Читать книгу Dissertation on the Gipseys - Heinrich Moritz Gottlieb Grellmann - Страница 8

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On their Food and Beverage.

Those Gipseys who are more connected with civilised people are not remarkable in their diet; though it is to be observed of them, that they are by no means particular in their cookery. The others, on the contrary, have their table furnished in a very irregular and extraordinary way. Sometimes they fast, or at best have only bread and water to subsist upon: at other times they regale on fowls and geese. The greatest luxury to them is, when they can procure a roast of cattle that have died of any distemper. It is the same to them, whether it be the carrion of a sheep, hog, cow, or other beast, horse-flesh only excepted: they are so far from being disgusted with it, that to eat their fill of such a meal is to them the height of epicurism. When any person censures their taste, or shews surprise at it, they answer, “The flesh of a beast which God kills, must be better than that of one killed by the hand of man:” they therefore embrace every opportunity of getting such dainties. That they take carrion from the laystalls, as is affirmed of the Gipseys in Hungary, is not probable, any more than that they eat horse flesh. But if a beast out of a herd die, and they find it before it become rotten and putrefied; or if a farmer give them notice of a cow dead in the stable; they proceed, without hesitation, to get possession of the booty. They are particularly fond of animals that have been destroyed by fire; therefore, whenever a conflagration has happened, either in town or country, the next day the Gipseys, from every neighbouring quarter, assemble, and draw the suffocated, half consumed, beasts out of the ashes. Men, women, and children, in troops, are extremely busy, joyfully carrying the flesh home to their dwellings: they return several times, provide themselves plentifully with this roast meat, and gluttonise in their huts as long as their noble fare lasts. Their manner of dressing this delicious food is curious:—they boil or roast what is intended for the first day; if they have more than they can devour at once, the remainder is either dried in the sun, or smoked in their huts, and eaten without any further preparation.

Something might here be introduced concerning their relish for human flesh, and the instances which some years ago happened in Hungary might be adduced as proofs, [16] were it not likely to be objected, that these examples are at variance with common experience, as well as with the old accounts handed down to us concerning these people. We shall, therefore, not insist on this accusation: but entirely give up the point of Gipseys being men-eaters, except just hinting, that it would be expedient for governments to be watchful. But the instances in Hungary do not appear, by any means, so casual and uncommon as people may imagine.—What, according to the strictest examination, has been done, not by one, but many; not by ten, but even two hundred, and perhaps by thousands; not yesterday and to-day, but many years back; finally, not by the whole body together, but single parties by themselves, in different places: Shall these things be deemed only casual excesses? Should it be asserted, in addition to this, that eating human flesh is in practice and allowed, in the country whence they originate; we might with greater probability mention this shocking fact, of feeding on human flesh, as a prevailing custom among the Gipseys. This circumstance is expressly mentioned in histories: which assure us, that among the particular class of people from whom the Gipseys sprung, it is a long-established custom for the nearest relations and friends to kill and eat each other. It is unnecessary to bring proof of it in this place, as it belongs to the second section: let it suffice just to have hinted the matter, in order that it may be known towards what people we are to look for the origin of the Gipseys. As to the objection, that among all the crimes with which they have been charged, in the older writings, eating human flesh is not positively alledged against them, it may be obviated by more than one answer. In the first place, let it be observed, history relates, and the event in Hungary confirms, that they murder one another; further, consider their wandering mode of life; lastly, that they generally abide in byplaces: and all may be easily accounted for. A hundred fathers may sacrifice their children to their voluptuousness, and the crime still remain concealed. The absent person is not missed; as nobody watches over a family continually in motion, and every-where a stranger. Just as unlikely is it, that information should be given to government. There is no reason to suppose any of their own people would think it their duty to inform; as, not being contrary to their usual practice, they do not esteem it wrong. It is very possible for them to have destroyed many other people, without the circumstances being recorded in the courts of justice, or noticed in the annual publications. Who ever thought to enquire of them after any traveller that, far distant from his own country, might have fallen into their hands and been cut off? Or how are the remains of the poor victim to be traced, if they devour what is eatable, and burn the bones? [19]

