Gypsies, wars, and other instances of the wild

the long version

"In Serbian popular culture, the figure of the Gypsy has always been invested with the mysterious power to unveil the mendacious undertones in the program of civilisation. Wherever he appears - in jokes, songs, tales, literature or movies - the civilised order is unmasked. This motif can be seen most dramatically in bars and taverns, where Gypsy musicians lead their Serbian customers in veritable celebrations of wildness." "The author, who spent one and a half years in Serbia investigating these wild meetings relates the unreason of the behaviour in these bars to the atrocities committed during the war which broke out during his stay."--Jacket.