romanian folklore creatures
Jakobson, Roman (1955). All Rights Reserved. Romanian mythology is vibrant and often scary, full of blood-sucking creatures, vicious and fickle lovers, and bloody battles. 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. [1]:3842, The etymology of the word blajin (adj.) While the worm became Nefrtat, the Devil, a creature in human form but without inner light, without spirit. Patricia Furstenberg writes historical fiction, contemporary and children's book. It's related to the Polish striga and the Albanian shtriga. Occasionally they help children find answers to moral questions in life. RavenInTheSky. This is my own version of the Romanian creation story with elements taken from all. 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. Basilisk. While the name Draco comes from the Greek term Drakon, which signifies to guard with a sharp eye, it also means serpent or dragon. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Romanian folklore shares some similar fantastic cast of monsters and the Vasilisc is just an example. 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. However, they are all very small bovids. The Romanian word appears to have meant "Dog-head" (cp being a form of cap, meaning "head", and cun a derivative of cine, "dog"). I write the history content. 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). In his search, Ft-Frumos had many adventures, acquiring a flying horse and fighting many of the monsters we mention below. The wedding day came, and the princess knew her father would be coming to the wedding, totally unawares. Ft-Frumos grew up to be wise and quick-witted, a perfect prince to rule the kingdom. 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. Rare Ancient Paycheck Of A Roman Legionary Soldier Found At Masada. Well, the representation of the symbolic animal is a fusion between a wolf and a dragon, sometimes depicted as a serpent. Were from South Africa, and have a keen interest in history, mythology and culture. Because there is a long history of walking corpses and bloodsucking ghouls in folklore . But if they are helped, they offer gifts to the rivers and please the water fairies. Folklore has been an integral part of Romanian culture for many centuries. The Romanian mythology is quite impressive. . Terrible crimes and cruelties were committed by both sides, until god despaired and intervened. 3. 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. Best solution is not to open the door.". Most of the country is made up of rural communities, leading to a strong traditional culture and a love for storytelling. The creature has been described as an undead man that left his grave during the night to haunt people. Oh, yes, we can hold hands then, Priscilla. These monsters go beyond scary Halloween stories of ghosts, demons, vampires, and werewolves. Once upon a time, at the very beginning of the world, there was nothing but water. [1]:1314, Another question commonly addressed is that of the origin of God, which is explained in a Russian doll-type fashion; before every God there was another God that created him. Better keep away for they are irresitable, especially to men, and they will make youlooseyour way through the forest. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music. "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"). He only wanted his daughter to be happy. Muma Pdurii is a mythological representation of a long ago civilization, mainly focused on woods as she personifies everything that comes out of a forest and you can read more about her in my blog post here. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The most prominent symbol associated with the End Times is that of the earthquake. And this is my "build" which is inspired by Slavic mythological folk tale creatures such as Baba Yaga or maybe Swamp Kikimora. 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. They appear in Romani folklore. Another version suggests the Earth was too large to fit under the firmament, and so God attempted to shrink it, thus raising mountains. 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. Strigoi is a character from Romanian mythology. In these stories the Devil goes by the name "Nefrtatul" and is the somewhat foolish brother of God in folk versions of stories. The legends of many nations describe a bygone era when the world was ruled by giant humans. Want to find out more about Romanian mythical monsters, besides the ever-present Dracula? In the Romanian folklore, the wolf appears more often, since the Carpathian people have had many encounters with these animals. This list may not reflect recent changes . Earthquakes are frequently attributed to the earth slipping due to the Devil's constant gnawing at these pillars, which are rebuilt by God and his angels in times of fasting. Zburators lovers can soon be identified by their dishevelled, sleepless appearance. But Zburatorul was not an ordinary lover, he developed obsessions and curing this love-illness was a hard thing to do. Promptly, the baby agreed, and was born. [1]:37 Blajini are invisible connectors between Inner and Hollow Earth. Romania is a rich trove of mythology and folklore, historically located at the crossroads between Germanic, Latin and Slavic traditions. These creatures are sometimes described as one-eyed cyclops-like monsters, who feed on human flesh. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [1]:34. Such imagery as a darkened sun, a bleeding moon and falling stars are associated with the beginning of the End Times. He is known to kidnap children and young women, and features in multiple Romanian folktales, where he kidnaps the princess and must be defeated. Thank you, Roberta Somewhere in 1882, a book regarding the Romanian folklore regarding burials was published . If sorcerers are known to have disappeared long ago, the love stories and passionate dreams certainly are not. The Strigoi is a vicious vampiric creature who returns from the dead to drink the blood of their relatives. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. August 20, 2020 by Patricia Furstenberg. Romanians claim that Strigoi is the father of Dracula, as opposed to the TV show, he is either invisible or is in the form of an animal. There are many stories of men being mutilated or losing their ability to talk after discovering these beautiful but cruel creatures. 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. I think it might be due to a good mix of tumultuous histories, a web of cultures, incredible geography, weather, and crazy politics? Finally, his father desperately promised him youth without age and life without death. It is for this reason that Romanians eat dyed eggs and let the shells flow downstream, from there they believe they will get to the Apa Smbetei, and from there to the Blajini. They are generally considered good wizards and often presented as false beggars, testing the kindness of people. 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. 