Our History
Our Story Thus Far...
The following is a fairly short take on our long history. This is the "in faith" story of the many Gypsy characters who have graced (and plagued!) England, and the village of Scarborough in particular, over the years. For as the Phuri (Romany elders) say, you cannot know where you are going to if you do not know where you have been. Romany words are defined the first time they appear.
Ancient History
From Our Beginnings to the End of the '94 Season
The night is more chilly than one might expect for an English spring, as if the land is still in the icy grip of the brutal winter that has just ended. The full moon hangs low and pregnant in the nighttime sky, casting its cool pale light over the city of tents and wagons that makes up the camp of a large Gypsy tribe. Fiddles play softly in the distance, both mournful and joyous at once. The tinkling of bells and aromas of exotic oils and spices waft through the camp. In its center, elaborately carved and painted vardos (Gypsy wagons) of all shapes, sizes and colors lie gathered in a circle, with laundry hanging on lines running between them. In the middle is a large bonfire around which the old but powerful Phuri Dae (Wise Woman) sits upon an ancient and elaborately carved stool made centuries ago in a land so far away most English have never even heard of it. As the Gypsy children run into the circle giggling, they stop dead in their tracks as soon as they see the serious expression upon her face. As she speaks in a voice both commanding and gentle, they stand rapt by her words.
So, dearest glata (children), if I do remember right you did tell me earlier you wanted to hear a story. Sit, dear ones, and you shall hear quite a tale indeed. And not just any story, but our story. It is the tale of our kumpania, of our tribe as the Gaje (non-Gypsies) would say.
Where to begin? Sometimes it is hard to tell where one thing ends and another begins, and so it is with us. I could begin with our ancient origins in the Motherland, or with our many adventures in faraway Russia, or with the amria (curse) put upon us by the Baba Yaga herself! But it is here in this England that our destiny has always been, so here I begin. For many summers our people have traveled this strange land. And for almost as long Rom (Gypsies) of our Kumpania have come to this village of Scarborough every spring. Its Spring Faire is always most profitable and entertaining, so the poor foolish townspeople have seen more than their fair share of us and our mischief! And something odd about this town has led to many of the great events in our Kumpania's history to occur here.
Masha, are you paying attention? Listen, little one!
The first vitsa (clan) of our kumpania to leave the Motherland and make the long journey to this distant country were the Wispersteppes. Indeed, they were the first Rom ever to walk upon English soil. Becoming lost in France and then stowing away on a ship bound for England to avoid the shanglo (lawmen), they found themselves accidentally transported to a new country.
Wild and adventuresome always, it is no wonder they would be the first to travel so far in search of a better life. For a long time their leader was the wise and noble Shadow Wispersteppe, their Queen (as she was called for the benefit of the Gaje). She ruled well, with the advice of her Phuri Dae (Wise Woman) and support of her Bulibasha (male consort) at her side always. Some other Rom thought it odd they were ruled by a woman, but that had long been their tradition, and she was as good at it as any man. She carried herself like a goddess, and even the Gaje gave her deference without thinking. The Rom of Vitsa Wispersteppe were a wild and boisterous lot, and she had quite a time keeping them in tow! They got themselvesinto all sorts of trouble with only their wit and charm to get them out. But well indeed they plied the noble arts of trade, entertaining, bujo (swindling) and dukkering (fortune telling), especially since the Gaje did not know our ways as well then.
Shadow Wispersteppe (left) and some of her vitsa (Scarborough '93)
Many joyous years they lived this way, growing rich and fat off the bounty of the land and foolishness of the Gaje. But one day Shadow announced she would give up her rule to her daughter, Anatasha. The ceremony was set for a special day when the stars were most favourable, during the faire at Scarborough as luck had it. I have been told the ceremony was most beautiful and that the whole village came to see it. At the time no one knew why Shadow did this, but soon she revealed that her Phuri Dae with her Sight had seen a terrible vision of something about to happen. Their Phuri Dae had told Shadow that she had to step down then to make an easy transition of power, for dark days were ahead.
