Е-mail: atschernych@yandex.ru
Тel.: +7 (3422) 212-70-19
13a, Lenina str., Perm’, 614090, Russian Federation
Full Professor, head of Ethnologic Studies sector, department of History, Archeology and Ethnography, Perm’ Research Center of the Uralic Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences
This research is supported by the grant of the Russian State Fund for Humanities No. 15–11–59002 “The symbolic function of objects of traditional culture of the peoples of the Urals”.
The article based on the field materials collected among members of a gipsyband of the Kalderash Romani, belonging to the wolf clan, uncovers their attitude to gold and golden items as well as the symbolic meaning of gold itself. Gold’s pragmatics is multifunctional in Romani culture. Gold is an expensive metal that measures and shows family’s wealth. Golden items are considered to be the best and the most expensive present. Gold is a status item for the Romani culture, for example, golden jewelry is the main accessory of bride’s or women’ costume. Gold is the main symbol of wealth, luck, beauty, youth and prosperity. There in the traditional Romani culture gold is deeply related to traditional mythological beliefs, rites and customs.
Gold as a symbol of wealth is used in calendar fests and rites. Golden items are essential in New Year and New Year tree decoration, as well as it spring rites related to the first thunder. Being regarded as a symbol of wealth, gold appears to be important for other rites such as making mascots from fern blossoms and bats (liliyako). It was believed that a bat brought happiness when it flew into the house. Mascots, which were prepared from a wax sphere, gold, bread and bats, were kept behind icons or in featherbeds. An owner of such a mascot was supposed to own money and gold, as well as prosper in his business. Gold is a necessary part of a present, due to family celebrations such as christening of a newborn, wedding, setting newly-wed aside from parents into their own tent, as well as funerals. Gold is a part of gipsy folk medicine. Extensive complex of gold beliefs is related to mythological characters, as mermaids or wood spirits, which appear as gold grantors often. Important complex of mythological beliefs was connected to “Komara” — the mosquito character which was supposed to be a gold treasure keeper.
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