Upon deciding to create the earth, God sent the Devil to bring a handful of clay from the ground of the World Ocean in his holy name. He only wanted his daughter to be happy. Sometimes it is described wearing a shiny magical stone on its head, making it more difficult for Ft-Frumos, the Romanian Prince Charming, to crush it. Not to mention great and powerful heroes without age and giants who keep guard over the earth! I think it might be due to a good mix of tumultuous histories, a web of cultures, incredible geography, weather, and crazy politics? xx, Talking books (Transylvania's History A to Z and Dreamland) with lovely Andra Craig & Sorina Stallard from DOR Romanian Diaspora on #CarteaDeVineri. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. [1]:61, If these warnings should fail, God will initiate the End of the World. God began to grow the piece of clay into the earth, and when it was large enough that he felt he could leave it to expand in peace, he lay his head down to rest. Some of the most beautiful fairy tales and legends have been translated into English. What do you need today? Others think that they used to live alongside humans on the earth, but Moses, seeing his people oppressed by them, split the waters and, after he and his people had retreated to safety, poured the waters back onto them, sending them to their current abode. There you have it! Thank you! The ethnograph Marian Simion Florea wrote: Blajini are fictitious beings, incarnations of dead children not baptized who live at the end of Earth, nearby The Holy water (of Saturday). It is said that they used magic words that asked to Zburator to leave, to hide and never to return. Were from South Africa, and have a keen interest in history, mythology and culture. I believe that at the source of each myth, folktale or superstition is the seed of a true story. So let's dig into 3 lesser-known legends from the Romanian mythology, and discover a bit more of the beliefs and superstitions of this beautiful yet mysterious country. When he came to his palace, he cried out, for it lay in ruins, overgrown with moss. The Romanian folklore is a big happy family. You can find her in a plethora of folk and fairy tales, playing the role of a forest guardian. The Balaur resides among the mythic dragons and dragon-like beings, who retain their unique traits and cultural elements from their fitting lores. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The word Strigoi originates in medieval Romanian folklore. First, the rural character of the Romanian communities resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Even if they did or did not exist, they left us beautiful stories about their way of living. Moreover, Strigoii can cause many illnesses and eve shape-shift into were-wolfs. Many of these creatures can be both cruel and kind, depending on their whims. Most of the country is made up of rural communities, leading to a strong traditional culture and a love for storytelling. Once, in an old anonymous folk tale, Ft-Frumos even goes on a quest to gain immortality. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. [1]:6768, Sources form Moldova and Bucovina also speak of a great army led by the emperor Constantine, which will conquer all the world's states, and kill everyone save for a few pure ones, which will then repopulate the earth. This is a welcome development, on the whole, as the American public's . This is the sad tale of Meterul Manole. You may be able to gather his favourite form of torture from his title Vlad Dracul liked to impale his enemies on stakes, alive, leaving their tortured bodies for the advancing enemy to find. Makcik "keropok". The Cpcun is a violent ogre-like creature. He visits them in their dreams, creating a second reality that is often a good deal more exciting than the truth of their waking reality. The content of this website is under copyright Patricia Furstenberg (unless specified otherwise). This Romanian vampire . Well, the representation of the symbolic animal is a fusion between a wolf and a dragon, sometimes depicted as a serpent. Welcome to our blog! [1]:34. Or be a werewolf that died, and came back as a vampire . F rom lumbering giants and fearsome trolls to impish satyrs and magical elves, mythical creatures have captured imaginations since the dawn of time. Romanian mythology says that only a baby boy born with a distinctive sign over his face and body can become such a wizard. Yet she fell in love with one of them, the head of the Dacian Roman city of Turda (where my Mother was born His name was Robonban. Sure enough, the sculptures on Emperor Trajans Column in Rome are there to attest it. [1]:1112[2] In the majority of versions, before the earth existed, a boundless ocean called Apa Smbetei was the abode of God and the Devil, seen as master and servant rather than equals. In Romanian mythology, the Iele are mythical creatures similar to the Nymphs and Dryads found in Greek mythology. A sly and repulsive antagonist, the Omul Spn, Bold Man, Glabrous Man, is a character of treacherous intelligence, yet he has the role of initiating Harap-Alb, the hero of the Romanian fairytale with the same title, thus representing, together with the Red Emperor, a necessary evil for the growth of the protagonist. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In some Romanian folk tales the uria giants are also called jidovi. It is essential to preserve these creations together with the act of telling stories and fables. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Cpcun (ogre) The dances are lively and are practiced throughout Romania by a large number of professional and amateur groups, thus keeping the tradition alive; Hora is one of the most famous group dances but men's folk dances such as cluari are extremely complex and have been declared by UNESCO to be "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity". From this clay he would make the earth. The Romanian creation myth According to the tale of creation, God and the Devil are master and servant, the devil (Nefrtatul) being God's foolish brother. Fully grown adult chamois reaches 70-80 cm (28-31 in) in height and 107-137 cm (42-54 in) in length. The king loved his daughters very much, and when his wife died, he made sure they had every luxury and educational advantage. . But its said that their burial mounds are filled with treasure, and can be found on Christmas Eve, Easter, and St. Georges Day, lit by magical fires. Author of the Year Spillwords Press Awards MMXXIII. Sometimes compared to other fantastic creatures, such as the balaur or the vrcolac, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has clear anthropomorphic traits: it is humanoid and has legs, arms, the ability to create and use artifacts such as weapons, or the desire to marry young girls. Learn about worldwide Past and Present Monsters of Folk Tales too. With an uncommonly large wolf population within the Romanian forests, Pricolici are a very dominant part of rural folklore. Day Fifteen of the Folkloric Fauna of February. Perhaps the most successful collector of folk tales was the novelist and storyteller Ion Creang, who, in very picturesque language, shaped into their now-classic form stories like Harap Alb (roughly, "The White Moor") or Fata babei i fata moului ("The old woman's daughter and the old man's daughter"). The founding father of vampire literature, Bram Stoker, introduced the cruelest Wallachian ruler of XVth century Romania to the world. One day, God decided to create the earth, and enlisted the help of the animals and of his brother. Happy to be here. It must have been very, very fully flooded, considering the giants great stature. In turn, Radu Florescu, a Romanian-born history professor, was the one to establish the connection between Dracula and Vlad epe, in his 1972 book In Search of Dracula. The Romanian folklore shares some similar fantastic cast of monsters and the Vasilisc is just an example. Folklore has been an integral part of Romanian culture for many centuries. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. How to Reason with Scientists and Other Partially Rational Creatures. Others claim that they are descendants of St. Elijah and that this is the reason why they master the storms and the thunders so well. But he asked those sitting next to him, and they said it was the best meal theyd ever enjoyed. In some stories this is his true appearance, in others, he is actually a dragon-like demon who simply takes on this visage. Legends tell the stories for most of them. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. So Nefrtatul pushed in each of the four cardinal directions, trying with all his might to claim the earth for himself. With stories being passed down from one generation to another, the Romanian folklore was always rich with magical or scary tales. Vlads cruel and brutal acts led to many widespread tales about him, eventually leading to the bloody legend of Count Dracula, which also pulls from Hungarian vampiric myths and other European folklore, like the Polish Wpierz. Some people believe that Solomonars are successors of the Dacian High Priests known as Kapnobatai, but received their name after King Solomon, famous for his wisdom and great knowledge. Among the Romanian culture, we can find several traditions, celebrations and rituals with references to vampire protection, which also contributes to the creation of several legends and beliefs about these creatures. Overcome by sadness, he walked through every room in search of the room where he was born. The varkolak or vyrkola or vrykolakas, also called vorvolakas or vourdoulakas, is a harmful undead creature in Slavic folklore. Historian, folklorist, and founding member of