She was too right, for Shadow and much of her vitsa were murdered later that year by angry Gaje in the north. May their souls rest with Moshto (God) and may a great and horrible curse be upon their murderers always! Only the children and a few adults, including Anatasha, survived. It was terrible indeed and my heart mourns to think of it. But weep not, happy days would once again come!
Despite this terrible tragedy, Anatasha was most levelheaded and wise. She and the other survivors regrouped and, along with some lost members of other clans, formed the new Vitsa of the Night Wolf. They returned here the next spring and again reveled in Scarborough's intrigues and excitement. You see, as long as we have known the Gaje we have always been figures of mystery and romance to them as much as the objects of their scorn, and Scarborough I think was secretly happy to hear again the pealing of Gypsy bells, smell the sweet scent of exotic oils and marvel at their brightly painted vardos. The Night Wolves milked the bounty of Scarborough and the rest of the north of England well, smuggling with pirates (when the law was looking the other way, well bribed), offering the services of their Gypsy Wives and selling worthless trinkets to superstitious fishing folk as "amulets of great power." They were more suspicious than the Wispersteppes had been, and that caution served them well.
Though young and full of fire, Anatasha ruled wisely.
She was of far-sighted vision as well, for at this time she sent a message all the way to Rodina (Mother Russia), where our vitsa (and others) still traveled. After many months of being passed through the hands of a dozen kumpanii and traveling through seas, mountains and forests, this missive finally reached us. In it she invited us to join her vitsa in traveling the plentiful countryside of England. It would be a very long and dangerous journey, so I and all the other Phuri Dai gathered together to see if the omens were good. They were -- Destiny had played his hand.
It was time for us to leave Russia in any case, for things were becoming dangerous for us there. We had long had an arrangement with the Czar where we did spy upon his Mongol enemies in exchange for favours and gold, but this fell apart when he discovered his ex-mistress Oksana and her daughter Katja were living amongst us -- we had taken Oksana and her daughter in, for she had once been one of our vitsa. His hatred for them knew no bounds, and the fact that Kyrill, who had also recently joined us, had killed five of the Czar's Royal Guard while defending his younger brothers from their cruelty made the situation even more awkward. We were welcome in Moscow no longer, and would have to find a new circuit to travel anyway.
So we soon began our long and winding voyage to England, a place we had barely even heard of before. I must say, even the bravest among us were very nervous about leaving the only land we had ever known on such a long and dangerous journey into the unknown. But some most amusing things happened on the way (I could tell you some tales of Nikolai, Lazaros and fifteen dancing girls that would make your hair stand on end!), but those are stories for another time. It would take us almost two years before we would land upon English soil, and only after great hardships such as being separated from some of our family in the lands of the Turks.
The saddest of all the things to befall us on our journey, it was in Constantinople that it happened. That city was so damned big that we lost many of own there, and searched for weeks to no avail. Gone were Sonya (eldest daughter of Nikolai and Nadia), Kyrill, Valentina and others. In the end, we had to go on, we could wait for them no longer. It is the hardest decision my son Nikolai and I ever had to make.
While we were still upon the drom (road) to England, though, the Night Wolves disappeared in the wilds of Wales. Some say they travel there still, but if so they must be in hiding, for we have heard naught of them since our arrival, and do believe me, we have sent scouts to look for them. Others say they were kidnapped by faeries...
