Aj, Rromale!

Traditional Romani Dress: The Picture Guide

biggadjeworld:

Kalderash
Ruska Romani (Kalderash of Russia)
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Polska Romani (Kalderash of Poland)
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Căldărari (Kalderash of Romania)
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Kalderash of Ukraine
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Kale Romani

Manouche (Kale Romani of France)
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Iberian Kale (Kale Romani of Spain)
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Romanichal (Kale of the British Isles & America)
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(The group that popularized the “Gypsy” Vanner & the Romani vardo)
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(She is very light in complexion. The Romanichal vary in skin complexion & hair color, just like every other Romani sub-group)

Kàlo (Romani Kale of Finland & Sweden)
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Sinti
(Romani of Austria & Germany)
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Xoraxane (Romani of Turkey)
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Lovari (Romani of Hungary & Slavic countries)
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Machvaya (Romani of the Balkans & Southern Hungary)
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Gurbeti (Romani of the former Yugoslavia)
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Romani of Macedonia
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Rroma (Romani sub-group dispersed from Northern Italy to the Balkans)
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The Romani are separated into various nations, sub-groups, tribes & family groups. The division & self-identification among Romani is rather complex. In short, we are divided into four categories: Vlax, Sinti, Kale & Rroma.

The Kalderash are the largest Vlax nation. The Ruska & Polska Romani, as well as some Eastern European Romani groups who self-identify by their country are part of the Kalderash Nation.

The Lovari are another sub-group of the Vlax Nation. The Machvaya of Serbia & other small Balkan groups are essentially branches of the Lovari. Over time, separation occurred between Romani of the Balkans & their Lovari parent group. Some Romani still self identify as Lovari-Machvaya, or Balkan Lovari, others self identify only as Machvaya or their respective Balkan group.

The Gurbeti are also considered part of the Vlax nation, though they do not always self identify as such. 

The Xoraxane, the Romani of Turkey, are generally lumped under the Vlax nation, though they no longer self identify as Vlax. The Xoraxane are the Romani who settled in Turkey, while splinter groups continued to migrate north into the Balkans & other parts of Europe. Their settlements are some of the oldest Romani communities in the world, though many young Xoraxane Romani no longer speak the Romani language.

The Rroma are dipsersed throughout Central & Southeastern Europe. They are generally identified by the region in which they live; Carpathian, Burgenland, Balkan, or Greek. They contain sub-groups such as the Ungrika of Hungary, the Lucani & Calabresi of Italy, and the Aškalija & Yerlii of the Balkans.

The Sinti are a Romani group who settled in the region of Austria, Germany & the former Czechoslovakia. There is sometimes contention as to whether the Sinti are a Romani sub-group as they often self-identify ethnically as Sinti, not Romani. However, their language, though influenced by German, is considered a dialect of the Romanes language, and is most closely related to the Kale dialect family.

The Kale are Romani who settled in regions of Western Europe. They consist of the Manouche of France, the Romanichal of the British Isles, the Kalo of the Nordic countries & the Kale of Spain, sometimes called the Gitanos.

As stated previously, self identification varies greatly amongst Romani. This explanation is a general overview & not in any way definitive of how certain Romani sub-groups may identify themselves. For example, my family self-identifies as Lovari-Machvaya, while many Machvaya no longer identify with this parent group. Also, Romanichal often simply identify as Romanichal, without mention of their Kale parent nation. Much of our self-identification depends on where a particular Romani sub-group has settled & from where they migrated and when. There are few Machvaya in Serbia who acknowledge their filial relationship with the Lovari, but there are Machvaya in America who continue to do so because they left this region before the groups become more geographically & linguistically separated.

There are also many Romani groups that have come about through different sub-groups continually inter-marrying with one another. We are not, at least not at the moment, in any way capable of tracing & identifying every single sub-ethnic population of the Romani. What is shown & discussed is of the most well known & documented Romani groups. There are over 80 identified dialects of our language, at the moment. There are likely far more than 80 self-identified Romani sub-ethnic groups.

The pictures above show general dress of these various nations & groups. Notably, the Sinti have managed to assimilate more in to mainstream society, and are perhaps the most assimilated of the various Romani groups. However, Germany & Austria had long forced assimilation through radical laws that went so far as to take the children of Sinti families & place them in families of non-Romani to be “civilized”.

The situation of each Romani nation & our various groups differs from country to country, even from family to family. Though, one can see the cohesive nature of this traditional dress. Given that we began our diaspora over one thousand years ago, relatively speaking, little has changed of our culture & language since we first entered Europe. 

The young Romanichal girl that is depicted, though her population as been separated from the Vlax for over five hundred years, and many miles, still traditionally braids her hair the same way as the Vlax Romani who remained in Eastern Europe. It is rather remarkable that we have managed to maintain our culture & language in this ever-changing world.

Tagged: photohistorycultureromanigypsysintecalekalemanouchekaaleromanichal