the Romanian Academy, Ion G. Sibiera (1836-1916), and the writer and poet Ilarie Voronca (1903-1946) wrote about these supernatural creatures . Realising her to be his daughter, and finally understanding that he had been a fool, the emperor embraced her, apologising. Myths and Legends have always interested me from a young age, on this channel we discuss all kinds Mythology and fiction from all around the world. Romania is a rich trove of mythology and folklore, historically located at the crossroads between Germanic, Latin and Slavic traditions. It remains to be seen. Signs of their existence are still noticeable, local people claim. Despite this, many consider Ielele the protectresses of the forest. Since they live in isolation, they have no way of knowing when Easter comes. Second, for a long time learned culture was governed by official and social commands and developed around courts of princes and boyars, as well as in monasteries. Those who know the series The Strain surely know this creature too; Strigoi is the product of the same culture that created Count Dracula: Romania. In Maramure, wood was used to create impressive structures such as churches or gates; in Dobruja, windmills were made of wood, and in mountainous regions hardwood was used even for covering the roof. The original story came from Ancient Greek and Roman legend of Strix creature, a bird of ill omen which fed on human blood and flesh. There, he studies the languages of all the beings from Earth, all the magic spells ever created, and then, after many hard tests, he is left alone, to a rock table, to write down all of his knowledge in his own book. #folklore #creatures #cartoons #illustrations Customs related to certain times of year are the colinde - Romanian Christmas carols, sorcova on New Year's Eve or the Mrior custom on the 1st of March marking the spring. Yet he brightened everything around him and everything He touched, for he was God, or Frtat. Pricolici. On this night, people hang garlic on their doors for protection, and tend to stay inside. A very old and puzzling folklore piece is the beginning of one of the creation myths: "In the beginning of beginnings, before time and matter, there was a boundless ocean called Apa Smbetei. One day, the empress son was injured in battle, and he returned home to be nursed back to health. These are usually, in our world, psychological creations that children invent as a way to socialize, be creative, and altogether develop cognitively. Ethnographers have tried to collect in the last two centuries as many elements as possible: the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the Romanian Academy are currently the main institutions which systematically organise the data and continue the research. In: Lefter, Lucian-Valeriu. The Strigoi is a vicious vampiric creature who returns from the dead to drink the blood of their relatives. Some people claim to even have seen them, especially in the region of Bukovina. Worth mentioning is the root of the word Frtat coming from frate = brother. They were both a source of inspiration for cultivated creators and a structural model. There are many stories of men being mutilated or losing their ability to talk after discovering these beautiful but cruel creatures. Folklore of Romania. These are mythic creatures related almost wholly to the nature.When the humans draw them nearer, they are presented either as friendly or as ill meaning. Glad WP is sorted. His solution was to flood the entire earth, leaving only Noah and his Ark (you can see here how old myths have been intermingled with Christianity, rather than being simply replaced by it). So if you have six kids, all one sex, call it there. They wore either boots or a simple shoe made of leather and tied around the foot called opinc and they wore a hat which differs in design from region to region. They wore an apron called or or ctrin which is also embroidered and a headscarf called basma;on special occasions they wore more elaborate outfits. Let's face it. Past and Present Monsters of Folk Tales - Books by Patricia Furstenberg, The Old Bear in Romanian Mythology and Folklore, Garlic and Dreamland Book, Superstitions on Pentecost, Rusalii, Nuggets of Romanian Folklore, Myths and Legends, Martisor, 1 March, Celebrating Old and New, Change and Hope, Legend of Rasinari, Resin City and a Roman Soldiers Payslip, Talking Books, Romania s Folklore and History, on #CarteaDeVineri this Friday. (a type of cracker) If you refuse to buy any, she releases a Pontianak (a vengeful ghost) into your house. They have filled folklore, stories, songs, and works of art . Most of these names can be found in the Romanian Lore in reference to Vampires and Dragons. These monsters go beyond scary Halloween stories of ghosts, demons, vampires, and werewolves. I studied some ancient mythology in uni, and I love learning about