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. A boundless ocean called Apa Smbetei. Youll find that Strigoi, some of the creepiest mythological creatures, captured the whole area around Romania, with similar myths appearing in Hungary and Poland. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It must have been very, very fully flooded, considering the giants great stature. Many of these creatures can be both cruel and kind, depending on their whims. 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. Vlad Hagyak epe, the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, died 1477. So the king, enraged (somehow) by her answer, banished his daughter from the castle, unwilling to listen to any explanation. But if you spot them, dont linger. Quite a choice. Or it could have been Decebal, one of the first rulers of the Dacians, Romanians ancestors, who ordered these Giants to protect the Dacian treasures hed hidden in a cave when Romans attacked, 1st century AD. Kites are a favorite way of entertaining both children and adults on the Romanian Black Sea beaches, where the wind is mighty. 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) 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. He is an outlandish beast that has a female version in some stories. Side by side. Category:Romanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Romanian legendary creatures" The following 22 pages are in this category, out of 22 total. The creatures swim to the surface of the ocean . 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. In some versions, a vrcolac is a wolf demon. , Thank you very much, for this interesting posting, Patricia. Far from a monster, Zburator is a lover-deity who torments young wives and maidens with intense feelings of desire and sexual obsession. Happy to be here. Vampires have been featured in folklore and fiction of various cultures for hundreds of years, predominantly in Europe, although belief in them has waned in modern times. MAJESTIC TURKEY BY CULTURE TRIP Legends tell the stories for most of them. 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. Their songs and firelit dances can lead travelers astray. One day, God decided to create the earth, and enlisted the help of the animals and of his brother. I studied some ancient mythology in uni, and I love learning about other places and cultures. It is essential to preserve these creations together with the act of telling stories and fables. He told Nefrtatul to go to the bottom of the ocean and, in his holy name, bring up a handful of clay. The creature himself appears as a beautiful young man. 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. They are very similar to the beasts in the rest of the European mythologies, and ever popular in Romania. But he asked those sitting next to him, and they said it was the best meal theyd ever enjoyed. (a type of cracker) If you refuse to buy any, she releases a Pontianak (a vengeful ghost) into your house. His second daughter said I love you like sugar, father, and he was pleased as well. Which is much creepier. 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". Dragons, wolves, and hybrid animals populate the most appreciated stories. In some Romanian folk tales the uria giants are also called jidovi. 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. The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. I believe that at the source of each myth, folktale or superstition is the seed of a true story. This Romanian vampire . This bizarre whale feeding technique may explain some ancient folklore. Sentimental music, however, is the most valued, and Romanians consider their doina (a sad song either about one's home or about love, composed like an epic ballad) unique in the world. Waters overflowing and mountains collapsing are both linked to these earthquakes, which are mainly caused by lack of faith, which accelerates the crumbling of the World Pillars. It has physical traits such as legs or arms and the ability to create weapons. One of the creation stories in Romanian folklore explains the Genesis. Some sources claim that this legendary era is not at all a story and that those giants indeed ruled the world at some point in time. Long considered a venomous monstrosity, the Basilisk surfaced as a folkloric character in Europe in the Middle Ages. 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 serpentine rooster from Chile. A fascinating post. It has similarities to many different legendary creatures, but most of all with the vampire and lycanthropes of the Slavic and Balkan region. She was so skilled and so kind, that she quickly became handmaiden to the empress. Strigoi also include ghosts, wights, banshees, wraiths, ghouls, zombies and other shades of undeath and all forms of lycanthropy. Pricolici. Overcome by sadness, he walked through every room in search of the room where he was born. One day, the empress son was injured in battle, and he returned home to be nursed back to health. Eventually, he realised he was being had and demanded to know why! Or a love story would be better, to melt your other half's heart? It remains to be seen. Makcik "keropok". Cultures worldwide have passed down tales. Other descriptions have him as an undead . A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. 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. The Devil set forth and tried to bring it to the surface in his name instead, but could not succeed until he brought it up in the name of God. But when he came of age, the young man asked his father to make good on his promise, and give to him eternal youth. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In various regions of the country, the Solomonars are divided into two categories: good and evil. kobolds - these little German guys might live in mines or in your house. The Transylvanian Folklore has a lot of legends, myths and haunting creatures: from the well-known vampires to werewolves, Moroi, Strigoi, iele, and all kinds of monsters! The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Perhaps the most well known form of vampire, popularized by fiction and film in the Western world, is the nosferatu. The princess spent every day alongside the empress at her sons bed, and quickly he was healed. There are quite a variety of Romanian monsters. England's Black Annis tans the skins of naughty children and wears them around her waist. Top 5 Romanian Folk Tales. These are usually, in our world, psychological creations that children invent as a way to socialize, be creative, and altogether develop cognitively. There is more on dragon-like creatures in the Romanian mythology in what follows. Welcome to our blog! Seen as the Romanian version of Valentine's Day, Dragobete is celebrated on February 24th.Dragobete, personified as a young handsome man, is the protector of lovers in Romanian folk culture. Let's face it. First, the rural character of the Romanian communities resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. The content of this website is under copyright Patricia Furstenberg (unless specified otherwise). 