Transylvania. A legendary region
in central Europe, bordered by the wilderness
of the Carpathian Mountains. Once part of Hungary, today
it belongs to Romania. Its 20 million inhabitants
are EU citizens, including more than
half a million people from the
Roma minority. 14,000 Roma belong to the
"Gábor" ethnic group. Their community is
centered around the village of
Karácsonyfalva. It’s been home to a
population of more than a thousand Gabor for
five centuries. This is our
cradle, it’s where our
ancestors are buried. The Gabor — with the
hat and moustache. Our women wear
long skirts. We are the
Gabor. We had the unique
opportunity to look inside the insular world of the
Gabor, a people who — largely shielded from
the outside world — have preserved their customs
and rituals for 500 years. According
to legend, a Hungarian prince named
Gabor granted them the right to stay in
the 17th century. Since then, every descendent
has been called 'Gabor' with either their
first or last name. One of the most influential
families lives just a few meters
from the church. Come in. This is my beautiful,
dear wife. We’ve been together for
42 years, I love her. Whether she loves me too
- I don't know. This is the wife of
my little grandson. And this here is my
great-granddaughter. Stop talking about
"love" and all that! Say we've been
together for 42 years, we're Adventists, and you
have a beautiful family and many
grandchildren. Yes I have a beautiful
wife - for 42 years. We have 31
grandchildren! Their grandchildren
live nearby. Gabor families
are big. By the age of 35, most
women are grandmothers, and by 50,
great-grandmothers. My father bought
this land. Then he
died. I was inconsolable and
fell into a depression. Then I built this house
- with no plans, I just went ahead
and built it. Gabor Janko is
60 years old. He deals mainly
in antiques, following in the
footsteps of his father, who shaped life in the
village like no other. This is my
father’s vest. You see? It’s
very old. There are even gems
in the buttons. They’re
gold-plated. Many Gabor own
something like this. You see? These are
my wife’s skirts. She keeps
buying more. She can never
have enough. My son bought
me these. They’re gold-framed,
from Porsche. They’re very
valuable. I’ll either wear them
when I go out or I won’t. Sunglasses are not
suited to our tradition. So it would be seen as
something shameful. The village school
is located nearby. Gabor boys attend until
they are 14 years old. Girls are taken out of school
no later than the age of 10, so as to be shielded from the
"dangers" of the outside world. The fear is that they
could be snatched as brides by a family with a
lower social standing. Or associate with
non-Gabor children — or worse — fall in
love with an outsider! The outside world poses
the greatest danger to the insular community
of the Gabor. Mundra left school
after fifth grade. She’s now 14 and is
being married off. Tomorrow is her
wedding day. We’ve been engaged
for two years. Before that we had
never talked much, but we knew each other
because we are related. We both agreed to the
engagement right away. The groom's grandparents
are setting off for one last sales tour
before the wedding. They make their
living as traders. Kuca is one of very few
Gabor women who have a job. She is always on the
lookout for new fabrics suitable for
traditional dresses. Her husband sells the
typical Gabor hats. Normally, Gabor
men travel alone, working as salesmen
across Europe. They are business savvy and
quick to discern a market. Kuca and Gabor peddle
exclusive wares that can’t be found in
shops or markets. They go door-to-door,
visiting their customers. We Gabor call it the
‘school of life’. There are people who
don't go to school, but they are
still smart. We’ve learned how
to make money, how to live
in the world. The Gabor know
how to trade. Every Gabor has it
in their blood. Gold is a prized commodity
among the Gabor. Bölöni — who was of course also
christened Gabor — is a gold
merchant. At 45, he’s already the grandfather
of many grandchildren. He and his
Hungarian employee specialize in jewelry
worn by the Gabor. I’ll tell the customer
that it’s almost ready. I belong to the
younger generation. In communist times,
our families made their living from
their crafts. They made boilers
or distilleries. Then democracy came
to Romania and we could
travel abroad. We knew what types of goods
would sell back home. We saw that gold was
cheaper abroad. And not
just gold. We brought it all back
to sell for profit. With their
business acumen, the Gabor did well after
the collapse of communism. They bought real estate
and became landlords. And they lent out money
and collected interest. Others were
left behind? and are
poor. The nail even
has a head. Sure, that's
the head. This is the type
of things I make. They're called
boilers. Janko still practices one of the
Gabor’s traditional trades. He’s a
tinsmith. Nowadays, when everything
is made of plastic, his skills are
rarely required. Nevertheless,
he can be found in his workshop
every day. Bölöni, the
gold trader, is quizzing him
about the old days. And the shears and hammers
that we see here, you had them
in a sack. In a bag. You carried it
around all day. All day. And what did
you call out? “Patching!
