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Requlr@Wmta %For the Degree of V George Borrow's gypsies Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Coolbaugh, May Otis Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 05/10/2021 18:57:31 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553098 GEORGE SORROW’S GYPSIES By May Otis Coolb&ugh Submitted An partial fulfillment of the ' Vi"- l V ‘ i -'C requlr@wmta %for the degree of ;: ; x V" V ' u \ V. / .......... ' teeter^of "^Ar ts in the College of Letters, Arts, and Soienoes of the University of Arizona 1930 *3 IW K ' c. • fLcrxMy^*^ «/ £■???/ / i s o S' CONTENTS Pate Introduction------------------------------------------------- 1 Borrow *3 Equipment— -------------- 2 Borrow’d Gyps lea-------------------- 13 History and Exposition------------- 13 Character Studies------------------ 30 Comparison of Sorrow’s Gypsies with Other Gypsies in Literature----------- 49 Conclusion------------------------------ 71 Bibliography---------------------------- 74 76641 INTRODUCTION The Question of the Place of Sorrow's Gypsies In Romany Literature Writers of Romany literature differ in their treatment of the gypsies. In this treatment each writer has certain prescribed purposes of expression. So distinct are these that divisions appear in Romany literature. As a result the gypsies conform to types and occupy rather defin­ ite places. The question of the place of George Sorrow’s gypsies in Romany literature called for a survey, of the field. The survey discloses that they occupy a territory unused un­ til they entered it. ; ; Sorrow’s gypsies are new. His cave-dwelling gypsies of Granada ply the hammer at the forge. They are real gypsies. Borrow presents them as such with the addition of an unearthly glamour so that they.appear like demons in Purga­ tory..The gypsy crone, in the tale of Merida, who .crossed desert sands with her mysterious blaok guide, becomes through ' :v;. ' : ' " ' ; ',:: . - . ■ :V; . i/-- the magic of Sorrow’s pen almost a creature of enchantment. An English gypsy, interested in a prize-fight, changes through Sorrow’s interpretation into a dusty phantom. In the lives of these gypsies mentioned and in many others the oomonplaoe is transported into romance 1 and every-day fact is seen as within a vision, while at the same time the Romany spirit remains dominant, George Borrow combined these elements into an artistic whole. The unity which he produced created a con­ sensus of opinion that Borrow is the greatest gypsy interpre­ ter and that his gypsies occupy a unique and valuable place in Romany literature. :: " V V, Borrow * s Equipment . ’ George Borrow, through his life in England, and business and holiday trips on the Continent— which in­ cluded Russia, Spain, Hungary, and Turkey— had unusual oppor­ tunity to study the gypsy. He sought direct gypsy association, arid by such association he was advantageously equipped to de­ pict the dominant spirit of gypsyism. \ " "Strong and vivid as Sorrow's drawing of persons and- places is, he always contrives'to present "a vision. "— George Saintsbury, Essays in Eng. Lit,, 13:411. -Also— "Without any apparent' art.. ..without e lab orate* 'a p p a r a t u s . Borrow spirits his readers at once away from reality." He may also have been equipped with a blood inheritance, but there ia no record.of auoh a lineage.1 2*5 , . Like the gypsies the man was tall and com- 2 manding. He stood 6 feet, 3 inches in hia stocking feet. He 3 ^ had the physique of a prize-fighter,. The Romanys seen^t to have recognized a kinship, for investigations show that they immediately and everywhere accepted him into intimate relation- 4 ships., He loved, them and they returned his affection. They recognized him as a kindred spirit.^ ^ Hawthorne, Nathaniel, Eng. Note Books. 2:258. ; His father was English, his mother of French Huguenot descent. Nevertheless, Borrow looked like a gypsy. Of his counts- : nance his father said, "Why *tis absolutely swarthy, God forgive me.* I had almost said like that of a gypsy."— Lavengro, 14:87, by George Borrow. ’ j : 2 Sorrow’s description of himself at 21; "Honest Six-foot Three. "A lad who 20 tongues can talk J And sixty miles a day can walk; Drink at a draft a pint of rum,' And then be neither sick nor dumb, • v-: And deeds of northern kings rehearse. Who never will forsake his friend : v.v . ■ While he his boney fist can bend; - And who averse to brawl and strife, i .Will fight a But oilman^-with a-knife. 