romanian folklore creatures

These giants are also kind and gentle, and they too stride across mountains although they do seem to be a bit smaller than the Uria. He is an outlandish beast that has a female version in some stories. Happy to be here. With legends such as those of Baba Dochia, Manole, or the Ballad of Miorita, we can surely say that Romania is pretty creative when it comes to mythology. Rozalinds fatherand the last head of the Giants, Old Cingalau (not the moth, perhaps a nickname, like Wide-Belt), feeling that his time has come, arranged for the two to get married. 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. The founding father of vampire literature, Bram Stoker, introduced the cruelest Wallachian ruler of XVth century Romania to the world. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Maybe Zburatorul adapted to our modern times and uses other ways of tormenting young womens love life. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The Romanian Giants known as Jidovi, are probably one of the most beloved folklore creatures. As he slept, his trickster brother decided to push him off the edge. Side by side. Any man can become this bloodthirsty demon after death if they die under certain conditions. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. They wear flowing white dresses and dance with their hair out, wild and uninhibited. Here we are, arriving at the ubiquitous Zmeu (pronounced ). The princess spent every day alongside the empress at her sons bed, and quickly he was healed. His second daughter said I love you like sugar, father, and he was pleased as well. I also found a very cool alternative version to the creation myth here, which foregoes the Christianised God and Satan for a worm and a butterfly! Occasionally they help children find answers to moral questions in life. 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. This is the sad tale of Meterul Manole. I studied some ancient mythology in uni, and I love learning about other places and cultures. Vlad the Impaler. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music. Ethnologists, poets, writers and historians have tried in recent centuries to collect and to preserve tales, poems, ballads and have tried to describe as well as possible the customs and habits related to different events and times of year. A legend in his home country, Vlad was incredibly impressive in inspiring fear and horror into his Turkish enemies, demoralising their troops. Since they live in isolation, they have no way of knowing when Easter comes. How cruel it must have been for them to be judged by the entire community only because their dreams become their second reality, one full of love and passion. At the beginning of 1900, there were still some people who claimed to have heard real stories about Jidovi from their grandparents who saw them in person. Folklore has been an integral part of Romanian culture for many centuries. Some explain them as the descendants of Adam's son Seth. In some versions, a vrcolac is a wolf demon. Or a love story would be better, to melt your other half's heart? This article has multiple issues. Shape shifting freaks me out too. One of the creation stories in Romanian folklore explains the Genesis. 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. by Irina B. As mentioned in the show, Zanna derive from Romanian folklore. In some Romanian folk tales the uria giants are also called jidovi. Welcome to our blog! In the latter case, they are equalized with demons and provoke human resentment. Romanian mythology can be truly impressive, with tales of giants that protected the Earth, and powerful wizards that descended from Dacian High Priests. These giants lived in the immense woodlands and in caves. Roman Sexuality Was Far More Complex Than Simply Gay Or Straight - Pompeii's House Of The Vettii Reveals Why. Frtat called to his brother to dive together and gather handfuls of sand from the bottom of the ocean and throw it in the air, in his name, so Earth will form so they could both rest and catch their breath. Romanians have had, from time immemorial, a myriad of customs, tales and poems about love, faith, kings, princesses, and witches. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Their fate was even crueler with the girls recently married. Dragons, wolves, and hybrid animals populate the most appreciated stories. Maybe it is a bedtime story, for your little one? The Romanian word appears to have meant "Dog-head" (cp being a form of cap, meaning "head", and cun a derivative of cine, "dog"). It has similarities to many different legendary creatures, but most of all with the vampire and lycanthropes of the Slavic and Balkan region. Im Author of the Year, Spillwords Press Awards! Some people claim to even have seen them, especially in the region of Bukovina. By taking the shape of a dragon, appearing in the sky and spitting fire, the Zmeu belongs to a particular category of villains. Many of these creatures can be both cruel and kind, depending on their whims. The fey creatures that lived here quickly took a liking to him and invited him to stay. Likewise, the wolf is still present as a symbol in Romanian culture. For celebrating the souls of dead relatives or friends, Romanians from above mentioned counties prepare festive meals and offer them, in the cemetery, nearby the tombs, after the religious mass and benediction, to all who wished to commemorate and pay their respects to the dead. Makcik "keropok". xx, Talking books (Transylvania's History A to Z and Dreamland) with lovely Andra Craig & Sorina Stallard from DOR Romanian Diaspora on #CarteaDeVineri. It is said that Rozalinda, the Giants daughter, discovered some people on the banks of Some river and she took them home, thinking they are tiny dolls. So the king, enraged (somehow) by her answer, banished his daughter from the castle, unwilling to listen to any explanation. The Strigoi is also a shapeshifter, able to transform itself into a bat, animal or fog. