The Romancero gitano reinforces romantic stereotypes about the gypsies in Spain.

Discuss.

Quiero hacer este verano una obra serena y quieta; pienso construir varios romances con
lagunas, romances con montaas, romances con estrellas; una obra misteriosa y clara, que sea
como una flor (arbitraria y perfecta como una flor): toda perfume! Quiero sacar de la sombra
a algunas nias rabes que jugaran por esos pueblos y perder en mis bosquecillos lricos a las
figuras ideales de los romancillos annimos. Figrate un romance que en vez de lagunas tenga
cielos. Hay nada ms emocionante? Este verano, si Dios me ayuda con sus palomitas, har
una obra popular y andalucsima. Voy a viajar un poco por estos pueblos maravillosos, cuyos
castillos, cuyas personas parece que nunca han existido para los poetas y... Basta ya de
Castilla!! a a
a an a a-Posada, 2008, p.792)

Romani people in Spain, referred to as los gitanos, are thought to have migrated from the
Ragistani area of Northern India to Spain, concentrating in Andalusia, as early as the
fifteenth century. Despite being such a long-standing and well established race the Gypsies
have faced a turbulent relationship with Spanish society since their arrival into the country.
The above statement is interesting because the representation of Romani Gypsies in society
continues to be relevant globally in the current day. I have opened with the above quote to
demonstrate the intentions of Federico Garca Lorca whilst writing his work Romancero
gitano which I feel depicts the struggle of the Gypsies, the vast majority of whom faced
social marginalization, severe negative stereotypes and historical persecution by the Spanish
authorities. He is clearly excited to begin this new project of increasing awareness of the
true nature of the Gypsies and showing how they are an integral part of Andalusian culture.
Having arrived in Spain with Muslim heritage, the Gypsies were viewed as Anti-Christian
and therefore stereotyped as being immoral; this stereotype reinforced by the Christian
authorities who feared that this lack of morality could be dangerously contagious. This
preconceived lack of morality was also attributed to the Gypsies sexual practices, many
believing that Gypsy females had a disregard for decency and a reputation for being deviant.
It is clear that Lorca uses his Romanceros as a vehicle to tell the story of the Gypsies without
playing into this negative stereotype of the Gypsies. Lorca he aims to lay bare these harmful
stereotypes and react against them whilst promoting the more romantic and positive
stereotypes of the Gypsy population. In this essay I will illustrate the ways in which Lorca
endeavours to expose the false preconceptions about the Spanish Gypsy population as well
as analysing the extent to which Lorca reacts against these preconceptions.
As part of the avant-garde group La Generacin del '27, Federico Garca Lorca was
interested in inciting a cultural revolution in Spain at the time. Lorca, along with other
notable colleagues including Salvador Dal and Luis Buuel, wanted to propose alternatives
to existing Spanish culture as well as destabilizing and deconstructing cultural stereotypes.
He does this effectively in his Romancero gitano showing us his view of the traditional gypsy
in their purest form. Lorca identifies the traditional carefree nature of the Gypsies in his
poems. In Preciosa y el aire he presents us with the image of "los gitanos del agua / levantan
por distraerse / glorietas de caracolas y ramas de pino verde.". He also demonstrates the
solidarity of the Gypsies. In Romance de la luna, luna He portrays the Gypsies as the
protectors of the young boy who cry about his death, telling us that "Dentro de la fragua

lloran, / dando gritos, los gitanos.". Lorca wishes to demonstrate the relatively simple
existence of the Gypsies. They while away the time in a carefree and light-hearted way.
In addition, we see Lorca promote the affinity between the Gypsies and nature, metalwork
and dancing. The Gypsy people were well known for being expert metal-workers and
jewellers. In Romance de la luna, luna Lorca sets the scene in a forge. There are also
multiple references to "yunque", "collares y anillos", "estao", "baile" and "caballo" which
all allude specifically to Gypsy culture. This is an effective technique that Lorca uses in order
to place emphasis on the positive and romanticized stereotypes of the Gypsies and promote
awareness of their traditional culture. Furthermore, he uses many of the objects associated
with Gypsy culture in romantic imagery:
Qu girasol! Qu magnolia
de lentejuelas y cintas!
Qu azafranes y qu lunas
en el mantel de la misa!
La monja gitana, lines 13-16

