"Ibringthelovedonebackin3days":luck,misfortune,gambling,andthegypsybetsoflife

The relevance of the Roma people in Brazil's history is little known, dating back to the colonial period, when members of the Calon group fled Portugal to escape the Holy Office of the Inquisition and arrived in Maranhão. In Rio de Janeiro, the colony's capital from 1763 onward, the Roma settled between Campo de Santana, Valongo, and Campo dos Ciganos (present-day Praça Tiradentes). There, they read fortunes in the lines of people's hands, worked as blacksmiths, tinsmiths, and goldsmiths, worked in the enslaved persons' market, traded horses, and also acted as court officers, known as meirinhos. They were stigmatized as superstitious, child thieves, swindlers, and thugs. At the same time, they populate our collective imagination as freedom lovers, mystics, and keepers of magic's secrets.

Image description: The image is a page from an old document, possibly of historical origin, presenting text in Portuguese. The page features a heraldic shield in the upper left corner, with decorative elements and a centered coat of arms. The text is right-aligned, in a clear, legible font. There is a page marking in the upper right corner, indicating page "1". The document appears to be a decree or royal order, mentioning the Gypsies and their activities in Brazil.

While many peoples claim belonging to the land as a constituent element of identity, Roma people claim the opposite: the freedom of knowing that Roma territory is an old tent that can be pitched anywhere. The Roma's homeland, says a traditional saying, is one's own body. When Praça Onze was destroyed to make way for the opening of Presidente Vargas Avenue, the Roma community in the region moved to other parts of the city, especially to the Leopoldina suburban area.

Image description: This is a color photograph consisting of two images side by side, showing a Roma family at a campsite. In the image on the left, we see an adult woman holding a small child, with two other boys beside her. Everyone is wearing traditional clothing and appears to be interacting cheerfully. In the image on the right, we see another family, with adults and children, also wearing colorful clothing typical of Roma culture. There are fabric tents behind them, suggesting a campsite. The sky is light blue, indicating a sunny day.

If the city dances through its streets, alleys and corners like a body endowed with a complex social and cultural organism, what fate would be etched into the palm of its hand? In the lands of the Tupinambás, crisscrossed by hauntings, sanctities and mystical beliefs that crossed the ocean, aspects such as gaming, luck and chance are important cards in our deck. Thus, in our collective imagination and daily lives runs the saying that one person's luck ties itself to another's misfortune, or that on the road of love, the virtue of gambling makes no home.

I did warn you not to play that card with me… and since life is also a game, a carriage with no fixed destination, a fire lit under the moonlight, fortune must be stitched together like the finest garment to be worn. If love has strayed down another road, my bet is that it won't be long before it comes knocking at my door again. With the body set free as the home of the gypsies, the lines of life shall always cross paths with others.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a post covered with several stickers and paint stains. From back to front, we see trees with dark leaves. In the center, the post has a circular design with regularly spaced openings. At the bottom, there is a large sticker with text in Portuguese, apparently damaged and worn. The text reads "BÚZIOS CARTAS TRAGO PESSOA EM 3 DIAS" and "JOGO."

In Rio de Janeiro, gypsy life is also present as destiny. It is common for many umbanda terreiros to evoke entities from the so-called "Oriente line," with the presence of gypsy spirits, and to hold celebrations on the day of Sara, with bonfires, dances, food, and drinks. From the old Campo dos Ciganos to Morro de São Carlos, in the outskirts of Cidade Nova, from the suburb of Leopoldina to the rock of Arpoador, from lovesickness to the winning lottery ticket. In this city, the bet is that the shine of gold adorns our smiles to ward off bad luck.