Those Hungarian wretches have, according to their own account, for twelve years gratified their horrid cravings, undiscovered by the magistrates, in a country where the police is by no means bad: perhaps they might have continued unsuspected for ever, had they not laid their unlucky hands on the people of the country, thereby bringing on a strict enquiry, and rendering the discovery more easy. Nor do the older writings seem to be entirely silent on this head; at least there is an appearance of something of the kind in them. Many authors mention the Gipseys stealing people, and accuse them particularly of lying in wait for young children. Others again deny this, saying, that the Gipseys have brats enough of their own, and therefore have not the least reason to covet strange children. How does the matter look, if we suppose they did not want to rear these children, but to sacrifice them to their inordinate appetite?—and the Hungarian intelligence expressly says, they were particularly fond of young subjects. What renders the truth of this accusation in the old writings suspicious, is, that before even a single Gipsey had set his foot in Europe, the Jews lay under the same imputation. Perhaps in this, as in many other instances, the calumny invented against the Jews might be afterwards transferred to the Gipseys. This alone considered, the imputation of kidnapping children might become doubtful; but then occurs the weighty circumstance, that it has been judicially proved in England; and, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, an act of parliament was passed on the occasion. Enough of this; let people reason upon the cannibal appetite of the Gipseys as they please, there will always remain ground for suspicion.

After having shewn how little delicate they are in satisfying their appetites, we should scarcely expect to find them squeamish with regard to articles of diet that are highly esteemed among civilised people. But Griselini gives a long catalogue of things which, he says, are disagreeable to a Gipsey’s palate; among which, he particularly mentions beans and onions, red bream, pearch, lampreys, with every kind of wild-fowl. Whereas the fact is, Gipseys not only eat beans and onions, but are very fond of them; and as for the red bream, pearch and lampreys, pheasants, partridges, &c. their only reason for abstaining from them is, the difficulty of procuring them: in which they are not singular; many other people being in the same predicament.

The Gipseys are not much accustomed to baking of bread; that is an article which they usually buy, beg or steal, or go entirely without. If by chance they do bake, the business is performed quite in the eastern method:—a wood fire is made on the ground, which soon becomes embers; in the mean time the mother kneads her dough, forms it into small cakes, lays them on the hot ashes, and thus they are baked.

To eat with a knife and fork, is no part of a Gipsey’s politeness; nor is a table or plate thought necessary: even a dish is frequently dispensed with. The whole kitchen and table apparatus consists of an earthen pot, an iron pan (which is also used as a dish), a knife, and a spoon. When the meal is ready, all the family sit around the pot or pan, the boiled or roast is divided into pieces, on which they fall-to; their teeth and fingers serving them for knives and forks, as does the ground for table and plates.

The common beverage of the Gipseys is water; now and then beer, when it costs them nothing. Wine is too expensive, nor is it particularly grateful to them. The case is very different when brandy comes in question, of which they are immoderately fond. They feel great pleasure in intoxicating themselves; which being easiest and soonest effected with brandy, it is in their esteem the only liquor worth purchasing: all they can earn goes that way: and whenever by chance they become possessed of a penny, it is expended at the first house where brandy is to be met with. Every christening, wedding, or other occasion of rejoicing, is solemnised with brandy: if they have plenty of it, they, as it were, drive the world before them; each trying, by screaming or holloing, to express his felicity and consummate happiness.

But, however great the thirst the Gipseys have for brandy, it is even exceeded by their immoderate love of tobacco. This is not, as might be supposed, peculiar to the men; for the women sometimes exceed them in it: and they not only smoke it, but chew and swallow the very leaves and stalks, with great avidity. That it may sooner reach its place of destination, and stimulate the gums and tongue more forcibly, they use a pipe not longer than ones finger: this pipe is made of wood, for economical reasons—as it absorbs the moisture, and thereby becomes a very great Gipsey delicacy; for having smoked it as long as they choose, they gnaw it with astonishing greediness, till not a splinter remains. It is immaterial, whether the pipe be smoked by the person himself or another, to bring it to the proper degree of perfection: he accepts it, as a valuable present, from any body; and is so chary of it, that it frequently lasts him many days. The Gipsey will abstain from food for more than a day, when he can procure a leaf of tobacco, or a piece of his pungent pipe, which he chews, drinks a little water, and is happy. This surely exceeds every thing that has been related of the most famous smoker!