Romanian teens in traditional clothes are dancing

The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romanian communities resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Folk creations (the best known is the ballad Miorița) were the main literary genre until the 18th century. They were both a source of inspiration for cultivated creators and a structural model. 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.

Overview

Creation of the world

Stories suggest God made the Earth with the help of animals, while the Devil was trying to thwart his plans.Cosma, Aurel. ''Cosmogonia poporului român'' (The

Cosmogony Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe. Overview Scientific theories In astronomy, cosmogony is the study of the origin of particular astrophysical objects or systems, and is most commonly used in ref ...

of the Romanian People) (1942). Bucharest: Tipografia Ziarului "Universul".Leeming, David Adams. ''Creation Myths of the World: An Encyclopedia''. ABC-CLIO, 2010. ''eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)''. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. In the majority of versions, before the earth existed, a boundless ocean called Apa Sâmbetei was the abode of God and the Devil, seen as master and servant rather than equals. In these stories the Devil goes by the name "Nefârtatul" and is the somewhat foolish brother of God in folk versions of stories. These stories appear not only in Romanian folklore, but also in those of Aromanian, Slavic Macedonian and Bulgarian folklore. Upon deciding to create the Earth, God sent the Devil to bring a handful of clay from the ground of the

World Ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic/Southern, and ...

in his holy name. 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. As this piece of clay grew into the Earth, God laid himself down to sleep. The Devil tried to push him over the side, but the ever-expanding Earth would hinder that. After trying to throw God off the Earth in every one of the four cardinal directions, he shied away from the

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

he drew in the ground himself.

Origin of evil

Other accounts, closer to the biblical one, suggest that the Devil and his

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

s were once

angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

s of God. The Devil, however, tried to rebel, and, in response, God opened up the

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

s so that he might fall to the Earth. Fearing that Heaven might be voided, the archangel

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

re-sealed it, thus freezing the demons that had not yet fallen to hell in place. 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. It has also given rise to the Romanian saying ''până ajungi la Dumnezeu, te mănâncă sfinții'' ("before you reach God, the saints will eat you").

Origin of God

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. Thus explaining the many names the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

used for God, the Oltenians believed the first God was called

Sabaoth Judaism has different names given to God, which are considered sacred: (), (''Adonai'' ), ('' El'' ), ( ), ('' Shaddai'' ), and ( ); some also include I Am that I Am.This is the formulation of Joseph Karo (SA YD 276:9). Maimonides (MT ...

, followed by

Amon Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Mononym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah * Amon of Toul ( 375– 423 AD), second recorded Bishop of ...

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, the Creator God of the Bible and, finally,

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

The Earth

Even after Christian imagery and symbolism became part of Romanian culture, Mother Earth is identified as the

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

of God, the heavenly

Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...

. The origin of mountains is explained in a number of ways by the cultures of the different regions of Romania. One account is that mountains formed as a response to God demanding the Earth to nurture all life, to which the earth shuddered and brought forth mountains. Another version suggests the Earth was too large to fit under the

firmament In ancient near eastern cosmology, the firmament means a celestial barrier that separates the heavenly waters above from the Earth below. In biblical cosmology, the firmament ( ''rāqīaʿ'') is the vast solid dome created by God during the G ...

, and so God attempted to shrink it, thus raising mountains. 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. 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 Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

The myth of the Blajini

The etymology of the word ''blajin'' (adj.) is the Slavonian ''blažĕnŭ'' meaning 'kind, well-minding person'. According to Christian calendar, Romanians from Banat, Transylvania, Bucovina and Maramureș counties celebrate Easter of Blajini on first Monday after St. Thomas Sunday. Easter of Blajini is called also Easter of Deaths or Mighty Easter. Romanians generally perceived the Earth as a disc, and they imagined what existed on the other side. This ''other'' Earth is imagined as a mirror image of the planet, and as a home to creatures called ''Blajini'' ("gentle/kind-hearted ones"), sometimes given the name ''Rohmani'' in Bucovina. They are described as anthropomorphic and short, sometimes having the head of a rat. They are either described as malicious or as having great respect for God and leading a sinless life. They are considered to fast the year through, and thus doing humans a great service. The Romanian holiday ''Paștele Blajinilor'' (Easter of Blajini) is a way to repay them for the benefits they bring. Since they live in isolation, they have no way of knowing when