other places and cultures. In 2010 the archeologist who put together the skeleton named it Balaur Bondoc, which means stocky dragon. This way, the traditional fairy tale character of the dragon-like-serpent-headed monster gets to live on. The famous vampire, Dracula, may not have existed in all his blood-sucking glory, but his frightful myth is based on an equally frightful individual in Romanian history. Of course, redheads are also considered very suspicious. The Romanian Giants known as Jidovi, are probably one of the most beloved folklore creatures. Strong folk traditions have survived to this day due to the rural character of the Romanian communities, which has resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Ft-Frumos is actually present in many Romanian folk tales. When great floods came, Jidovii took care of people and their animals without asking for any reward. Their presence in Romania is well maintained by the multitude of places that were named after them: the Jidovi table, the Jidovi cave, the hill or the tombs of Jidovi, and also, there is jidovina, a measuring unit consisting of several meters, the equivalent of a giants step. [4] Also, there is a story which repeats regardless of region, when giants seeing people plowing the land, took them in their hands as little toys, smiled at them and then put them back carefully. The Devious Dragon of Romanian Folklore Posted by Magical Europe BY HANNAH HORN In the books of mythology, the Romanian Balaur is an enticing creature. From the little sand Frtat gathered he created a stretch of of earth where both of them went to rest, glad it felt solid, although their fingers were still dipped into Apa Smbetei, for it was narrow. If the latter, hes a dark embodiment of the Romanian peoples fear of their invading enemies. A few of the most well known types of vampires are the nosferatu, moroi, strigoi, and mullo. I'm was never really into authentic military units simulation, so true fans can feel free to throw rocks of shit at me. El Basilico Chilote. "While Reading Vasmer's Dictionary" In: Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, introducing citations to additional sources, Traditional Popular Civilisation ASTRA Museum, Youth Without Aging and Life Without Death, "Dragobete 's Day - Celebrating love in the Romanian style", De la tipologia folcloristului finlandez Antti Amatus Aarne la universul basmului romnesc vzut de etnologul Adolf Schullerus, n comparatiune cu legendele antice clasice i n legtur cu basmele popoarelor nvecinate i ale tuturor popoarelor romanice: studiu comparativ, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Folklore_of_Romania&oldid=1128627917, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from June 2010, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from September 2012, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hora miresei (translated as "Bride's Hora"). They lived here first as West Slavic, Lechitic tribes, and later as a swiftly Christianized kingdom (formed by a tribe known as the Polans, hence Po land). Thank you, Roberta If you dare, scroll through this roster of scary . Author of the Year Spillwords Press Nomination, An Unexpected Christmas Gift Publication of the Month on Spillwords Press, Storytime, An Unexpected Christmas Gift Un Dar Neateptat de Crciun, How To Improve Your Child s Reading Skills and How Memory Helps, 32 original Afrikaans idioms sure to make you smile once translated into English, #SouthAfrica #languages #learning #fun, 20 Afrikaans words with interesting English literal translations, Fastest Route to Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, The Wooden Church from Bicaz, Maramures, Romania #Im4Ro, Romanian Monsters of Myth and Folklore #Im4Ro, A New Literary Comparison, Bram Stoker's Dracula - Vlad the Impaler, and prieten means friend, a treasured friend . DEX, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 1998, Marian Simion Florea, Cultural Romanian Foundation Publishing House, Bucharest 1994, Michael Hitchcock (1998): Tourism, Tam An Mini, and national identity, Indonesia and the Malay World, 26:75, 124-135: 129. The princess journeyed far, distraught. Tall, red-haired, with bulging eyes, dressed in a white long coat, he is always described carrying his Magic Book, the source of all his powers. Now, lets jump into Romanias mythical creatures! Not surprisingly, one Romanian business even adopted it in the shape of its logo. And after old Cingalau died, his grave became the hill of Gogasa, and the place where Rozalinda found the group of people she took home is today the village of Rozavlea, its inhabitants being descendants from Rozalinda and Robonban. But the best legend ever is that of the famous agreement between the great Dacian king Burebista and all the Jidovi from the mountains. In various regions of the country, the Solomonars are