Repairs” Repairs All types
of repairs. And then people
invited you in and showed you what
needed repairing. I even repaired
things for 50 cents. And if they didn’t
have money, what then? They paid
in food. Cornmeal, some
bacon, eggs. You had what you
needed to live. Yes! You were even happier
to get food than money. We were
satisfied. A family of five
receives 200 euros in welfare payments
per month. That covers gas, electricity,
bread and potatoes. An unskilled worker
makes twice that sum. But a Gabor cannot
work as a hired hand. Employment is viewed
as 'servitude' and a breach of
Gabor tradition. Such work is left to
Hungarians or Romanians. The Gabor — even the
poorest among them — are viewed as the aristocratic
caste of the Roma. It’s wedding day at the
Sarkany family home. Marriage is the
biggest and most important celebration
for the Gabor — securing the future
of their community. The Gabor never marrying
outside their ethnic group. You are only a Gabor
if your parents and spouse are
Gabor too. Both of the families here are
wealthy and influential. Bobby, the
groom, is 16. He lives here
with his father, mother, and
grandparents. From today, he’ll be joined
by his bride Mundra. Like all Gabor girls,
Mundra wasn’t allowed to leave her house
after turning 12. She’s been waiting for this
day for two long years. The grandfathers seal
their deal clinched after months of
tough negotiations. Two families are uniting,
consolidating rank and wealth. Bobby and Mundra
play only a minor role in
this transaction. Wealth and rank are
not synonymous. Rank is
inherited. Every family wants to
marry into a better one. And they’re willing
to pay for it. For the wealthy,
that can cost up to a hundred
thousand euros. The wedding gifts are laid out
in the young couple's bedroom. The bride must be given
10 sets of dresses. Each costs around
400 euros — the equivalent of a
roofer’s monthly income. The men are in charge of
serving at wedding banquets. Lamb, chicken, salad
and fresh bread. First the men,
then the women. The marriage ceremony
must be over by noon. A Gabor wedding is a
purely family affair, without the involvement
of state or church. The bride’s ceremony
is presided over by her grandmother, mother
and mother-in-law. Gabor girls never
cut their hair. Like Mundra they
all sport braids. But that changes
when they wed. Now Mundra will wear her
hair tied up in a bun, as married Gabor women have
done for five hundred years. By tying her
headscarf, Bobby confirms that
Mundra is now his wife. No other man will ever
see her hair again. Bobby is set to learn
the merchant trade from his father and
grandfather, and eventually
provide for Mundra. He will have children, be
the head of the family, and as the youngest
son care for his parents and
grandparents. Guests at the wedding
party give money to the family as a
symbol of respect. The lion’s share is distributed
among the oldest and most distinguished
members of the family. Some even
get euros. Among the women,
only older family members
get a hand-out. And in the end, all that’s
left is national currency. If Mundra gets
homesick or the match turns out
to be unhappy, she can return
to her parents. The marriage can
also be dissolved if the couple doesn’t
produce male offspring. Otherwise, Gabor newlyweds
are bound together for life. By two in the
afternoon, the last guests
have departed. The village didn’t take
much notice of the wedding. Most people have
other concerns. As the sole breadwinner
of the family, men shoulder a
heavy burden. Gabor women stay at
home with the children. Even if their
family is poor. Recently, increasing numbers
of local tinsmiths have found work as roofers
in western Europe. An income that helps their
families make ends meet, but with nothing
left for savings. Industrial boilers for jam
production and liquor distillation. Coppersmithing is
another one of the Gabor’s ancestral
occupations, passed down from
generation to generation. How long does it take
to make one like this? Around ten
days. It took me
ten days. This one’s
550 liters. Gabor Rusu has 68 grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. His sons were also
trained as coppersmiths, but they make their
living from trade. Three of them reside here in
the house with their families. My father was the
village chief. My grandfather
too. My Gabor brothers say I'm
one too, but I'm not? I won’t take
on that role! Among the Gabor, problems
within the community are resolved by
the community. In the event of a dispute,
police consult the village chiefs,
the Bulibashas. The gold merchant explains
how the Gabor have exercised jurisdiction
for centuries. We are all just human,
and if someone is suspected of wrongdoing,
but is innocent — then he swears on the Bible
that he is innocent. And the community
believes him. Because the
Gabor are afraid they’ll be
cursed if they lie. Nowadays, the respective
