Făt-Frumos (from Romanian ''făt'': son, infant; ''frumos'': handsome) is a knight hero in

Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian ...

, usually present in fairy tales. Akin to

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, includi ...

, he possesses such essential attributes as courage, purity, justness, physical and spiritual strength, cleverness, passion, and unshakable love. Făt-Frumos also displays some minimal abilities in performing miracles, as well as total commitment to a task once his word is given and to the monarch he serves. In some tales, he is so precocious as to be able to weep before he is born. Făt-Frumos is usually the

youngest son The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters. In a family of many daught ...

of a king. In the Romanian folk stories it is common that all the sons of a king try to defeat the ''

Zmeu The ''Zmeu'' (plural: ''zmei'', feminine: ''zmeoaică'' / ''zmeoaice'') is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Though referred by some sources as a dragon, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has c ...

'' or the ''

Balaur A balaur ( pl. ''balauri'') in Romanian folklore is a type of many-headed dragon or monstrous serpent, sometimes said to be equipped with wings. The number of heads is usually around three, but they can also have seven heads or even twelve hea ...

'', the older sons failing before the younger one succeeds. Făt-Frumos has to go through tests and obstacles that surpass ordinary men's power. With dignity, he always brings these to a positive resolution. He fights demonic monsters and malevolent characters (''

zmeu The ''Zmeu'' (plural: ''zmei'', feminine: ''zmeoaică'' / ''zmeoaice'') is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Though referred by some sources as a dragon, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has c ...

'', ''

balaur A balaur ( pl. ''balauri'') in Romanian folklore is a type of many-headed dragon or monstrous serpent, sometimes said to be equipped with wings. The number of heads is usually around three, but they can also have seven heads or even twelve hea ...

'', '' Muma Pădurii'', etc.). He travels in both "this land" and "the other land" (''tarâmul celălalt'') on the '' Calul Năzdrăvan'' ("The Marvellous Horse"), who also serves as his counsellor. At the end of the fairy tale, Fat-Frumos is paired up with the heroine of the story, a fairy maiden: Ileana Cosânzeana, Zâna Zânelor (Fairy Queen) or Doamna Chiralina.Galațchi, Simona. "The other world in the Romanian folk tales". In: ''Language and Literature – European Landmarks of Identity'', 8 (2011), p. 216. In his journeys, Făt-Frumos often has to overcome a major dilemma related to the correct route he is to follow, and is bound to decide between two equally nonsensical choices. Asked about the right way, an old woman gives Făt-Frumos an obscure answer: "''If you turn right, you will be in sorrow; if you turn left, you will be in sorrow as well''". According t
Victor Kernbach
this lose-lose situation evokes the historical condition of the Romanian people whose homeland had been constantly crossed and attacked by foreign powers, as the native population was always forced to decide between two equally unfortunate choices: ally with your enemies or fight them. Făt-Frumos is also a commonplace figure of the Romanian culture and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

. He appears as a character in stories and poems by famous writers, such as

Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active memb ...

Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...

, or Nichita Stănescu. As a symptom of the Romanian people's self-irony, Făt-Frumos can be encountered even in contemporary Romanian jokes, yet less frequently than Bulă or the political personalities of the moment.

References

Selected bibliography

* Calinescu, Matei. "Between History and Paradise: Initiation Trials". In: ''The Journal of Religion'' 59, no. 2 (1979): 218–23. www.jstor.org/stable/1202705. * Chelaru, Oana Valeria. "Sistemul actanţial al basmului" ctantial System of the Folktale In:
Anuarul Muzeului Etnografic al Moldovei
' he Yearly Review of the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia 11/2011. pp. 87-116. (In Romanian) * Frîncu, Simina & Giurginca, Ioana. (2019). Făt-Frumos cu ceas rupt din Soare. Folclorul românesc și astronomia. In: Astronomia străbunilor. Arheoastronomie și etnoastronomie pe teritoriul României, Publisher: JATEPress Kiadó, pp. 345–362. * Kernbach, Victor (1989). ''Dicționar de mitologie generală''. Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, București, pp. 183–184. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fat-Frumos Fictional knights Romanian mythology Romanian folklore

See also

References

Selected bibliography