Nature is used as a very powerful image in many of the poems in Romancero gitano and this
is Lorca's attempt to show the bright and vivid cultural aspects of Gypsy life.
However, even though Lorca shows the strong affinity that the Gypsies have with nature, he
uses a lot of metaphorical imagery of the gypsies struggling against or being violated by
nature as a force. In the first two poems of Romancero gitano (Romance de la luna, luna;
Preciosa y el aire) we see two clear confrontations between a gypsy character and a natural
force. In Romance de la luna, luna a young Gypsy boy is kidnapped by the moon and we can
infer that she subsequently murders him. Instead of being used as it's conventional symbol
of purity or femininity, the moon is here being used as a murderous figure whilst still
maintaining its feminine allure. I regard this as a signifier for the change in gypsy culture.
That is to say that the Gypsies once had an affinity with the moon and with nature, but a
change in times (and social marginalization) has turned it against them. Preciosa y el aire
vividly depicts a young Gypsy girl being violated and pursued by the wind. "Nia, deja que
levante / tu vestido para verte." is a particularly poignant line as it exemplifies the
innocence and vulnerability of Gypsy culture, this is of course Lorca's aim with these first
two poem. Another particularly strong image is "El viento-hombrn la persigue / con una
espada caliente."; Lorca wishes to show the struggle that Gypsies were facing to maintain
their own primitive culture due to a lack of acceptance by the existing Spanish civilized
culture. Society is pressuring them to move from their traditional culture into the culture of
the civilized world. We see the Gypsies being ordered by the Guardia Civil "Apaga tus verdes
luces" in Romance de la Guardia Civil Espaola, I consider the green lights to be a metaphor
for the Gypsies empathy with nature which is then forcibly extinguished by the Spanish
authorities. It is also clear that this troubles Lorca as an artist as he mentions in Romance de
la pena negra:
Oh pena de los gitanos!
Pena limpia y siempre sola.
Oh pena de cauce oculto
y madrugada remota!
Romance de la pena negra, lines 43-46

This lament in the final stanza of the poem is Lorca's way of expressing his sympathy and
deep sadness as he feels that the gypsy race can expect no surcease from these troubles.
The idea of losing their identity and their connection with traditional culture is something
that is also echoed in Prendimiento de Antoito el Camborio en el camino de Sevilla because
Lorca expresses the view that "Se acabaron los gitanos / que iban por el monte solos! /
Estn los viejos cuchillos / tiritando bajo el polvo." once again repeating his view that in the
struggle they've faced against their own culture, the Gypsies have faced a losing battle.
In addition to promoting the romantic stereotypes whilst exposing the struggle of the Gypsy
population, Lorca also attempts to add weight to his argument that Gypsies are inherently
good people by dramatizing their violent persecution. Romance de la Guardia Civil Espaola
depicts the Guardia Civil as cold and heartless people with "el alma de charol" and it
narrates the destruction of a mythical Andalusian world by the Guardia Civil. In my opinion,
Lorca is creating this image of destruction of the Gypsy world in order to show the
persecution that Gypsies have had to face in Spain. He does this once again in Matirio de
Santa Olalla - Panorama de Mrida where he describes the story of a man persecuted by
the Romans. Lorca named this as one of three Romances Histricos. Although, there is no
direct reference to the Gypsies, Lorca hints that this story he tells is similar to the
experiences of the Gypsies by including indirect references to the Gypsy culture. The final
stanza uses the Gypsy objects with which we became familiar in the first poem: "yunques",
"La rueda afila" and "cuchillos" all still associated with Gypsy metalwork. By telling the story
of the Gypsy persecution through the tale of a different character, presumably non-Gypsy,
Lorca creates a stronger image of the persecution by removing any preconceptions the
reader may have about the Gypsy population.
I find it interesting that Lorca takes upon himself the role of protector and guardian of the
Gypsies. In Muerte de Antoito el Camborio we see the lines: "Ay Federico Garca, / llama a
la Guardia Civil!". These lines are particularly significant to me for two reasons. Firstly, the
Gypsies saw themselves as being persecuted by the Spanish authorities, particularly the
Guardia Civil as I have previously mentioned. This means that the persecution has become
so severe that the Gypsies are calling upon their own enemies to help them. Secondly, the
fact that they call out for Lorca is significant because it shows his feeling that he is someone
that the gypsies can reach out to and receive support. The same idea is conveyed in
Romance de la Guardia Civil Espaola where Lorca ends the poem with the following stanza:
Oh ciudad de los gitanos!
Quin te vio y no te recuerda?
Que te busquen en mi frente.
Juego de luna y arena.
Romance de la Guardia Civil Espaola, lines 88-91

Lorca wants the story of the Gypsies to be told and therefore 'let them find it in my face',
them obviously referring to the non-Gypsies. It could be argued that Lorca takes on the role
of protector and narrator to combat these stereotypes due to his own social marginalization
for being a suspected homosexual.
Having explored the various different aspects to Lorca's portrayal of the Gypsy race in
Romancero gitano it is clear that his work does reinforce romantic stereotypes about the
Gypsies. In fact, it promotes the positive stereotypes whilst contrasting them against the,

perhaps more widespread, negative stereotype. By taking it upon himself to narrate the
story of the Gypsies and protect their image, Lorca has endeavoured to demonstrate the
good nature of the Gypsies as well as shaming Spanish society for their maltreatment and
persecution.
Bibliography
-Posada, M. (2008). Obra completa. Madrid: Akal. p.792