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These include dying unmarried, by execution or suicide, or even by being the seventh child of the same sex born into a family. Discover some of the most powerful legends in Romanian folklore, which influenced and gave birth to numerous tales and stories. If people refuse to help them while they are in disguise, they bring hail and strong storms to ruin the crops. I do remember being scared of this mosnter, for he was supposed to eat naughty children (which I was not!). Of course. [2] The Devil tried to push him over the side, but the ever-expanding earth would hinder that. We hope you liked our selection of Romanian mythical monsters. They cheer up in memory of the deceased. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. 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. Thus explaining the many names the Bible used for God, the Oltenians believed the first God was called Sabaoth, followed by Amon, Apollo, the Creator God of the Bible and, finally, Jesus Christ. But the king said that he had no power to fulfil his pledge, it was impossible. Now Nefrtat, evil ashe was, tried to take possession of earth, pushing his brother into the waves. One day, God decided to create the earth, and enlisted the help of the animals and of his brother. 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. Category:Romanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Romanian legendary creatures" The following 22 pages are in this category, out of 22 total. A fascinating post. These stories appear not only in Romanian folklore, but also in those of Aromanian, Slavic Macedonian and Bulgarian folklore. It's related to the Polish striga and the Albanian shtriga. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [3] According to Christian calendar, Romanians from Banat, Transylvania, Bucovina and Maramure counties celebrate Easter of Blajini on first Monday after St. Thomas Sunday. These are the most popular and well-known stories and Romanian mythological creatures. 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"). Such imagery as a darkened sun, a bleeding moon and falling stars are associated with the beginning of the End Times. This Carpathian Gandalf not only masters the elements, but also masters the mythical dragons, some people claiming that they saw a might dragon coming up from deep mountain lakes, obeying the commands of Solomonars. Realising her to be his daughter, and finally understanding that he had been a fool, the emperor embraced her, apologising. According to the tale of creation, God and the Devil are master and servant, the devil (Nefrtatul) being Gods foolish brother. These monsters go beyond scary Halloween stories of ghosts, demons, vampires, and werewolves. Bulgarian folklore tradition keeps its beliefs into supernatural creatures towards which people have more poetic or generally pagan attitude. Were from South Africa, and have a keen interest in history, mythology and culture. The serpentine rooster from Chile. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In traditional Romanian folklore the term strigoi (feminim strigoaic) can refer. It was a combination snake, rooster, bat, and sometimes other animals, that was born from an . Another fascinating occurring villain is the Vasilisc. There are blood parasites called Strigeidida. European folklore, like the Polish Wpierz, Local folktales and legends around the world, Mongolian mythology | Gods & legends of the nomadic tribes, Greek desserts | 8 Incredible pastries to try in Athens. Of course, there are so many that are less widely known, but just as uniquely interesting. She was so skilled and so kind, that she quickly became handmaiden to the empress. #folklore #creatures #cartoons #illustrations Ce zici? Top 10 Greatest Mythological Creatures and Legendary Creatures of Myth and Folklore Werewolf: Wolf-human shapeshifter (Global Culture) Dragon: Depicted as fire-breathing and winged (Global Culture) Chimera: Hybrid Fire-breathing creature (Greek Mythology) Loch Ness Monster: Aquatic monster (Scottish Folklore) In another version, true to the succession of Gods mentioned earlier (s. here), Jesus Christ is said to come and create a new world like his father before him. Love and death play crucial roles in Romanian mythology, as well as the fight between evil and good, in which Ft-Frumos represents the good. 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. Of course, redheads are also considered very suspicious. Believed to look like a mix between a snake and a reptile, the Vasilisc had a killer gaze and poisonous breath. Werewolves, vampires, capcaun, zmeu and many other mythical creatures originated in East Europe in Transylvania, Romania. Have a lovely weekend, Pat. The queen was pregnant and in labour, but her son, still in the womb, cried and refused to come out. They met and consume their love in the world of dreams but everything is so intense, almost real that the young woman becomes exhausted and obsessively in love. They are centered on popular characters like the prince Ft-Frumos (the Romanian "Prince Charming"), the princess Ileana Cosnzeana, the villain or monster Zmeu or Cpcun, the dragon Balaur or fantastic superbeings like the good Zn and the evil Muma Pdurii. RavenInTheSky. Eventually, he realised he was being had and demanded to know why! The Romanian Giants known as Jidovi, are probably one of the most beloved folklore creatures. 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. But when he came of age, the young man asked his father to make good on his promise, and give to him eternal youth. They lived in caves and thick woods, enjoyed talking and respected the little humans, which they considered their successors, the next owners of all the rivers and mountains. Some believe they still live there, guarding treasures and living peacefully, silently in the safe mountains. At the end of this ritual, the girls were cured, the Zburator was gone, and life kept going on as usual. They are described as anthropomorphic and short, sometimes having the head of a rat. . Which is much creepier. