Gypsy Superstitions and Folklore

Edited on June 7, 2016 - All information was gathered from Google under the search words, "gypsy" or "gypsy superstitions" or "gypsy folklore" and since it has been almost 3 years, since I originally posted this, I have edited and removed a lot of the content.  I do not have the original sources, and for that I apologize.  This post is intended purely for entertainment and simply for fun, with absolutely no disrespect intended.   

Any and all information that you take away from this blog post, should not be credited to Vermont DeadLine, as all of the content can be found elsewhere on the Internet.  

 

 

GYPSY LOVE MAGICK:

UNLUCKY DAYS TO MARRY

The following days are considered to be  unlucky for Love. Don't start a relationship, get married, etc. on 

these dates:

January           1, 2, 6 , 14 , 27

February          1, 17, 19

March             11, 26

April             10, 27, 28

May               11, 12

June              19

July              18, 21

August            2, 26, 27

September         10, 18

October           6

November          6, 17

December          5, 14, 23

How to Find Love, Gypsy~ Style:

“On Friday early as may be,

Take the fairest apple from a tree,

Then in thy blood on paper white

Thy own name and thy true love’s write,

That apple thou in two shalt cut,

And for its cure that paper put,

With two sharp pins of myrtle wood

Join the halves till it seem good,

In the oven let it dry,

And wrapped in leaves of myrtle lie,

Under the pillow of thy dear,

Yet let it be unknown to her

And if it a secret be

She soon will show her love for thee.”

Gypsy Superstitions and Lore

It is wise to pitch a tent near a holly tree because it will give you divine protection (holy tree). 

To see a mule shaking itself, is a sign of good luck. 

A moth hovering around a candle flame, means a letter in the morning.



To see a white horse in the morning, means good luck all day. 

If a coal or wood fire makes any kind of noise, it means a quarrel in the offing. 

To spit on ones hand after seeing a wagtail (a small bird with a long tail), means that money is on its way. 

If the right hand itches...money will be paid out. 

If the left hand itches....money will be received. 

A tickling nose is a sign of getting drunk. 

An itching of the right eye means sadness.

An itching of the left eye is a sign of happiness to come. 

At the new moon, spit on a little stone, then throw it in the air, if it comes down wet...there will be much sickness...if dry, good luck to come.

Frogs spawn thrown over the left shoulder for good luck. 

To see a shooting star is a sign of death 

A baby keeps its luck in the grimy lines of its hands.

A baby born at full moon will be lucky. 

A baby born at midnight before the Sabbath, it will be under a curse. 

Animals, Birds & Omens

Crows are shrouded in mystery, considered to be exceptionally wise and intelligent, some gypsies say that crows live to be 300 years old. 

To see one crow means sorrow, and two together means joy. 

A crow standing in the road signifies a happy journey, while a dead crow in the road, would cause a gypsy to turn back. 

Rooks:  To have a property with a rookery on it, is seen as very fruitful, but if the rooks should leave then that is taken as a bad omen. In Ireland, when one was buying a property that was blessed with a rookery the deal was considered null and void if the rooks deserted the rookery within one year. 

Magpies: Also a member of the crow family are a sign of good luck if two are seen together. One on its own foretells a theft. 

Robins and Wrens:  These are both lucky creatures, they bring good news if they fly into your home, but a dead robin or wren near your door is a bad omen. 

Owls:  To hear an owl in day time is a bad omen, like wise to hunt or kill an owl. 

Feared omens include an owl hooting closely after dawn, where it is said that the bird is calling a soul from a human body. 

Seagulls flying over the vardo (wagon), is considered a threat of death to the family.

If a black cat should cross your path, expect good luck.

If a dog howls for no reason, expect a death.

If a fox crosses your path, an opportunity will be given to you, if he stops and looks at you your ambitions will be fulfilled.

A white horse was once the symbol of the Celtic goddess Epona, and thus should be greeted with respect or you may draw misfortune to yourself. But you can tell the horse your hopes and wishes and they will come true. 

Two horses playing together foretells happiness in the family, but if they are fighting, means squabbles and disputes in the family. 

Weather and Astology

'Red sky at night, shepherds delight, red sky in the morning, shepherds warning' 

A mackerel sky predicts a fine day in the morrow, as long as the clouds are high and fine. 

A greenish tinge in the sky mean's rain is on the way. 

'Rain before seven, fine by eleven'. 