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

comes. 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 Sâmbetei'', and from there to the Blajini. Blajini are invisible connectors between Inner and Hollow Earth. Blajin also means a dead child who did not receive the benediction of Holy Spirit. 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)''. Some explain them as the descendants of

Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...

's son

Seth Seth, in the Abrahamic religions, was the third son of Adam and Eve. The Hebrew Bible names two of his siblings (although it also states that he had others): his brothers Cain and Abel. According to , Seth was born after Abel's murder by Cain, ...

. Others think that they used to live alongside humans on the earth, but

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

, 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. 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. They cheer up in memory of the deceased.

Eschatology

The most prominent symbol associated with the End Times is that of the

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

. 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. Others attribute the earthquakes to the Earth (which is alive, and can therefore feel) realising the wicked ways of humans, and trembling in fright. Other rare natural phenomena such as

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...

s or

Comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

s were seen as a sign of impending doom. If these warnings should fail, God will initiate the End of the World. Such imagery as a darkened

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

, a bleeding

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

and falling

star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

s are associated with the beginning of the End Times. Three saints (usually in the persons of

Enoch Enoch ( ; ''Henṓkh'') is a biblical figure and Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch prior to Noah's flood, and the son of Jared (biblical figure), Jared and father of Methuselah. He was of the Antediluvian period in the Hebrew Bible. The text of t ...

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...

) are said to come to Earth to unveil the Devil's attempts to destroy the world, whereupon they shall be killed by

decapitation Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...

. The sky and the Earth will be set alight and the Earth will be purged, so that its Creator may descend upon it. The 12 winds are said to sweep up the ashes of people and gather them in the valley of

Safed Safed (), also known as Tzfat (), is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of up to , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and in Israel. Safed has been identified with (), a fortif ...

, where the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...

shall be done. Sources form

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

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. In another instance, should this army not come, God shall burn the earth as described and bring the ''Blajini'' to live there. In another version, true to the succession of Gods mentioned earlier (s.

here Here may refer to: Music * ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994 * ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016 * ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979 * ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012 * ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004 * ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...

), Jesus Christ is said to come and create a new world like his father before him. A not-so-widespread belief is that of a definitive destruction of the earth, whereupon God and the Devil shall divide the souls of the dead among themselves and retire to the Moon, who is considered to have been made in the image of the Earth to serve a place of retreat after the destruction of the Earth.

Characteristics

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. Romania's rich folk traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

occupation. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music. Ethnographers have tried to collect in the last two centuries as many elements as possible: the

Museum of the Romanian Peasant The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant () is a museum in Bucharest, Romania, with a collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics (art), ceramics, and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. One of Europe's leading museums ...

and the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

are currently the main institutions which systematically organise the data and continue the research. Wood used to be the main construction material, and heavily ornamented wooden objects were common in old houses. In

Maramureș ( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the ...

, wood was used to create impressive structures such as churches or gates; in

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

, windmills were made of wood, and in mountainous regions hardwood was used even for covering the roof. To preserve traditional houses, many village museums have been created in the last century throughout Romania, such as the

Village Museum The Village Museum or formally National Museum of the Village "Dimitrie Gusti" () is an open-air ethnographic museum located in the King Michael I Park, Bucharest, Romania. The museum showcases traditional Romanian village life. The museum e ...

in Bucharest, the Traditional Popular Civilisation ASTRA Museum in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

or the Oltenian Village Museum in

Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (formerly ''Râmnic'', ) is a city in Romania. Located in the south-central part of the country, in the historical province of Oltenia, it is the seat of Vâlcea County and its main urban settlement. According to the 2021 Romanian ...

Linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

was the most common material for clothing, combined with

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

during the winter or colder periods. These are embroidered with traditional motifs that vary from region to region. Black is the most common colour used, but red and blue are predominant in certain areas. Traditionally, men wore a white shirt and pants (if made of wool they are called ''ițari'') with a wide leather belt, usually over the shirt, and a vest sometimes made of leather and embroidered. They wore either boots or a simple shoe made of leather and tied around the foot called ''opincă'' and they wore a hat which differs in design from region to region. Women also wore a white skirt and a shirt with a vest. They wore an apron called ''șorț'' or ''cătrință'' which is also embroidered and a headscarf called ''basma''; on special occasions they wore more elaborate outfits.

Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

and

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

represent a lively part of the Romanian folklore and there are a great variety of musical genres and dances. Party music is very lively and shows both

Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

and Hungarian influences. 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. Maria Tănase is considered to be one of the greatest Romanian folk singers and today

Grigore Leșe Grigore Leșe (born February 20, 1954) is a Romanian musician. Biography Leșe was born in 1954 in Stoiceni village, Maramureș County in northern Romania. He graduated from the Music College in Baia Mare, followed by the Music Academy in Cluj ...

and Taraful Haiducilor are two of the most famous musicians. 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 călușari are extremely complex and have been declared by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

to be "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity". Romanians have had, from time immemorial, a myriad of customs, tales and poems about love, faith, kings, princesses, and witches. 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. Customs related to certain times of year are the '' colinde'' - Romanian

Christmas carols Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

, '' sorcova'' on New Year's Eve or the ''

Mărțișor Mărțișor () is a tradition celebrated at the beginning of Spring in March, involving an object made from two intertwined red and white strings with hanging tassel. It is practiced in Romania and Moldova, and very similar to Martenitsa tradit ...

'' custom on 1 March marking the spring. Other customs are presumably of pre-Christian

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

origin, like the ''

Paparuda Dodola (also spelled ''Dodole'', ''Dodoli'', ''Dudola'', ''Dudula'' etc.) and Perperuna (also spelled ''Peperuda'', ''Preperuda'', ''Preperuša'', ''Prporuša'', ''Papaluga'' etc.) are rainmaking pagan customs widespread among different peoples ...

'' rain enchanting custom in the summer, or the masked folk theatre or ''Ursul'' (the bear) and ''Capra'' (the goat) in winter. Perhaps the most successful collector of folk tales was the novelist and storyteller Ion Creangă, who, in very picturesque language, shaped into their now-classic form stories like ''Harap Alb'' (roughly, "The White Moor") or ''Fata babei și fata moșului'' ("The old woman's daughter and the old man's daughter"). Also, the poet

Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri (; 21 July 182122 August 1890) was a Romanian patriot, poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Roma ...

published the most successful version of the ballad ''

Miorița "Miorița" (ad. ''mioriță'', lit. 'The Little Ewe Lamb'), also transliterated as "Mioritza", is an old Romanian pastoral ballad considered to be one of the most important pieces of Romanian folklore. It has numerous versions with quite differe ...

'' (''The Little Ewe''), a sad, philosophical poem, centered on a simple action: the plot by two shepherds to kill a third shepherd because they envied his wealth. Another prolific editor of folk tales was

Petre Ispirescu Petre Ispirescu (; January 1830 – 21 November 1887) was a Romanian editor, folklorist, printer, and publicist. He is best known for his work as a gatherer of Romanian folk tales, recounting them with a remarkable talent. Career Petre Ispire ...

, who, in the 19th century published an impressive number of volumes containing a large number of short novels and tales from popular mythology. They are centered on popular characters like the prince ''

Făt-Frumos Făt-Frumos (from Romanian language, Romanian ''făt'': son, infant; ''frumos'': handsome) is a knight hero in Romanian folklore, as exemplified in the fairy tale ''Făt-Frumos with the Golden Hair''. Făt-Frumos has to go through tests and ob ...

