Lure of the Fox: Romani

I said last week that Sorcha and Tirzah can code switch right?

And that there's a reason behind that?

Well, the reason has to do with their genetic, ethnic and socio-economic makeup(a phrase that I absolutely love and will use at any given opportunity, and not just cause it's fun to say).

Sorcha and Tirzah are Romani.

The Romani Flag

(Also spelled "Romany"; also referred to as "Roma", "Rom" or  "gypsies"--which is actually regarded as a derogatory term among the Romani people because of the way this term was used--as a source of abuse and racial discrimination; though there is some evidence that this term came from a misunderstanding of the Romani's origin. This evidence suggests that the word "Gypsy" came from "Egyptian", since it was thought that they migrated from Egypt, rather than northwest India. But I digress...)

Actually, in France, they are referred to as "Gitans" but I'd rather not do an exposition dump in any of my plays, so I'm using "Romani".

Romani have intrigued me since I first read "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"--which has a highly glamorized (and some would say bastardized) interpretation of a Romani in the character of Esmeralda.

And researching the non-fictionalized Romani has been fascinating. For instance:

They are nomadic by necessity.
Romani were among the ethnic groups enslaved by noblemen of the regions they inhabited and were among those rounded up and sent to concentration camps in World War II.

Interested parties can find a little more info on this topic here.

Which explains why Sorcha and Tirzah are so capable of looking after themselves--not that non-Romani are less capable, but...you get the idea, I hope.

They adopt the predominant religion of the region they inhabit.
Romani have spiritual beliefs, and complex rules that govern respect, honor, purity and justice. But they don't follow a single faith. If they happen to be in a predominant Catholic area, then they practice Catholicism, for example. They also have thier own worldview, known as Rromanipé.

Which, while religion doesn't totally come into play, in "Fox", it helps back up a couple of plot points(like Jean-Luc and Tirzah's marriage...spoilers....)

Language
Romani speak a language known as Rromanës, which has roots in Sanskritic languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Bengali; and some words have been borrowed from English. 

And this is why Sorcha and Tirzah are able to code-switch. They speak three languages. 

Family is the strongest value held in Romani society.
According to the Rroma Foundation, "Rroma never had a country — neither a kingdom nor a republic — that is, never had an administration enforcing laws or edicts. For Rroma, the basic 'unit' is constituted by the family and the lineage." 
How cool is that?!

Also, lends stronger motivation to Tirzah's actions in the plot of "Fox".

They still face discrimination, persecution and racism today

Romani in Auschwitz

Because or the color of their skin, and/or their culture, and/or anything-else-sure-to-piss-off-anyone-who-fears-and/or-doesn't-understand-a-culture-or-people-different-from-their-own. See nomadic by necessity above.

Also, guess what one of the underlying themes of "Fox" is?

If I piqued your interest, there's more to find out by following this link here.

Also, there is an amazing TEDtalk about the Romani here.