Gypsies in Lithuanian folklore

ENGypsies are the second transnational minority after Jews which is spread all over the world except Japan. In Europe they appeared in the 14th century. To Lithuania gypsies came from Poland by the end of the 15th century. Their life was not easy anywhere. Superstitions which reigned in Europe in the Middle Ages left the sign in the fate of gypsies. They were said to conjure, people kept them servants of devils, they were associated with evil spirits, witches. There have never been many gypsies in Lithuania. During the 1923 census their number didn’t reach 300. It is however quite difficult to count them because of gypsies’ nomadic life’s style. But for the same reason one can meet them everywhere. That is why they are among the most popular personages in our folk culture. Gypsies are often met in tales, stories and anecdotes, in wedding, love, feast, childish, fun songs, in the folklore of small forms. Gypsy is the most popular protagonist of so called „buitine pasaka” (a folk tale, whose plot is concerned with everyday situations; English equivalent term: Joke”). Gypsies’ actual character, their typical activities resemble those that characteristic a tale’s hero. In essence there are only two characters in the tale: the deceiver and the deceived, who make opposition. The tale strongly stresses the social opposition and the image of gypsy depends on the second character. Gypsy has very low social status; that is why he is very good opposition to rich man. He is the deceiver and a rich person, his victim - the deceived. In case of another opposition (gypsy - ordinary man), protagonists change their places. Ordinary man acquires positive traits and gypsy acts as the deceived. [p. 149].