Not So Ancient History
The '95 and '96 Seasons
The winds were changing for us, and it was uncertain which way they would finally blow. This part of our tale concerns three brothers: the noble and clever Mikhail (the oldest), the wily and silver-tongued Nikolai (the middle son) and the mischievous and troublesome Lazaros (the youngest). Each of them was very important in bringing our vitsa to England and establishing its power. Mikhail had joined Vitsa Wispersteppe when they had left for England and had been with them through their trials and adventures, but had become separated from them before the massacre in the north, left alone in a strange land. Even so he soon found and married the beautiful and talented Vatrushka, who came from another, recently arrived, vitsa not related to us. The two were very well matched, and soon had many fine daughters. This family came alone to Scarborough in one damaged vardo the spring after the Night Wolves had disappeared. After waiting for the return of Shadow or Anatasha, Mikhail finally accepted the role of
Rom Baro (chieftain) in accordance with our ways, with Vatrushka as his Queen.
Vatrushka with a Gaje nobleman who looks suspciciously like Nikolai! (Scarborough '95)
There were few Rom left for them to rule, though, and they knew they had to be clever to survive. So they began calling themselves King and Queen of the Gypsies. It worked better than they hoped, the foolish Gaje were quite impressed. They became rich telling fortunes and selling talismans. Mikhail befriended the Lord Mayor of this town and even dealt with England's royalty on a nearly equal basis (he did not hold their lower station against them!) (smile)
Late that autumn we finally arrived in England, having been smuggled in by a well-paid Gaje merchant. After so long and hard a voyage, it was a wondrous thing indeed! It was the first and only time I have ever felt road-weary, and we were all ready for the waiting to come to an end. We raced to the north, my Sight guiding us, and soon we were reunited with Mikhail and his familia outside York. More joyous times we have never known!!! We drank and danced and laughed and told tales for two days and nights before finding a good place to wait out the winter. We were soon united into one clan, the Vitsa of the Changing Winds, with Mikhail and Vatrushka as its Rom Baro and Queen. And what rulers they were, now that they had a proper vitsa to lead. By the time winter had ended, we were full of excitement and wanderlust, and soon made our way to Scarborough.
We were a very large vitsa, with a huge range of skills, which served us well indeed. Nikolai, that silver-tongued devil who had led us to England, served as Prince (a title he created, probably to impress the women!) and plied his great talents at bujo and talismongering. Lazaros, mischief incarnate, was truly a master thief, picking pockets with great skill and evading the law at every turn (although I do seem to remember him being tied to a caber and paraded about the village). The lovely and clever Nadia became known as a very good pickpocket and dancer, though she was surely the worst cook to have ever lived (that is why we still moan when she mentions cooking)! And what praise could be too much for Natalya, such a talented Gypsy Wife? Gaje men hadn't a chance to resist her wiles...or her demands. Those were good times indeed, and we slept well each night, our bellies full and our purses stuffed to bursting with the gold of the foolish.
Mikhail (center), with young Nikolai (left) and Natalya (right) (Scarborough '96)
Recent History
'97 & '98
These times of plenty had made us most baktalo (happy). However, news from the Motherland soon changed all our lives greatly. The brothers' dadro (father) and my wretched husband (spits), ruler of those last vitsi who had decided to stay in Russia, had died. When word came of his passing, a silence filled the air around our camp, for all there knew what it meant. The Romaniya (Gypsy laws & traditions) demanded that Mikhail return to Russia and take his rightful place in leading those left. We were loath indeed to see him and his familia go, but we knew they must, and that the rest of us must remain and carry on. He decided to sail there, despite the dangers of the sea and the Gaje laws that punished any Rom taken to new lands by ship -- he could return to us that much faster this way. As we saw them off, Mikhail said he would return soon, bringing with him the remaining vitsi so we would all be together again. Our blessings went with them all, for many went with Mikhail to ensure his safety and seek adventure. After many weddings (in which many of our women were lost) and separations, there were only five of us left, Lazaros, Nadia, Natalya, Nikolai and myself, Baba Ravena! How sad it was, being so small in numbers and vulnerable!
Despite Mikhail's promises, there was no telling how long it would be until he returned, so the new Vitsa of the Fiery Dawn was formed. Nikolai would rule as its Rom Baro, its King. But who was to be his Queen, the passionate and conniving Natalya or the clever and stubborn Nadia? A great rivalry began between these two rinkini Romni (beautiful Gypsy women), with the reluctant groom (who hoped to remain a bachelor a bit longer) caught in between.
