading a nomadic life, but the Roma is different because they are actually biologically, culturally, and linguistically related. They were called gypsy when they were mistaken as Egyptians. The Roma, later on, were found to have originated in India. There are over 30 million Roma worldwide.
Because they are scattered all over the world, the Roma’s culture and social organization vary by a lot. What they all have in common, however, is their strong sense of group identity and fierce family orientation. They are very strict when it comes to contact with the outside world, and view such contacts as polluting. The Roma’s language, Romani, is spoken by all Roma, even if just a little. The Roma are divided into clans, each clan composed of related families. Clan leaders are called kings or queens, though such individuals do not have any political power in the group. Issues and disputes are settled at the ‘kris,’ an informal Romani court.
Roma contributed a lot to Europe’s artistic history, as Roma fortune tellers, caravans, and entertainment enlivened European lierature and folklore. Roma used to work as musicians and entertainers, as is apparent in European music. Roma music inspired many great European musicians, and the popular flamengco of Spain actually has its origins in Roma. Apart from music and entertainment, other Roma occupations are mostly traditional. They usually work as blacksmiths, traders, small-time merchants, and fortune tellers, ocassionally dabbling in medicine and crafts.