''Țiganiada'' is a

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

epic poem In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...

written by poet and scholar

Ion Budai-Deleanu Ion Budai-Deleanu (January 6, 1760 – August 24, 1820) was a Romanian scholar, philologist, historian, poet, and a representative of the Transylvanian School. He was a member of the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross, attending the society's ...

, the first epic poem written in the

Romanian language Romanian (obsolete spelling: Roumanian; , or , ) is the official and main language of Romania and Moldova. Romanian is part of the Eastern Romance languages, Eastern Romance sub-branch of Romance languages, a linguistic group that evolved fr ...

. The poem features a fictionalized version of

Vlad the Impaler Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler ( ) or Vlad Dracula (; ; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian hi ...

's reign. The heroicomical poem treats an

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory throughou ...

subject with

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

antifeudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring societ ...

and

anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historically, anti-clericalism in Christian traditions has been opposed to the influence of Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, ...

tendencies, being a complex and unexpectedly modern literary work that contains a significant amount of

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

ideas. Budai-Deleanu used Romanian words of Slavic origin to make it sound more ancient. It includes twelve songs in 1381 stanzas.

History and structure

The first version of Țiganiada was written in 1800, and the second in 1812. At least three editions were published, although they contained errors and were truncated. The poem was duly published in 1925.Ion Budai Deleanu, povestea autorului “Țiganiadei”
Țiganiada was written in the spirit of the

, Deleanu borrowing a series of ideas which he adapted to Transylvania's historical context, the region finding itself under Hungarian rule, the work potentially being banned under those circumstances. The poem contains twelve songs in 1381 stanzas and a prologue which includes an epistle addressed to Mitru Perea (

Petru Maior Petru Maior (; 1756 in Marosvásárhely ''(now Târgu Mureș, Romania)'' – 14 February 1821 in Buda) was a Romanian writer who is considered one of the most influential personalities of the Age of Enlightenment in Transylvania (the Transylv ...

), a fellow

Transylvanian School The Transylvanian School () was a cultural and political movement which started after part of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Habsburg-ruled Transylvania accepted the leadership of the pope and became the Greek-Catholic Church (). The links with ...

member and writer. The work is signed under Deleanu's pen name, Leonachi Dianeu, an anagram of his name.

Themes and interpretation

Țiganiada mainly treats a nationalistic and emancipatory subject, being concerned with the fight for liberty and national identity, illustrating the opposition to feudalism, aristocracy, and the clergy. The poem satirizes authoritarian tendencies such as the perpetuation of despotism and social injustice. The fictionalized image of Vlad the Impaler suggests

enlightened absolutism Enlightened absolutism, also called enlightened despotism, refers to the conduct and policies of European absolute monarchs during the 18th and early 19th centuries who were influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment, espousing them to enhanc ...

, being presented as a rational leader who loves his country and people, while Romândor represents the Romanian peoples efforts in fighting for social and national liberty.

Plot summary

Vlad the Impaler, the voivode of Wallachia, plans a resistance movement against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, bringing his troops to battle, while also recruiting the

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnic groups * Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin ** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities ** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom * Romanians (Romanian ...

. One of the measures which the voivode adopts is preventing betrayal, knowing that the Ottomans may seek to use the Romani as spies. The voivode brings the Romani to a camp where they can train to fight against the Ottomans. The Romani parade in front of Vlad, each having a different flag. The Romani swear fealty to Vlad, who offers them provisions and weapons. One of the Romani leaders is sent to the voivode, demanding Vlad to send a body of troops with the objective of protecting the Romani. In order to test the Romanis loyalty, Vlad and the officers disguise themselves as ottoman soldiers and attack the Romani encampment. When the Romani are attacked, they surrender and are ready to betray the Romanians, begging for mercy, claiming that they are not guilty of anything. When the Romani realize that the Ottomans are in fact disguised Romanians, they again beg for mercy and promise that they will fight alongside them against the Ottomans. When the real Ottomans attack, the Romani, led by Parpangel, fight valiantly and manage to frighten the Ottoman army. In another narrative layer,

Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...

kidnaps Romica, Parpangels fiancée, who leaves in search of her. He eventually finds her in an enchanted forest, locked away in a palace. The poem continues with a focus on three Romani leaders: Parpangel, Tandaler, and Corcodel. The Romani decide to fight against the Ottomans, but because they are frightened, Tandaler advises them to fight with their eyes closed so they won't be scared at the sight of the enemy. The Romani meet a herd of bullocks, which they attack until it runs away. Parpangel marries Romica and tells the wedding guests about the journey he made through Heaven and Hell. The Romani hear that Vlad might have been defeated by the Ottomans and that Wallachia may have been left without a ruler. They decide to create a country of their own, discussing various forms of government, oscillating between a republic and a monarchy. Although Vlad is triumphant, he is overthrown by treacherous

boyars A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russian nobility, Russia), Boyars of Moldavia and Wallach ...

and is forced to take exile. Furthermore, the Romanian Army is coagulated under a symbolic hero named Romândor and decide to continue the fight against the Ottomans. However, the boyars oppose this, fearing Ottoman vengeance.

Reception

Literary critic and writer

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...

remarked Deleanu's verbal genius and the particular names chosen for the characters (Aordel, Corcodel, Găvan, Ciormoi, Parpangel). Țiganiada is the most relevant written text for the Romanian literary language at the end of the 18th century.

Nicolae Manolescu Nicolae Manolescu (; 27 November 1939 – 23 March 2024) was a Romanian literary critic. Elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy in 1997, he was upgraded to titular member in 2013. Life and career Manolescu was born in Râmnicu ...

considers it “our last

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

work in the true sense of the word”.

References

{{Reflist Epic poems in Romanian Books about Romania Fictional representations of Romani people Cultural depictions of Vlad the Impaler 19th-century poems 19th-century fiction books