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Other rare natural phenomena such as Eclipses or Comets were seen as a sign of impending doom. Day Fifteen of the Folkloric Fauna of February. 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. Vampires are evil mythological beings who roam the world at night searching for people whose blood they feed upon. Some legends say it is a ghost or vampire (Strigoi) while others say it is a werewolf (in some versions, a werewolf that emerges from the corpses of . I cover the travel and myth/legend posts. Thank you! Folk creations (the best known is the ballad Mioria) were the main literary genre until the 18th century. Easter of Blajini is called also Easter of Deaths or Mighty Easter. Genesis the creation stories in Romanian folklore are numerous and varied, from its ancient, Indo-European roots with Brother and Non-brother, to a Christianization of the tale involving God and His perpetual antagonist, Satan. According to Adrien Cremene . He is called Zburatorul, meaning The One Who Flies, a handsome airman tormenting the sleep of young girls and young wives. First, the rural character of the Romanian communities resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. You've taught your students about the worldnow . He told Nefrtatul to go to the bottom of the ocean and, in his holy name, bring up a handful of clay. The princess stood up, and said that since he did not like salt, she had cooked his food with only sugar and honey. The Romanian folklore is a big happy family. Muma Pdurii (Mother of the woods) is, perhaps, the most famous creature in Romanian mythology. The Devil, however, tried to rebel, and, in response, God opened up the heavens so that he might fall to the earth. Moroii and their legends are as old as Dacian times -especially in Orastie area and thus it is believed that they used charms to steal the cattles milk, rendering the cows dry. Ft-Frumos enthusiastically agreed, having found his place of eternal youth. Well, the representation of the symbolic animal is a fusion between a wolf and a dragon, sometimes depicted as a serpent. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music. Learn about worldwide Past and Present Monsters of Folk Tales too. The word Cpcun can mean either dog-head or Turk chieftain. And with that, he slapped the old man, and Ft-Frumos fell down dead, crumbling into dust. I should add in the post that the root of the word Fartat comes from frate = brother. Michael, Ah, how wonderful too see you here, Michael. It has physical traits such as legs or arms and the ability to create weapons. It is essential to preserve these creations together with the act of telling stories and fables. Romanian mythology says that only a baby boy born with a distinctive sign over his face and body can become such a wizard. Strigoii and Moroii are believed to drink not only the blood of a human, but to feed on its energy too. One day, the peace ended, and a great war between humans and Uria was waged. So he told the fairies that he must go, and bid them farewell despite their objections. 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. No grass would ever grow there, for many years, but instead only red, poisonous herbs and mushrooms would appear. We cant imagine a better way to learn about it than through traveling so thats what were doing. If you dare, scroll through this roster of scary . Ielele bathe in glacial lakes, and dance on mountain cliffs and in meadows. And be gone! If you know of any Romanian tales we should include here, let us know! Please help improve this . In the Carpathians, Jidovii are often named Blajini, which means the Kind Ones, or Novaci, which means the Powerful Ones as they could snatch a tree without any effort. Absolutely fascinating Pat.. thanks for the amazing background and I love the explanation of Genesisxx, Cheering your visit, Sally Strigoi is a character from Romanian mythology. Ft-Frumos with his princess | illustration by Marina Plantus. Even in modern Romania, certain wolf attacks are attributed to Pricolici. The Romanian holiday Patele Blajinilor (Easter of Blajini) is a way to repay them for the benefits they bring. 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. A moroi is a kind of Strigoi-light theyre also vampiric creatures, but not quite as violent or frightful as the Strigoi. Basilisk. This is related to the concept of soul customs, where every soul is intercepted on its way to heaven by these demons, who force it into hell. The Most Prevalent Feminine Mythical Characters in Romanian Folklore The Great Goddess of Neolithic, Mother of all, the source of life, feeder of men and animals, prefigured as a snake, bird or fish, guardian of all creatures living in the air, waters or underground, is the dominant character of the pre-historic mythology. In legends Capcaunul has his own land, usually dark, arid and populated with strange creatures. In others, they are living beasts (not the undead), and happen as a result of a curse. A Cpcun is something similar to an ogre in the Romanian folklore. These vicious wolf-creatures come out during the full moon, and in their older myths, lunar eclipses are actually the result of these wolves eating the moon. In: Lefter, Lucian-Valeriu. 