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. She is the author of Dreamland, Transylvania's History A to Z, bestseller Joyful Trouble and other 18 books. Answer (1 of 3): The name strigoi comes from the Latin strix and striga, which in ancient times were associated with witches or nocturnal flying creatures. | Sep 28, 2018 | Legends and Myths, Romanian Folklore, Romanian Folklore Creatures. This article has multiple issues. In: This page was last edited on 21 December 2022, at 03:40. You can find her in a plethora of folk and fairy tales, playing the role of a forest guardian. It is basically the standard form of an evil spirit. In some areas of Romania, she appears as a crone, with wrinkled skin that is peculiarly similar to tree bark. Not surprisingly, one Romanian business even adopted it in the shape of its logo. 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. So Nefrtatul pushed in each of the four cardinal directions, trying with all his might to claim the earth for himself. No grass would ever grow there, for many years, but instead only red, poisonous herbs and mushrooms would appear. It goes without saying, human heroes with supernatural powers are always there to save the day. 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. A legend in his home country, Vlad was incredibly impressive in inspiring fear and horror into his Turkish enemies, demoralising their troops. The giants sound almost charming, but Capcaun scares me . Remembered it this morning when I was Tweeting for #FolkloreThursday and their #monsters theme! Interesting post. With an uncommonly large wolf population within the Romanian forests, Pricolici are a very dominant part of rural folklore. Where they dance, they are often said to leave the ground burnt, and no living thing will grow there for years. Tthe feeding method, however, may not be new at all. Ielele are stunning nymph-like women who dance under the moonlight. Any man can become this bloodthirsty demon after death if they die under certain conditions. Another prolific editor of folk tales was Petre Ispirescu, who, in the 19th century published an impressive number of volumes containing a large number of short novels and tales from popular mythology. 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. Nuggets of Romanian Folklore, Myths and Legends Jewels of Romanian History and Travel. 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". 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. They are also known as vampires. The queen was pregnant and in labour, but her son, still in the womb, cried and refused to come out. Thats because the Romanian mythical monster with seven heads shares its name with a recently discovered species of dinosaurs. But in the end, she was convinced, as she loved the young servant girl. According to the stories, a vampire is a Strigoi possessing a bat, just like a werewolf is a Strigoi possessing a wolf. If you are curious about his adventures on this quest, you can read the story in English. Once upon a time, at the very beginning of the world, there was nothing but water. 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). I'm was never really into authentic military units simulation, so true fans can feel free to throw rocks of shit at me. So sweet, and without any real flavour! One of the best answers for the question "how were these legends created" is, obviously, the Romanian folklore itself. This bizarre-looking monster hatches from an egg incubated by a rooster, and lives in a hole underneath its victims' house. In Romanian strigoi means to scream. According to Adrien Cremene . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Romanian mythology can be truly impressive, with tales of giants that protected the Earth, and powerful wizards that descended from Dacian High Priests. Now Nefrtat, evil ashe was, tried to take possession of earth, pushing his brother into the waves. Other rare natural phenomena such as Eclipses or Comets were seen as a sign of impending doom. So, the Uria are no longer among us. It was a combination snake, rooster, bat, and sometimes other animals, that was born from an . 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. 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. This little tale follows a king and his three daughters, long, long ago. They have filled folklore, stories, songs, and works of art . Inspired by the breath and depth of classic action RPG and farming games,"A Viking's Quest, the Lost Continent" is an engaging, dynamic world role playing game where you experience a beautifully hand crafted world of fantasy and adventure. 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. Likewise, the wolf is still present as a symbol in Romanian culture. Sources. 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 . Dare we assume Balaur sound familiar? The word Cpcun can mean either dog-head or Turk chieftain. We hope you liked our selection of Romanian mythical monsters. Once upon a time, there was a great king and queen. Youll also find that some of the figures are shared with the neighbouring Hungarian mythology, as borders were fluid and travellers have been moving between the two forever. 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. 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. Folklore of Romania. However, Romanian mythology is full of characters, and you can read more about them here or in future articles. [Romanian Pluvial Myths In a World Wide Context]. We will explore the myths, urban legends and fol. Since they live in isolation, they have no way of knowing when Easter comes. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The beauty and mystery of Romania have been sung by poets and painted in ink by illustrious writers, take a trip into the culture of an amazing country and see it through their eyes with a Classic Romania Tour. Myths in the ancient kingdoms of Carpathia and Transylvania are especially original. 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. Occasionally they help children find answers to moral questions in life. In the latter case, they are equalized with demons and provoke human resentment. Signs of their existence are still noticeable, local people claim. Similarly gigantic, the Jidovi are the giants of the Carpathian Mountains. As a matter of fact, the author of this incredibly popular novel never traveled to Romania in his life. The balaur appears in most love stories as an evil character. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I should add in the post that the root of the word Fartat comes from frate = brother. The translations are excellent reads for your children when traveling to Romania. With mountains as sky-high as the Carpathians is easy to understand why Giants were the first people evercreated on the Romanian land. 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.
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