0, that is just the lad for me, And such is honest Six-foot...Three.. Quoted by Dr. Knapp in The Critic, 34:40, from The Life and . Writings and Correspondence of George Borrow. Gypsies admire physical strength. Jem Mace, the noted prize­ fighter, was a gypsy. Borrow, in the Introduction to The Zinoali, writes of Gypsy Will’s connection with the prize- ■: ring. "• ■ - - : - Borrow. George, The Zinoali. part II, 1:179, 5 ’ "He was so at home with gypsies that they instinctively recog­ nized him as one of themselves."— Cur. Lit., 53:346. 4 ' . Borrows indtei, sailed;himself a gypsy, but he was at heart a vagabond; Figuratively, he walked with Vilion the vagabond ways, In reality, he walked:the highways and byways of the Romany world, his vagabond spirit in close touch with the gypsy spirit he was-to interpret. : ; ^ ’ From such close associations he gathered direct knowledge which found expression in Romany literature. George Borrow was born in 1803 at East Dereham,; Norfolk. Not. far from his birthplace is Norman Cross. At the Cross, when he was eight years old, he first met the gypsy, Ambrose Smith— 2 the Petulengro of Lavengro and The Romany Rye. Shis meeting was the basis of a life-long friendship. At the Cross he met, too, at this time gypsy counterfeiters, who welcomed him as OL one of them and invited him into their tent. : His association with the zgypsles continued when he was sent to school at Norwich, Outside of this city is Household heath, a noted gypsy resort. Its,dells and ; hills sheltered the tribes while they carried on their question­ able occupations. Here Borrow acquired the intimate knowledge 1*3 1 Elam, Samuel M. George Borrow, Introduction, ;; : ■ , 8 Lavengro and The Romany Rye contain Sorrow’s account of English gypsies in fiction. 3 :*vi ’ ' Scenes at Norman.Cross are depicted in Lavengro. ohap. 5, - 5- ...of gypsy life which formed a part of his equipment for his particular and original interpretation of Romany literature. T. W. Thompson, in his article on .’'Borrow1 s Gypsies,” states, that Borrow associated on this heath with families whose.names became important in gypsy, fiotionr-the Smiths, the Boswells, the Lovells, and the Hearnes— and that Borrow all his life maintained a friendship for Sinfai Hcarne. (Sinfai Hearne is . not to.be confused .with lira. Hearne of the poisoned cakes— the old woman for, whom Borrow created a special.place in Rom- any literature.) .... , , , The quarterly Review of 1842 made the fol­ lowing digest of these Norwich associations: "His curiosity, and sympathy were powerfully excited by the gypsy race.,... He won their confidence;...he attached himself to some mem­ bers of the fraternity...and was initiated into their dialect; ...by degrees he quite mastered it;...they oommunioated to 2 , him much of their secret practical lore." On this.heath, too, he learned boxing from the prototype of the handsome Romany Chal (young man), Twano Chikno, also a gypsy in fiction, and here his gypsy brethren bestowed upon him the titles of "Lavengro’’ (word master) and ’’Romany Rye” (a Romany gentleman). *2 Thompson, T. W., "Sorrow's Gypsies,” Journal of Gypsy Lore Society, N.S.,Vol. 3:162. • 2 "■ ............ Quarterly Review, 71:170. : : . ; ; -6- These Norwich days throw definite light upon Borrowxs connection with the gypsies. x There are portions of his life, however, which are not known. The associations of the Staffordshire days may he either fiction or fact. Biographers^ are inclined to re­ gard them as fact. In this shire, at Castle.Hill, he renewed his acquaintance with Ambrose Smith (Petulengro) and met members of the tribe who came to the horse fair. In a Staffordshire dingle, und er, the name of Lavengro, he fought the naming Tinman. What equipment he acquired from this contact no one knows, but his ac­ count of it lifted his interpretation or gypsy life to a unique place in Komany literature’. ' These meetings with the gypsies cover practically all one may know of the gypsy associations of his 3 youth, except his mingling with the gypsies at the Thurtell right, when he was 14 years old. , ; . - , . 4 ,',. - In the Introduction to The zincali Bor­ row writes that he was present at this fight, and that Gypsy Will, the famous prize-fighter, and his gang were there. 12*4 1 Siam, S. M., Shorter, Clement, and Knapp, .Dr; W. I. 2 Staffordshire hays, Lavengro, XVI. Hazlitt, Carlyle, and Thackeray-were interested in the murder Thurtell committed. 4 : ; . .. ; - The Zincali. Introduction, p. 21. A. 2. Hake, in living Age, 151:560, states that Borrow (21 in age) while in London walked to Shepherd’s Bush and Wandworth commons which were gypsy haunts. - 7- „ When Borrow was 22 year a old he dropped v from eight for seven years; .. This period is called 7the seven veiled years'1 of his life, huring this time he may or he may not have increased his equipment of gypsy interpretation; ; Conjee tores concerning it have been numerous.
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