families will gather at home and
swear the oath there. It happened to
me once too. I professed my
innocence in front of several rank elders in a
live chat on Facebook. If a gate is open, you
are allowed to enter. It’s an unwritten
law here. It’s still strange
to wear a headscarf. Mundra’s first
day as a wife. I got this from my
mother-in-law for the wedding. This is from Kuca,
that one too. This one I got from my mother
and this one from my father. My mother got this one from
her mother for her wedding. She gave it to me right
before the wedding. It’s back to
daily life. Grandparents Gabor
and Kuca are on their way to
their dressmaker. She lives on the outskirts of
the village and is Hungarian. Affluent Gabor like to
employ Hungarians — who they call clean
and reliable. In turn, Hungarians
like Margit enjoy doing business
with the Gabor — they pay
good money. She’s been sewing for
us for 40 years. Do you want me
to measure it? Then we'll know
how to cut it. Each Gabor skirt
is custom made. The fabric comes
from India. It’s very thin and must
be sewn in tight pleats. So that the men
can't look up our skirts,
right Margit? My mother-in-law is
like a mother to me. Also my father-in-law —
they’re like parents! We have a very
good relationship. It’s often the case
that you don't get along with your
mother-in-law. But with us it is
completely different, and I hope that it will
be the same with my daughter-in-law
as it is with me and my
mother-in-law. I comb her hair
every morning. I make the bun
and tie it up. I take care
of her. I wash her clothes
? iron them. Since she is still
very young, we take care of her
and also of the boy. They don't have to
worry about anything. Such little girls don't
have to cook or clean yet. When I was as young as
Mundra, as early as 12, 13, I had to slaughter
and gut poultry. There, she's
ready. Now I'll tie
her headscarf. My dear little
daughter-in-law. Before the wedding she
slept next to me. For three
nights. Now she sleeps next
to her husband. They are both
still little. They sleep
like siblings. They cuddle,
kiss. How should
I say it, they are just so “next
to each other.” That's the way
it is with us. I got these from
my mother and these are gifts
from the guests. All this is
for Bobby. Well for both of us.
And also these. The bags are
from my mother. Which shoes do
you like best? These. But they’re
still too big. I got a lot, I like it all,
everything was expensive. 500 years ago the
Gabor lived in tents. Then in mudbrick
and later in stone houses at the
edge of the village. Previously, only
Hungarians lived in the coveted homes along
the main street. But after the collapse
of communism, wealthy Gabors made
Hungarian homeowners offers they
couldn’t refuse, and most
moved away. Today Gabors make
up 75 percent of Karácsonyfalva’s
population. The antique
dealer Janko and his family
also live here. If my father said this is
blue, then it was blue. If he said white,
then it was white. We are five
siblings, and he taught
us everything. My father once
bought two big pigs. The butcher was
cutting them up and making sausage when two
young men appeared. "Come to church with
us, Uncle Mitri," they said to
my father. "I know you speak in the
name of the Lord Jesus," my father replied and
he followed them. By the time
he returned, the blood and liver
sausages were ready. "Eat some!" my
mother said. "Never again will I put pork in
my mouth!" my father replied. "That's what I swore
to the Lord today!" My mother
almost cried. In fact, she
did cry. That was forty
years ago. Janko's father never drank
alcohol or smoked again. Like increasing numbers of
Gabor Roma at the time, he had joined the Seventh
Day Adventist Church. Grandparents Gabor and
Kuca are also Adventists. Religion didn’t always play such
a big role in Gabor society. Some were Greek Orthodox,
others Protestant. In church they
sat at the back, separated from Hungarians
and Romanians. As Adventists though,
they feel accepted. Here, all that counts is the
believer’s faith in God. Many Gabor only learn to read
so they can study the Bible. Faith has changed
their lives. They are devout
and disciplined — characteristics that
have earned them recognition in the
outside world. The sermon is held at times
in Hungarian or Romanian. Most of the Gabor
are fluent in both. And, of course, they
also speak Romani. Four times a year they
celebrate the Lord's Supper. The highpoint of the
mass comes when the parishioners wash
each other's feet, as a sign of
humility. After the service, family
and friends dine together. The preacher
often joins in. Adventists cook
on Friday. On Saturday, they’re
only allowed to warm up and
serve the food. When they are young, women
don't have much say. But with time, they gain
prestige and influence. Still, the men are
always served first. And when there are guests,
the women sit separately. We always stay in
the background. That is our tradition.
