Roma People -> Caste system & how one can become "degeš"

Among the Roma People you may often hear that some Roma are degeša.

What it means?

Word "degeš" is original Aryan word, to call someone who got ritually "tainted".

Basically, as a degeš is seen someone who does something ritually unclean. Be it work, cooking style, behaviour or eating ritually unclean things.

Work

As you may know, among the Roma existed various castes which originate in India. For example the musicians, blacksmiths (the blacksmiths worked same as in India, sitting), adobe throwers, sieve-makers, bear-leaders, acrobats, buy-sell traders and before coming to Europe snake-leaders. (Those are few I named)

Ritually upper castes were these which worked "with head" than with hands, and if hands depended what work they did. For example the traders and musicians are ritually highest castes, while adobe-throwers one of lowest. Blacksmiths are intermediate.

There were ritually totally unclean jobs, which included work as farmers, as digging in the ground was seen as ritually unclean. Same as excrement collection or work in graveyard.

Cooking style

Traditionally ritually clean cooking was about three things.

1. A woman on her period had not to cook, as she was ritually unclean. And in some tribes & castes it is still observed.
2. When you cook, you have not use curse words, i.e. don't speak vulgarisms. You may leave the kitchen (or cooking place) to shoot out your dirty words, but never over the food you cook.
3. Always cook in ritually clean pots, pans etc. (Never in a pot used for something else than food.)

Behaviour

One of possibility how to lower your actual caste or totally make you outcaste/untouchable was behaviour.

There is many ways how "to lose your caste", or how would a Roma say "become degeš" or even "exile of community".

For example homosexuality can make you exile of community, as you can pollute ritually other people. Homosexuality is seen as something which is causing "cosmic imbalance", thus evil. Roma used to expulse such people out of community.

If you eat dog meat, horse meat or have sexual contact with your own children. This will make you degeš. Or if you work like slurry collector.