ABSTRACT
The following complex narrative proposes that the figure of the gypsy that emerged in early modern England relied more on a nomadic lifestyle than on an exotic origin. This theory does not rule out the possibility that original members of the group were foreign.7 But even if some of the original group were from outside of the British Isles, they must have begun to intermix with the native English and Scots quite early. The presence of English-born people in company with the Egyptians was noted by authorities early in the sixteenth century. Eventually, a cohesive group was formed, which created its own history and mythology.
