Kali Sara: How the Romani hid their Goddess in plain sight
Kali Sara: How the Romani hid their Goddess in plain sight
And where is she now?
Why are the Romani 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 Romani 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 Romani had landed on one of Saturn’s Moons, they would have found a friendlier environment.
What makes the Romani so radically different?
Since the Middle Ages, to this day, the Romani 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 Romani 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 Romani 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 Romani 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.
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 Romani 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 Romani 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 Roma 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.
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.
You can read more about this phenomenon and its symbolism in Martina Petkova’s piece “The Mystery of the Black Madonna.”
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 Romani 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 Romani 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 Romani
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 Roma 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 Romani know she’s still a Goddess.
Roma culture is all about the internal experience. The Romani 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 Romani 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 Romani, 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 Romani honor today?
Centuries ago, the Romani converted to the native religions of their new lands. Here in the Balkans, the Romani are divided into two main branches by exactly this principle: one branch practices Christianity, and the other Islam.
“There is no Goddess here in Bulgaria,” says Pepi.
Or is there?
“Until recently it was widely believed that this worship of Kali Sara, the Romani Black Madonna or Goddess was unique to Les Saintes Maries de La Mer. My own recent research among Romani refugees from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and in countries of the Balkans has uncovered the little-known fact that other Black Virgins are worshipped by Roma in central/eastern Europe and that Roma from these countries perform similar rituals.”
From “The Romani Goddess Kali Sara” by Ronald Lee
The difference between Roma culture and all other cultures we’ve considered “normal” and “default” for centuries, is so fundamental that it goes underground to tectonic level.
The way mainstream societies worship a God is with countless expressions of devotion, with countless symbols, statues, temples, crosses on a chain around the neck.
The way the Romani worship their Goddess doesn’t require anything external. They can give up her name. They can give up her image. They can give up her origin. They can project her anywhere; or not even that.
Here in Bulgaria, the Romani believe in a God. They fervently practice either Christianity or Islam, depending on the tribe. They have given up even the notion of a Goddess.
It’s easy to believe she’s dead. And that’s the point. Because the Roma Goddess doesn’t want to be worshipped. She wants her people to be alive and safe.
If you look very carefully, though, if you walk through the layers of smoke and mirrors, you will see she’s very much alive and stronger than any Catholic, Protestant, or Muslim God.
The way the Romani cherish every single member of the tribe. The way they hold space for one another. The way they never impose their beliefs onto anyone. The way they heal with dance and music. The way they’re connected with their intuition, with animals, and with the world around them. The way that, even in romantic love, they never try to control or own another person. The way they see past the pretence and arrogance of mainstream culture. The lack of greed and attachment to anything material. The lack of neurosis and depression among them. The unshakable dignity and inner peace.
This is the Goddess.
“The Goddess is the tribe.”
Pepi
Thankyou for speaking of this. I would love to know more about her, our rituals etc. As an American who's parents and grandparents were assimilationist, I am on a quest to reclaim what was denied me.
Absolutely beautiful! I struggle to explain the connection of Kali and Saint Sara to others and this piece was incredible; I look forward to referring to it when I talk about this in the future!