The Gypsy Court in Eastern Europe

The Gypsy court is one of the central and most elaborated subjects in Romani studies. Its nature and origin have been widely discussed. The article presents, for the first time, rich comparative material on Gypsy courts gathered from Gypsy groups in Central, South-Eastern, and Eastern Europe. The data form the basis of a description of the main characteristics and types of Gypsy courts, dispelling, in the process, some scientific myths and erroneous assertions made on them.