Sunday, October 28, 2007

Gypsies in Wales - Would You Believe

So easy to pass by the poor. Shanty towns at a distance from the road, litter, people in a dump. We think of Gypsies in colorful clothing with castanets or at least with something to set them apart. Not so. Europe is full of them, but now just the poor with their own customs, ways, language, nobody pays attention. Look for them. These are people.

Little Wales. So forgotten. So hindside. But now we find that a group or clan of gypsies, or Travellers, known as Kane, settled there. And that there is another group, called "Cale" that settled in Spain. See chronology of migrations and events and maps at //www.travellersinleeds.co.uk/_travellers/HistoryEngland.html. Who came first? Where did Michael Caine come from, the actor? See Gypsies, Roma, surnames.

For current policies, governmental issues, do a search for Travellers Wales, and up will come information with a huge URL - too long to reproduce.

Place holder: in the England Road Ways, and Ireland Road Ways, and Scotland Road Ways, we found reference to the "Cane" as a name for Welsh gypsies, and "Kane" as a reference for Spanish gypsies, and wondered about who got where when. Still looking it up. Do on your own - this is interesting stuff.

Read about the Romani Cymru, the Romany Wales Project (nonprofit, archival) at //www.valleystream.co.uk/romhome.htm. There are photographs by T.J.Lewis, and a summary of the prejudices still keeping Roma apart, or if assimilated, from revealing their heritage.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol
Just to point out that
Welsh Romany are Kale
and Spanish Romany are
Cale.
Latcho divus (GoodDay)
and Kushti baxt (Good Luck)