divided into two categories: good and evil. Linen was the most common material for clothing, combined with wool during the winter or colder periods. In the Romanian folklore, the wolf appears more often, since the Carpathian people have had many encounters with these animals. Ielele are stunning nymph-like women who dance under the moonlight. Pricolici are, in some stories, the souls of murderous men who come back to earth to do more evil. Dragons, wolves, and hybrid animals populate the most appreciated stories. Are these some fantasy creatures? Quite a choice. If people refuse to help them while they are in disguise, they bring hail and strong storms to ruin the crops. The word Cpcun can mean either dog-head or Turk chieftain. This bizarre whale feeding technique may explain some ancient folklore. is the Slavonian blan meaning 'kind, well-minding person'. These top five Romanian folktales send us on a quest for 'Youth without Age and Life without Death', engage us with Half-man-riding-on-the-worse-half-of-a-lame-rabbit and 'Emperor Aleodor', introduce us to sorcery in the 'Enchanted Pig', teach us that love is . Promptly, the baby agreed, and was born. They cheer up in memory of the deceased. In: This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 03:40. Now the water was everywhere, so both brothers were floating about. They are either described as malicious or as having great respect for God and leading a sinless life. Eventually, she found employment with another emperor, working as a servant girl. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To preserve traditional houses, many village museums have been created in the last century throughout Romania,[5] such as the Village Museum in Bucharest, the Traditional Popular Civilisation ASTRA Museum in Sibiu or the Oltenian Village Museum in Rmnicu Vlcea. They were left to live in the mountains only if they promised to guard with their life the great Dacian gold treasures. Vlad the Impaler. "Trgtorii cu coarne aurite ntre cotidian i mitologie" [Golden Horn Plough Pulling Animals Between Everyday Life and Mythology]. Sometimes he has two heads, other times a head of a dog on the body of a man, it appears that he is also a shape-shifter, being able to transform itself in other animals too. Strigoi is a character from Romanian mythology. If sorcerers are known to have disappeared long ago, the love stories and passionate dreams certainly are not. In fact, in Romania you may come across an unusual form of measurement, the Jidovina, which measures several meters length. This bizarre-looking monster hatches from an egg incubated by a rooster, and lives in a hole underneath its victims' house. kobolds - these little German guys might live in mines or in your house. It has similarities to many different legendary creatures, but most of all with the vampire and lycanthropes of the Slavic and Balkan region. A moroi is a kind of Strigoi-light theyre also vampiric creatures, but not quite as violent or frightful as the Strigoi. The ancient legendary creature called the Basilisk was feared in Europe and North Africa. Some old books even tell stories about young girls haunted by this mysterious man, becoming so desperately in love that they started acting like lunatics, walking down the village streets almost undressed and untidy, obviously exhausted and sometimes semi-conscious. Likewise, the wolf is still present as a symbol in Romanian culture. But fartat also means prieten. . The giants sound almost charming, but Capcaun scares me . As he slept, his trickster brother decided to push him off the edge. Often, these accounts are accompanied by the imagery of one or several World Pillars, which sustain the earth from below and are usually placed beneath mountains. They are considered to fast the year through, and thus doing humans a great service. Vampire movies fans should know that stories about dead people, who haunt the live ones and suck their blood, were part of the Romanian folklore long before Bram Stokers Dracula became famous. So she cooked only his meal herself, ensuring the serving girl brought it to just him. I write the history content. He is smart and hard-to-defeat. In the modern folklore of Puerto Rico and Mexico, the chupacabra (goat-sucker) is said to be a creature that feeds upon the flesh or drinks the blood of domesticated animals, leading some to consider it a kind of vampire. Vampires in popular culture | by Ben Douglass via Flickr. They were judged like whores, discredited by the community and by their family, blamed to have a weak will and no love or respect for the working, responsible husband. The folklore of medieval Europe was a mixture of legends from various sources, such as ancient regional stories mixed with Judeo-Christian religious tales and myths from the Roman Empire and the Near East. Romanian mythology can be truly impressive, with