If the sun shines through the cloud's and has a halo, then fine weather is expected, a halo around the moon means rain within three days.

If the crescent moon appears to have her horns facing upwards, she is holding her water, the weather will be fine. 

A small high cold silver moon means frost. 

Major changes in the weather normally occur at the moons quarter. 

If stars are small and seem to blink, there will be wind the next day. 

If stars are large and blink there will be wind and rain. 

A thunderstorm at night, will freshen the air for twelve hours. 

Lightening at night without thunder, the next day will be humid. 

A low mist in the morning, ensures a fine day. 

Mist high on the hills brings rain. 

If the smoke from a fire draws high and straight into the sky fine weather it will be. 

If smoke clings to the ground, rain is on the way. 

When fire burns bright and steady in spring or autumn expect a frost. 



To Dream of......... 

Cats, snakes, lizards, a bull or knives, is unlucky.

A white horse or a mule is lucky.

If a fire occurs, there will be a summons. 

A large house means jail. 

 Dogs or people quarreling means friends will come.

Horses means news. 

A fish swimming means there will be a scandal.

 Dreams come true in the autumn.

If a dream is remembered in the morning it will come true.

More Gypsy Superstitions

The "screams of a falling tree" – it is said that the ears should be quickly covered by the hands when the tree is about to die.

On Wednesday and Friday no one should use needle or scissors, bake bread, or sow flax. 

No bargain should ever be concluded on a Friday.

Venus, to whom this day is sacred, punishes all infractions of the law.

It is unlucky to wash anything on Saturday, or to spin on Thursday.

There is always a treasure to be found where the first swallow is seen.

It is lucky to meet with a woman carrying a jug full of water, but unlucky if it be empty.

 It is a Romanian gypsy custom to do homage to the Wodna Zena, or “Water-Woman” by spilling a few drops of water on the ground after filling a jug, and it is regarded as an insult to offer drink without observing this ceremony.

One way of interrogating fate in love affairs is to slice an apple in two with a sharp knife; if this can be done without cutting a seed the wish of the heart will be fulfilled.

*Bibaxt is the Gypsy term for very bad luck.  

The most widely used charms were Sharks tooth, Seashells, Tigerseye and Jade, to name a few. 


FORTUNETELLING

The occupation for which the Gypsy has been most famous, is fortune telling, or the foretelling of the future.

The concept of fortune telling contains several elements. One element is foretelling the future. Another element relates to healing powers. The healing elements of fortune telling are called “advising”.

Good luck charms, amulets, and talismans are common. They are carried to prevent misfortune or heal sickness. Some carry bread in their pockets as protection against bad luck, or bibaxt, and supernatural spirits or ghosts, called mulo’.

FORMS OF DIVINATION

Aleuromancy – divination using flour or meal

Automatic Writing

Axinomancy – divination using axehead, usually heated red hot

Belomancy – divination by arrows

Bibliomancy – divination using a book, randomly opening to a certain page, a dictionary is good for this

Capnomancy – reading/interpreting pictures made by smoke

Catoptromancy – using a mirror, reflections

Palmistry

Cleromancy – divination by dice

Coscinomancy – divination using a sieve

Crystallomancy – crystal gazing

Dactylomancy – divination by rings

Divination by pendulum

Divination by coffee grounds

Divination by playing cards

Divination by Tea Leaves

Divination using wells

Geomancy – signs in the earth such as cracks, wetness, upheavals etc.

Herbal divination

Hydromancy – water divination

Kleidoscopy – Divination using keys or chance verbal exchanges

Lecanomancy - a form of divination using a dish, usually of water   

Libanomancy – divination using incense

Lychnoscopy – divination by candles

Metoscopy – divination by forehead

Oneiromancy – dream reading

Oracles

Ouija boards

Phrenology – divination by feeling the number, shape, and size of the bumps on one's head

Ouija – divination by fire

Rhabdomancy or Rahabdoscopy – divination by dowsing or rods

Runes or bones

Table tipping

The Tarot

Ooscopy – divination using eggs







DEATH 

"Do not cry, thy tears will sear the heart of the dead" (after the death of a loved one). 

Let the dead rest in peace, do not use their names or eat their favorite food. 

If one of the bearers at a funeral stumbles during the procession, there will be another death. 

Newly sprouted grass or of lightening means there will be a funeral. 
Sources:  tuirse.wordpress.com; and gypsytravelerhistory.com; tribes.tribe.net, google, pinterest,