WEIRD RITE IN RUINED CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 10

WEIRD RITE IN RUINED CHURCH

GYPSIES CHOOSE VIRGIN QUEEN On a certain week-end one of the strangest tribes in the world were to choose their virgin queen. From ad parts of Franco (stated a ‘ Sunday Chronicle ’ representative, before the. event), members of a mysterious band of gypsies who claim to be the survivors of tho lost continent of Atlantis, believed to have been submerged by tho sea thousands of years ago, are , congregating at Saiutes Maries-de-la-Mer, a little village on the Mediterranean, for their annual pilgrimage. To-morrow . and Monday they will gather in secret session and will choose from among. their, midst a beautiful maiden queen. , . . . For oyer 1,900 years tho Calcs—as tho gypsies aro called—have been,making the same pilgrimage. And always they are ruled by a beautiful virgin whoso name is kept a secret. Within twelve months of tho date on which stio is chosen queen she' must either marry one of tho men of tho tribe or give up the crown. The- actual ceremony of choosing the now queen will take place at 2 a.m. to-morrow in a ruined tenth century church crypt. Tho eldest chief will call for the girls to come forward to tho altar, and then tho elders of tho various clans will advance and vote by placing their hands on tho shoulder of the girl tjiey prefer as a ruler. As a symbol of her virtue and innocence tho newiy-elected queen has to throw off her clothes before tho tribe and don tho tiara and her robes of office. As she does so the men all bow their heads in veneration.

This strange tribe ol : gypsies live mostly by horse-breeding and fortunetelling. Many of 'them possess their own motor oars.