tales of giants that protected the Earth, and powerful wizards that descended from Dacian High Priests. The 12 winds are said to sweep up the ashes of people and gather them in the valley of Safed, where the Last Judgement shall be done. The Nalusa Falaya from Choctaw mythology slithers like a snake, preying on children who stay out too late. Halloween in Transylvania 2022 How was our 8 days trip to the spooky party at Bran Castle, 10 Most Famous Romanian Women from Now and Then, 10 reasons why you should move to Romania, The ethnic mosaic is enhancing local culture, Halloween in Transylvania - 8 days tour and party at Dracula's Castle, Six days tour from Cluj-Napoca - Discover Maramures and Bucovina, Dracula Beyond the legend - 8 day tour to Transylvania, Amazing Romania - Seven day private tour from Bucharest, Dracula Castle tour by night from Bucharest. Michael, Ah, how wonderful too see you here, Michael. They are very similar to the beasts in the rest of the European mythologies, and ever popular in Romania. | Sep 28, 2018 | Legends and Myths, Romanian Folklore, Romanian Folklore Creatures. This article is about to introduce you to the heroes and villains of Romanian folklore! One day, the peace ended, and a great war between humans and Uria was waged. The Hydra in the Marvel universe is essentially lifted straight from the myth, ultimately being defeated by Hercules in a fight witnessed by the Eternals Ikaris and Phastos. Stories suggest God made the earth with the help of animals, while the Devil was trying to thwart his plans. Eventually, he realised he was being had and demanded to know why! From the countrys own Prince Charming to the origins of Dracula. Thats because the Romanian mythical monster with seven heads shares its name with a recently discovered species of dinosaurs. This other earth is imagined as a mirror image of our own, and as a home to creatures called Blajini [blain] ("gentle/kind-hearted ones"), sometimes given the name Rohmani [roh.man] in Bucovina. He is called Zburatorul, meaning The One Who Flies, a handsome airman tormenting the sleep of young girls and young wives. Jidovii are described in Romanian legends as kind and patient, walking with huge steps from one hill to another. These massive beings were mostly good and kind, and lived in peaceful existence with humanity and the creatures of the earth. So the king, enraged (somehow) by her answer, banished his daughter from the castle, unwilling to listen to any explanation. His second daughter said I love you like sugar, father, and he was pleased as well. I'm Glenn. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. [2] The Devil tried to push him over the side, but the ever-expanding earth would hinder that. These are a few of Romanias most widely-known folktales and legends! Another fascinating occurring villain is the Vasilisc. We cant imagine a better way to learn about it than through traveling so thats what were doing. Another legendsays that old Urias burial mounds hides amassive horde of riches that can only be discovered on Christmas Eve, at Easter, or on St. Georges Day, when magical fires burn above his grave. Known as the Powerful Ones, and The Holy Ones, as well as many other names, these feminine creatures hate to be watched. Black is the most common colour used, but red and blue are predominant in certain areas. Un weekend frumos, Jo. Ce zici? Traditionally, men wore a white shirt and pants (if made of wool they are called iari) with a wide leather belt, usually over the shirt, and a vest sometimes made of leather and embroidered. Yes, and it is not such a well known myth. Monsters from Romanian Myths Frtat, Nefrtat and Apa Smbetei (The Wasted Water, Long Gone and Wasted) One of the creation stories in Romanian folklore explains the Genesis. England's Black Annis tans the skins of naughty children and wears them around her waist. I am always astonished by the number of myths, legends and all the folklore there is in European countries. In the show, Zanna are actually the imaginary friends children see. Their fate was even crueler with the girls recently married. The mythological "aluxes" have a penchant for tricks and small deceptions . . She forgave him, and they all lived happily ever after. Patricia Furstenberg writes historical fiction, contemporary and children's book. The Jidovi are said to have considered humans the successors of their earth, and so they treated us well and taught us what they knew. A boundless ocean called Apa Smbetei. What can I say, Romanians have a wild imagination , Thank you for visiting twice today Id forgotten this post in drafts. Manananggal (Image credit: Oronoz/Alamy) These terrifying flyers from Filipino folklore gain their name from the Tagalog word "tanggal," which means "to split." Generally depicted as female, the.
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