Nikolai, Natalya and Nadia (Scarborough '98)
In the end, though, it was decided he should marry Nadia. It was truly a love match between them, and Nadia had already borne two daughters out of wedlock by him secretly. Their wedding, two years ago to this day, was most touching, for their love had persevered amidst all the bickering. I smiled as they jumped the Broom of Destiny together, knowing good fortune and many fine children would be theirs. Yet also I wept a secret tear that Mikhail and Vatrushka could not have seen it, for they had not yet returned.
The towns of northern England were as always ripe for the picking come spring, and they were delicacies we devoured, especially the tastiest of them all, Scarborough and its Spring Faire. Nikolai continued to be a wondrous swindler and as Mikhail had done rubbed elbows with the Gaje nobles. Though it would take a while for him to become a good Rom Baro, it did happen with time. Nadia was a good and noble Queen (and still is to this day), and thankfully cooked no longer! Lazaros, my youngest, honed his thieving skills until he was surely the best in the world (though I often wonder if Moshto did not make up for this by giving him no common sense!). And Natalya remained our biggest moneymaker. Though few in number, we were big in spirit, cleverness and skill.
It is most amusing how things change, often most surprisingly, as soon as you think you have them figured out. This crime I was guilty of, for I did not foresee the wondrous fortune that was soon upon us. After a year of experience, Nikolai and Nadia had settled well into their duties, and we came to Scarborough once again last spring, having no idea who would be waiting for us there!
Such baxt (good luck) is not to be questioned, to be sure, but I wonder still at how we were finally reunited with those we had lost so long ago! Moshto be praised for such good fortune! Somehow those we had lost in Constantinople had managed to make their own way here. Among them were Sonya, and Kyrill and Valentina, our lost adoptees whom we had helped to escape certain death in the Motherland.
They had traveled to England with a group of musicians we had metin Constantinople known as the Spoonfed Tribe, who came to this isle on a mysterious mission of their own. It was good to see them again, and we danced with joy as they played to the delight of Rom and Gaje alike. Dancing seemed in our veins, for that summer we started performing the Maypole for the Gaje to show them how it is properly done (smile). The Gaje were so impressed that they even let us lead their king's Royal Procession -- so they could keep both eyes on us, I am sure. It was wondrous for us to be together again, a proper vitsa (though sadly Mikhail's vitsa had still not returned). It was a good time for us all, and as the Gaje do say, the money did truly roll in. And with so many talented young Rom and Romni in our vitsa, could it have done otherwise?
The '98 Vitsa (Scarborough '98)
Last Season
It was inevitable that dark clouds would one day cast their shadows upon our happiness, though. It happened this way -- not too long after the arrival of those we had lost in Constantinople, many of them went their own way. Our musician friends left us to travel onward toward their own destiny, and Kyrill struck out on his own for a year, scouting the country. The murder of his entire vitsa in Russia at the hands of the Czar's Guards had made him dark and angry, and despite the many dangers of traveling alone he did so until we thought him lost.
It was only upon arriving in Scarborough again that we found Kyrill once more, and began to discover his dark intentions. We had no idea at first, but Kyrill felt cheated out of his destiny, for he had been the son of the Rom Baro of his vitsa before they were all killed, and he had an insatiable thirst for the crown. While not really disliking Nikolai, in his time alone he got the idea of deposing and killing him (if he had to) in his head, thinking that everything would be all right again if he were Rom Baro. Kyrill began gaining allies among the Gaje to do this, and a fierce feud erupted between the two Rom. It took all the strength of Nadia and myself to keep it from ending very badly.
