Kali Sara: How the Romani hid their Goddess in plain sight

And where is she now?

Sara Kali (left) and Hindu Goddess Kali (right)

Why are the Roma so hated across countries and continents? Why, for an entire millennium, has the “civilized world” had such deep and visceral disdain for them?

Is it their darker skin? Yes, racism plays a role, but this is not the whole story. Is it because a vast majority live in poverty and mainstream culture hates poor people? Yes, but not only. Is it because they - let’s insert a few common stereotypes - are “thieves,” “tricksters,” “liars,” “lazy”? Yes, people believe all this about them even when faced with evidence against it. But this is not the real reason for the hatred. These are excuses, ready-to-go shallow statements that vocalize the feeling but not what truly evokes it.

No, the real reason is deeper.

The Roma arrived in the Balkans and Europe at a time in history when the entire continent had calcified around Christianity and its dogmas.

“Christianity did bring many fundamental changes. One was the split between Good and Evil. Another was the elevation of the Masculine principle above the Feminine.

God was a man, and he had a son who saved humanity from their sins. There was no room in divinity for a feminine symbol. Mary, despite her being the Mother of Jesus Christ, was not officially canonized by the Catholic Church until 1933. And Protestants still warn against idolizing Mary too much because it distracts from the worship of God.

But in the old religions, Gods existed alongside Goddesses. And these Goddesses were very often depicted as black.”

From “The Mystery of the Black Madonna” by Martina Petkova

Medieval Europe was a brutal place. The connection with nature was sapped. The connection with divinity was sapped. The connection to one’s instincts - sapped. In its place came stern men who spoke on behalf of a stern God. Everything that deviated was punished. Everyone had to know their place.

If the Roma had landed on one of Saturn’s Moons, they would have found a friendlier environment.

What makes the Roma so radically different?

Since the Middle Ages, to this day, the Roma have been called “freedom-loving” by outsiders. The “love for freedom” that outsiders see can be taken as a good thing. “I have a Gypsy soul” or “I have a Gypsy heart” is meant to proclaim travel lust, intensity of feeling, and authenticity. But mostly, the Roma are despised for their “love for freedom.” They’re described as unreliable, lazy, workshy, living day-to-day with no thought of tomorrow, as parasites on society… the list is endless.

The thing is, those who describe the Roma as “freedom-loving” are betraying a truth about themselves. The lack of freedom in their lives, bodies, and souls. And it all can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

The Roma arrived in Europe with their own faith. Had it been any type of worship of a single male God, they would have still faced racism and discrimination but not the stubborn, centuries-long, visceral hatred that has not lost its intensity to this day.

But they worshipped a Goddess.

“The Romani who first arrived in Europe still practiced Shaktism which is the worshipping of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism, or the worshipping of the female deity, which is still practiced widely all over India.

The ancestors of the present-day Romani were Hindus and, in the eyes of the Europeans, they were devil-worshippers. In secular Medieval Europe, anything outside of Christianity was considered Satan worship or Anti-Christ.”

From “The ancient Bharatiyas who live among us” by Jhanvi Pinara

The Roma have never believed in a punishing, angry God who tells you who is superior to whom and to blindly follow authority. Their faith, similar to many pagan traditions and ancient faiths where the Goddesses had a place in people’s consciousness, the Roma believe in their own agency, intuitions, and wisdom. Their connection to the divine is direct, without intermediaries who claim to speak on behalf of God.

In Medieval Europe, all of this was labeled with the simple “Devil worship.” In his article, historian Jhanvi Pinara describes a small bit of what the Europeans did: “There was so much enmity against the Romas that strict laws were passed that they’d have to eat in the open as they were accused of killing children and eating them. Some people would come and throw over the stove and the food which they cooked because they thought the Romas eat their children.” This was only the tip of the iceberg and the hatred only grew stronger and stronger. Laws were passed that encouraged people to kill Romani, to take their children, and to tear up families and communities. In 16th century Scotland, it was legal to hang, brand, drown, cut off the ears of Romani simply for the reason that they were Romani. In the 18th century, Holy Emperor Joseph I issued an edict that called for all adult male Romani to be hanged without trial, and for Romani women and young males to be flogged and banished. The women and younger boys had their right ears sliced off in the Kingdom of Bohemia and were then dragged to Moravia for the removal of their left ears.

To a mind split in half between “this is good” and “this is evil”, people either act the way they “should” or they’re following Satan. And once they follow Satan, there’s never enough punishment.

