Although their own myths and their common name point to an Egyptian origin for the gypsies, the Rom, as they call themselves, originated in India, as shown by studies of their language. They arrived in Europe in the ninth century and spread across the continent from East to West, reaching England in the 15th century and Scandinavia by the end of the 16th century. A nomadic people, these wanderers were reviled by local people wherever they went and regarded as misfits, intruders, foreigners and thieves. Drawing on a number of sources never before available outside of Eastern Europe, Claude Lecouteux reconstructs the gypsy oral tradition to provide a comprehensive A-to-Z look at gypsy mythology, including their folktales, rites, songs, nursery rhymes, jokes and magical traditions. His main source is material collected by Heinrich Adalbert von Wlislocki (1856-1907), an ethnologist who lived with gypsies in Romania, Transylvania and Hungary in the latter half of the 19th century. He presents the origin myths of the gypsies, legends which form the ancestral memory of the gypsy tribes and often closely touch on their daily life. Lecouteux explores the full range of supernatural beings that inhabit the gypsy world, including fairies, undines, ogres, giants, dog-people and demons and he examines the three major settings of gypsy folktales - the forest, water and the mountain, which they worshipped as a sacred being in its own right. He, also, reveals how coexisting with peoples of different religions led the gypsies to adapt or borrow stories and figures from these groups and how the religious concepts and sacred stories of the Rom testify to a profound syncretism of pagan traditions and Christianity. Complete with rare illustrations and information from obscure sources appearing for the first time in English, this detailed reference work represents an excellent resource for scholars and those seeking to reconnect to their forgotten gypsy heritage. · Presents the origin myths and magical traditions of the gypsies, including their legendary ties to Egypt, animal ancestors and tree spirits · Examines the three major settings of gypsy folktales - the forest, water and the mountain - and shows how their world is full of spirits · Shows how the religious concepts of the Rom testify to a profound syncretism of the pagan traditions and Christianity