Paramisa òthe, Sastipe akate/Romani Legends and Fairy Tales

Paramisa òthe, Sastipe akate/Romani Legends and Fairy Tales gathers a selection of five tales and Romani legends, presented in narrative and comic novel form. Selected and drawn by the Albanian Romani artist Sead Kazanxhiu, the book brings these tales to written form for the first time, not only in the Romani language, a mainly oral language and cultural tradition, but also translated into other languages—namely, Albanian, English, and French, making them accessible to a larger audience in Europe, where the majority of the Roma people live, but also globally. Sharing with the world even a small piece of Romani oral cultural traditions in written form is a huge step forward in acknowledging their existence while at the same time understanding, promoting, and celebrating the richness and beauty of such traditions. Hence, this publication contributes to recognizing the Romani language, folklore, and cultural traditions among other world traditions, rendering visible and creating a greater space for cultural traditions thought by many to exist only through oral transmission from one generation to another. It brings to the fore and opens the space toward democratization of knowledge, where the Roma—their folklore, their culture, and knowledge system—come to life in written form, among other well-known literary traditions.The author has done an excellent job by taking these Romani tales and legends in their original form and drawing and representing them as comic novels, while visualizing the dialogues mainly in the Romani language. Playing with the colors and contrasts of light and dark of softer and warmer colors in the stories told through short dialogues further strengthens the claiming and appropriation of this space to voice some of the stories that humanize the Roma people and challenge the stereotypes and prejudices that circulate about them throughout Europe.The first tale, “The Woman with Braids Who Saved the Village,” portrays both the negative consequences of such stereotypes on the Romani people—through the fact that nobody opens the door to allow them to spend the night indoors. At the same time, it also shows the breaking of such stereotypes and highlights the Roma contribution to the community—through annihilating the bad omen portrayed in the killing of the snake at the water mill, after which the village community accepts and welcomes the Roma.The second tale, “The Fourth Nail,” is set in Nazareth during biblical times. Although it serves to counter the false belief about the Roma putting Jesus Christ on the cross, one may also wonder about its religious connotation. The Roma people have lived for centuries in various regions throughout Europe and have often embraced the religion of the place. For instance, in the Balkans, most Roma identify as Muslims and believe mainly in Islam, while elsewhere this may not be the case. Therefore, the association with Christianity here may have more symbolic value in contesting negative stereotypes rather than hinting at their religious affiliation.The third tale, “Twelve Dresses and Twelve Nightgowns,” is a Roma folktale portraying the complexity and the many hidden layers of a human being as well as the challenges of grasping them all. It teaches a lesson in compassion and humanity, according to which one should not lose faith in humankind, as human beings are complex and come in different shapes and forms, wrapped and nourished by their cultural traditions, which may be unknown to many.The fourth tale, “The Donkey That Ate the Letters,” depicts the fate of the Romani alphabet, which took a long time and much effort to materialize. At the same time, it paints not only the sorrows and sufferings of the Romani people, but also their desires and efforts to have their language written and recognized so they could tell their stories and celebrate their cultural traditions in written form. The tale has lightness and humor while articulating the political project behind recognizing the Roma alphabet and language.The fifth tale, “The Beekeeper,” tells the story of a people who are hardworking and resourceful, even in challenging and enduring circumstances. Thus, the tale counters the stereotype that portrays the Roma as lazy people who do not like to work, perfectly rendering a lesson that challenges such prejudices without directly talking about them.This booklet is relevant to young and adult Roma and non-Roma people in Albania, the Balkans, and across Europe, to make the Roma language and culture accessible to all. Making it available in a format that is easy to read and understand also contributes to countering and fighting racial discrimination, negative stereotypes, and the anti-Gypsyism sentiment from which Roma people suffer throughout Europe and the Balkans. At the same time, the booklet is an important contribution to the field of folklore studies, to teaching, and to research, as the tales—in a written and a comic novel form—are part of Romani cultural oral tradition. I commend the Roma author and artist for his engagement, activism, and immense contribution to the Roma communities at large.

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