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The Hindu Goddess in a Christian temple

There are many Black Madonnas (statues of women with dark skin) in Christian churches, temples, and cathedrals across Europe. While the Church doesn’t like talking about them much, their origin and symbolism have fascinated curios minds and attracted believers from all over the world.

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You can read more about this phenomenon and its symbolism in Martina Petkova’s piece “The Mystery of the Black Madonna.”

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One of these Black Madonna’s is Saint Kali, or Kali Sara / Sara-el-Kali/ Sara la Kali, which translates to “Sara the Black One” from Romanes. The statue is one among three reputed statues in an ancient temple in the Southern French village Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. Sara Kali is the only “dark” statue. She’s also the only one who is not officially a saint. The “Saint Sara” title has been granted by the people and pilgrims, not by the Church. The other two (white) statues represent Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé. According to legend, the two Maries arrived in the town together with a third Mary: the notorious Mary Magdalene. They all left Palestine after the death of Jesus and sailed to the southern shores of France. The name of the village - Mary Jacobé, Mary Salomé - comes from their names. In time, Mary Magdalene was erased from the lore and now the legends and statues talk only about the two Maries. However, there is a fourth figure in this story: Sara.

“In 1448, four decapitated female skeletons were discovered in the foundation of the church and were tentatively identified as those of the three Maries and Sarah, their Egyptian servant. Over time, Mary Magdalene disappeared from the trio of Maries and today, only Mary Jacobé and Mary Salomé are the official Saints of the Church.”

From “The Romani Goddess Kali Sara” by Ronald Lee

Who was she? Some theories say she was an Egyptian servant who traveled with the Maries from Palestine. The Roma were mistaken for Egyptians in the early times of their arrival (which originated the exonym “Gypsy”) so there is a tangenial link there even though the Romani as a group left India centuries after the Maries sailed to France.

According to one legend, Sara supported the Maries through begging while they were busy teaching Christianity to the local population. Another legend says Sara saved the Maries by spreading her cloak while they were caught in a storm in the sea while they were still traveling.

And yet another legend says Sara was not a servant but a Roma Queen who was already living in Southern France and welcomed the Maries (and Christianity) upon their arrival.

Regardless of what the legends say, Kali Sara is a Romani saint. A Romani Queen. For centuries, and to this day, Romani pilgrims from all over the world have been traveling every year to honor the temple and the statue as their Queen, Saint, and Protectress.

But she was never a saint or a queen.

She is a Goddess, hiding in plain sight.

“Kali is a major Hindu goddess associated with time, change, creation, power, destruction and death in Shaktism.”

From Wikipedia

When the Roma arrived in Europe, the statue of Sara was already in the French temple. They didn’t create it.

They were being persecuted, brutalized, and murdered for their “devil worship” and then they saw the “Devil” herself, diguised as a humble Christian saint. So they claimed her.

The trickery of the Goddess and the Roma

It might sound simplistic to say that the big difference and reason for centuries of hatred boil down to a God-versus-Goddess faith system.

Until you think about what each faith system brings into consciousness. What cultures it creates.

In the cultures built around a one-dimensional God, we have ambitious civilizations, phallic skyscrapers, and a pathological need to beat your own chest like King Kong. “I’m the best,” “My race is superior,” “My country and traditions are better.” And all this leads to the inevitable “Therefore, I’m entitled to more.” There’s scarcity in this culture. The constant anxiety that you need to take more and push more or you’ll die.

Colonialism exists in the name of this God. Class divides, serfdom, slavery exist in the name of this God.

Cultures built around a Goddess, even a sometimes-angry Goddess like Kali, are not interested in hierarchies, authorities, taking other people’s territories. And they do not care about prestige and beating your own chest.

The Romani Goddess doesn’t mind hiding under the shrouds of a humble servant to two Christian saints. She knows she’s still a Goddess. And the Roma know she’s still a Goddess.

Romani culture is all about the internal experience. The Roma don’t toot their own horn, don’t brag about their ancient history, or their clan, or their traditions.

“The Gypsy considers the question of his group-belonging relevant only to himself.”

From the book “The Gypsies in Bulgaria” by Elena Marushiakova

In fact, the Roma often deliberately downplay their intellect and their skills. When dealing with outsiders, reporters, institutions, police, and anyone they consider hostile, they often act confused, like they don’t understand, they deliberately give vague answers, and they sometimes even play up their accent when talking in the native language of the country. All of this is a clever survival tactic that, to the Roma, is like theatre play on the surface. And underneath is their unshakable dignity: something that, for a thousand years, outsiders have tried and failed to take away.

Who do the Roma honor today?