o Del

"the God." The high god of the Roma. He is the principle of good and is constantly at war with the evil o Bengh. o Del is not anthropomorphic but fills the unlimited space above the earth, all the physical phenomena in that realm. He is the sky (or heaven), fire, wind, rain, but not water. o Del created the first man and woman, Damo and Yehwah. He also made o Cham, the sun, and o Shion, the moon, come out of the earth.

o Del's name is used in thanksgiving, blessings as well as cursing, and for requests for help. Among some groups he is known as o Devel and as o Deloro — a friendly diminutive form — among others. Cp. Sanskrit deva.

References

Source

  • Clebert, Jean-Paul. (1967). The Gypsies. Baltimore: Penguin, pp. 171 ff.