Nikolai and Kyrill caught actually being civil to one another (it was too cold to fight) (TRF '98)
Things truly became nasty, with rude words and blades being exchanged between them. But oddly enough, Kyrill was not only Nikolai's would-be assassin, but also his protector, guarding him from Gaje threats. And they were many, for our foes the filthy Scottish Gaje overran Scarborough, and threatened to take it by force. But the many threats our vitsa faced united us. For example, we stood together with the villagers to protect the Lord Mayor, who had long been a friend of our people, despite the danger.
The feud between Nikolai and Kyrill grew more and more terrible, though, until I noticed something that would change our Kumpania forever. While watching a storytelling competition between Kyrill and Nikolai, I noticed a crucifix upon Kyrill's neck that looked exactly like the one I had given to my long-lost son so many years ago! I looked at him closely, and then I finally knew, Kyrill and Nikolai were both my sons, both brothers! The feud immediately melted away upon the hearing of this, and the brothers were reconciled.
Despite all this trouble between the brothers and with the Scots,we were all about the village causing trouble, making much gold and enjoying ourselves. Again we performed the Maypole for the Gaje. And we told our best tales for them in our Gypsy Extravaganza, giving them a glimpse at the beauty of our storytelling. And we entertained the many visitors to the village in the lanes, showing them what good people we Rom are, and "adopting" more foolish Gaje into our clan than ever before, making them most favourably disposed toward us.
Many of the younger members of our Kumpania distinguished themselves greatly at this time. Valentina finally became a full-fledged Gypsy Wife, and practiced her trade well, with a sauciness all envied. Katja made for us a wondrous musician and a ready wit. And little Tatiana proved to be a clever young one indeed, which was quite surprising, considering that she was the daughter of my youngest, Lazaros!
Great changes would come near the end of Scarborough's faire. Mikhail, my oldest, and his vitsa finally returned from Russia after so many years, and did find us! Once again a festive reunion occurred, with much joy, dance and song! But taking everyone completely by surprise, while we danced the Maypole one day, Mikhail announced to all that he was stepping down as Rom Baro of the entire Kumpania, and gave his crown and title to Nikolai. The joyous tears in Nikolai's eyes were matched by those of the crowd, both Rom and Gaje, mine included.
What to do with so large a Kumpania, though? We were now far too large to all travel together, hundreds strong, and a division had to be made. It was then that Nikolai and I agreed to the formation of yet another new clan within our tribe, the Vitsa of the Midnight Sands. Kyrill and Natalya finally got their fondest wish -- to be King and Queen of this new vitsa. Queen Anne herself did help us with the ceremony, which we performed for all to see. I was so proud, of both my sons!
After the faire Kyrill and the first members of his vitsa went their own way, traveling further south than we do. I have heard that he has gathered many of our people's criminals, embarrassments, lost and outcasts under his banner, seeking to keep them out of trouble. We shall see soon, for some members of the Vitsa of the Midnight Sands will be joining us this spring to travel the faires of the north.
But before another year would come, we would suffer the greatest tragedy our Kumpania has known since the deaths of the Wispersteppes -- the murder of our beloved Queen, Nadia. It was a dark and quiet night, and it took us quite a while to realize that our Queen had gone. And even longer to find her body upon the roadside. (tears fall down her face) She had been murdered by heartless Gaje thieves for a few trinkets! And they call us thieves!
Nikolai and Nadia dancing passionately (Scarborough 99)
It has taken us a long time to recover from that blow. She was beloved by all, and her husband and children have taken this especially hard. Nikolai has changed, grown darker and more wary, because of this. And now he is a Rom Baro without a Queen, and must find a new wife. We women will be carefully choosing who it shall be, and though he has no interest in marrying again, so he shall, for the good of the Kumpania.
And so another year has passed and we have once again grown in numbers. That brings us to the present, to tonight. Have I finished my tale, little ones? Da, for now. But is this the end of the story? Nyet, for it is forever growing as our Kumpania grows, with both joy and trouble at our sides. The next chapter of our tale unfolds even as we speak, and you are its heroes...But it is late and I tire. Think well on this.
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