The Indian ancestors of the Romani were Hindus; their very word for "cross" derives from Shiva's staff, and Saint Sarah, their patron saint never canonized by the Catholic Church, is thought to be their version of Durga or Kali.
As the Romani diaspora took place, suppression from Christianity and contact with folk pagan traditions in Eastern Europe have given rise to a complex syncretism. Amidst seemingly Christian trappings like God and Satan, there are also animistic beliefs like in the Keshali and a rather complex demonology.
A general introduction to Romani mythology can be found here
, here and here, with a notable Bogleech article on a particular myth.
Romani mythology provides examples of:
- Animalistic Abomination: Ana's children range from an evil two-headed bird to a hairy hagfish to a vagina beetle to a mass of kitty and puppy heads, all demons responsible for diseases.
- The Black Death: The black death is personified as the cat and dog headed Poreskoro. This is not as cute as it sounds.
- Child by Rape: The Keshali Ana was raped by the King of the Loçolici (humans cursed by Satan) many times, resulting in demonic entities that represent every disease known to man. In this case, the rape seems to illustrate their abhorrence rather than give them sympathy, and the oldest of the children, Melalo, even goaded his father into raping her more often.
- Eldritch Abomination: Some fleshy critters easily rival H. P. Lovecraft in terms of hideousness, from vagina beetles to spindly hagfish to dog/kitty headed things responsible for The Black Death. Almost all of them are the children of the king of the Loçolici (humans cursed by Satan) and Ana, the queen of the Keshali; he raped her multiple times, sometimes goaded by his son, the Feathered Fiend Melalo, resulting in all of these abominations that still are breeding incestually with their siblings under the earth, producing generation upon generation of disease demons.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The king of the Loçolico regrets having raped Ana after being horrified by his last child's look, Poreskoro itself.
- The Fair Folk: The Keshali are nature spirits just as likely to bless as they are to curse. Interestingly, they're treated sympathetically due to the abuses of the Loçolici and demons. Their queen, Ana, was raped by the king of the Loçolici many times, bearing aberrations that represent every plague known to man.
- Feathered Fiend: Melalo is a two-headed bird responsible for all acts of murder and rape.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Ana married the King of the Loçolici to save her own people. Unfortunately, this only made things worse on the long run.
- Mother of a Thousand Young: Ana, the queen of the Keshali, gave birth to all diseases known to man against her will.
- Was Once a Man: The Loçolici are former humans cursed by Satan.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: According to Myths of the Czech Gypsies by Nina Pavelčík and Jiří Pavelčík, Ana was the most beautiful and desired virgin in the world.