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. With immense dark forests, mysterious mountains, and, in many periods of history, enemies on all sides, its no wonder the stories are often quite dark. "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"). . Once, in an old anonymous folk tale, Ft-Frumos even goes on a quest to gain immortality. A strong desire to kidnap and marry young girls animates him. Worth mentioning is the root of the word Frtat coming from frate = brother. Once upon a time, at the very beginning of the world, there was nothing but water. In various regions of the country, the Solomonars are divided into two categories: good and evil. Rolandia is registered as tour operator at Ministry of Tourism in Romania. 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. In some stories this is his true appearance, in others, he is actually a dragon-like demon who simply takes on this visage. Whatever their exact origins are, the Solomonars are not considered gone and in fact, they are well respected and have a special place among the magical beings of Romanian folklore. When he asked his youngest how much she loved him, she told him I love you like the salt in your meal, father. A few of the most well known types of vampires are the nosferatu, moroi, strigoi, and mullo. There are quite a variety of Romanian monsters. The first beings to exist on earth were the Uria giants or ogres so large, they could bound across continents. Romanian myths part of international culture. In the Romanian folklore, the wolf appears more often, since the Carpathian people have had many encounters with these animals. Hi! The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Pricolici, along with the vampiric Strigoi and shapeshifting Moroi, gather on the Night of the Wolf the eve of Saint Andrews. However, Romanian mythology is full of characters, and you can read more about them here or in future articles. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. Even now, in some remote villages, there are few people remembering such women who were at the edge of losing their minds or their marriages forever. Want to find out more about Romanian mythical monsters, besides the ever-present Dracula? She is the author of Dreamland, Transylvania's History A to Z, bestseller Joyful Trouble and other 18 books. So, it is believed, that in the deepest caves of the Carpathians Mountains may still live some Jidovi, protecting the treasures for generations to come. His eldest daughter said I love you like honey, father, and he was very pleased. In these stories the Devil goes by the name "Nefrtatul" and is the somewhat foolish brother of God in folk versions of stories. 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. First, the rural character of the Romanian communities resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Blajin also means a dead child who did not receive the benediction of Holy Spirit. January 13, 2021 The ancestors of the Poles were already present in what is now Poland since the earliest Roman records of the area, in the early centuries AD. 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. This article is about to introduce you to the heroes and villains of Romanian folklore! Most of these names can be found in the Romanian Lore in reference to Vampires and Dragons. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Other descriptions have him as an undead . Romanian Folklore. 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. Other accounts, closer to the biblical one, suggest that the Devil and his demons were once angels of God. 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. In another instance, should this army not come, God shall burn the earth as described and bring the Blajini to live there. Yet the earth kept on growing to reach and protect Frtat, and thus Earth came to be. So, the Romanian Vasilisc is just like the Basilisk from Harry Potter? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". One day, Ft-Frumos found that he missed home, and could hardly remember what his life had been before his fairie revelries. Taken away by an old Solomonar, the boy is trained for 20 years at the Solomonars School, found somewhere at the End of the Earth, in a deep cave. [1]:61, If these warnings should fail, God will initiate the End of the World. The Nalusa Falaya from Choctaw mythology slithers like a snake, preying on children who stay out too late. They are considered to fast the year through, and thus doing humans a great service. 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. K Kiara Yew Adventures Romanian Legends and Myths Werewolf Legend Werewolf Mythology Vampire Mythology Werewolf Hunter Mythical Creatures Art As this piece of clay grew into the earth, God laid himself down to sleep. Iele - the Ladies of the Woods Romanian Myths & Legends Other customs are presumably of pre-Christian pagan origin, like the Paparuda rain enchanting custom in the summer, or the masked folk theatre or Ursul (the bear) and Capra (the goat) in winter. kobolds - these little German guys might live in mines or in your house. Eventually, she found employment with another emperor, working as a servant girl. 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. Dare we assume Balaur sound familiar? 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 "chupacabra hysteria" was frequently associated with deep economic and political crises, particularly during the mid-1990s. Romania's rich folk traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the Roman occupation. As the prince walked home, he found that he was growing steadily older, until he was a crooked, white-haired man. The most prominent symbol associated with the End Times is that of the earthquake. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. So she cooked only his meal herself, ensuring the serving girl brought it to just him. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. But Zburatorul was not an ordinary lover, he developed obsessions and curing this love-illness was a hard thing to do. In: This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 03:40.

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