Like in India... The men are in front
and the women behind. It’s the same in bed.
Excuse me. The woman is on the inside,
the man on the outside. If someone
falls out, it should be the
man, not the woman. In her new home, Mundra has
already learned how to iron. When she goes out tonight
with Bobby to a MacDonald's, she'll wear her favorite
Titanic-print skirt. Kuca is known to be
an excellent cook. She’d never dream of
using canned food. Kuca will teach Mundra
everything she needs to know — in the same way she
learned how to fulfill her role from her
own mother-in-law. But who knows how long
traditions will continue to be passed down from
generation to generation? These are my hats and
my grandson Janko's. If he needs a white
one, he takes that one. If he needs a brown
one, he takes that one. He's already married, we
brought him a little wife. He is a little gentleman
in the house. God gave him enough sense
to learn what’s good. He doesn't drink,
he doesn't smoke, he doesn't know what stealing
is, what whoring is. Will you always wear
the Gabor hat too? Yes! And your
children? Yes. I’m not
so sure. I suppose sooner or
later the Gabor hat will become
obsolete. I know I’ll wear it
for my entire life. These young people are
open to the world. He still
follows me. But what will happen
in his own family, only the good
Lord knows. And what about the family
of the village elder? These children will
not be Gabors. They will be
called Gabor, but they will no longer
practice our professions. It's not about professions,
it's about customs. The traditions of the
Gabor won’t survive. He wants to go to
school and continue studying so he can
become a policeman. In Gabor
Rostás' home, it’s the grandparents
who feed the family. Whenever they can, they
work as day laborers. Their young grandchildren
go to kindergarten, and 12-year-old Zsuzsko
attends school. She is in 5th grade, where
she learns Hungarian, Romanian and
English. Her family doesn’t plan
to marry her off soon. How many girls stay
until the eighth grade? I’m the only one
in my school. She is the
only one. There are boys,
but not girls. Without school
you are nothing. It's as if you had
no baptism record, no birth
certificate. As if you don’t
exist at all. But when you learn,
everything is different. Then you have something
in your brain, you can achieve
something. And at 18 the child can find
a job and earn some money. If all goes well, Zsuzskó
will be the first Gabor girl in the village to
finish school with a diploma, and maybe even
pursue a career. And Mundra? Her future
seems secure for now. But business is increasingly
conducted online. Bobby won't be able to
learn the tricks of internet trading
from his father. He will have to
face the challenges of the digital
age on his own. But can he succeed without
the necessary education? And what will happen
if Gabor girls assert their career
aspirations? How long will the
archaic traditions of the Gabor be
able to survive? in the globalized
world?
Ce de moderatori în clip!
Mi se rupe inima pentru fetița aia. 2 ani să nu ai voie să ieși din casă... Părea și ea 5 minute fericită la "nunta" ei, dar i-a dispărut repede și entuziasmul ăla când i-au zis că nu mai are voie să își vadă părinții. Binenteles, partea cu fatatul de plozi nu e explicit spusă la nuntă, dar se subînțelege și lasă un gust amar.
Chestia care mie mi-a sărit prima în ochi e cât de urâte sunt ele, și nu mă refer la trăsături - toate femeile din video la 30 de ani deja arată ca româncele la 50. La ce viață fututa duc femeile alea, forțate să nască de pe la 14 ani, nici nu mă mira. Ținute ca niște sclave de "tradițiile" lor de căcat. Închise în casă cu forța, ca să facă șunci și alte probleme de sănătate de la lipsa de mișcare.
Da, da, știu că Reddit are ceva anti țigani, nu zic acum că îi ador. Dar cumva, nu pot să îi urăsc pe acei doi copii, care e clar că nu sunt deloc fericiți și sunt forțați de interese să se imperecheze cu rudele lor. Sunt doar niște copii. Îmi e doar foarte, foarte milă de ei. Mai ales de fetiță. Să fii forțată să naști la 14 ani e brutal.
ce e cu propaganda pro tiganism din ultima vreme?
Șase cai frumoși!