'' (the Romanian "

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype 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 ...

"), the princess

Ileana Cosânzeana Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Folklore of Romania, Romanian mythology. She is represented as a beautiful and good-natured princess or daughter of an Emperor,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 ...

'' or ''

Căpcăun A Căpcăun is a creature in Romanian folklore, depicted as an ogre who kidnaps children or young ladies (mostly princesses). It represents evil, as do its counterparts '' Zmeu'' and the '' Balaur''. In most Romanian publications of other Europea ...

'', the dragon ''

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 ...

'' or fantastic superbeings like the good ''

Zână ''Zână'' (plural ''zâne''; ''zînă'' and ''zîne'', ''d̦ână'' and ''d̦âne'' in old spellings) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites or the fairy godmother. They are the opposite of monsters such as Muma Pădurii. These chara ...

'' and the evil ''

Muma Pădurii In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii () is an ugly and mischievous or mad old woman living in the forest (in the heart of virgin forests, in a hut/cabin, or an old tree). She is the opposite of fairies such as Zână. She is also the protector of ...

''.

Romanian Folk Group Transilvania Cluj Napoca

Places

* Apa Sâmbetei * Apa Vie/Apa Moartă * Sorbul Pământului * Tărâmul Celălalt (

Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...

, direct translation: The other Realm)

Folk tales

Meșterul Manole In Romanian mythology, Meșterul Manole (roughly: ''The master builder Manole'') was the chief architect of the Curtea de Argeș Cathedral, Curtea de Argeș Monastery in Wallachia. The myth of the cathedral's construction is expressed in the fol ...

Babele Babele (meaning ''The old women'') is the name for an area on the Bucegi Mountains plateau in Romania, within the Southern Carpathians. Babele is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The name comes from some mushroom sha ...

Verea Viteazul Verea Viteazul is a character of Romanian folklore, a powerful and courageous hero, and the elder brother of Ileana Cosânzeana. Role in folktales He appears as the main character in Romanian fairy tale "Chiperi Viteazul lumii, Verea Viteazul and M ...

Romanian myths part of international culture

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

- See

strigoi Strigoi in Romanian mythology are troubled spirits that are said to have risen from the grave. They are attributed with the abilities to transform into a beast, become invisible, and to gain vitality from the blood of their victims. Bram Stoke ...

and moroi, which are more phantom- or wizard-like creatures. *

Werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...

(

vârcolac A vrykolakas (, pronounced ), is a harmful undead creature in Greek folklore. Similar terms such as vourkolakas (βουρκόλακας), vourvoulakas (βουρβούλακας), vorvolakas (βορβόλακας), vourvolakas (βουρβόλακα ...

) * Șobolan - A giant rat similar to the South American

capybara The capybara or greater capybara (''Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris'') is the largest living rodent, native to South America. It is a member of the genus '' Hydrochoerus''. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (''Hydrochoerus isthmi ...

. Rural Romanian folklore tends to attribute the șobolan human characteristics. * Solomonar - See Hultan and

Solomonari The Solomonar or Șolomonar (German language, German phonetization: ''Scholomonar'') is a Magician (fantasy), wizard believed in Romanian folklore to ride a dragon (zmeu or a balaur) and control the weather, causing rain, thunder, or hailstorm. Th ...

, who were a group of nobles and wizards, made famous more by their families' high social status, than for their deeds. However, this is mainly due to the massive crusades of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and the attempt to destroy all the historic tradition of these Wizards. Some of these are Dracula Vlad, Solomon, Despina the Impure, Ty'ere, Ventruszch, Brohmyr, Izhain and Vohc. Most of these names can be found in the Romanian Lore in reference to Vampires and Dragons.

Rituals

* Dragobete (Romanian folklore similar to

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

) *

Caloian ''Caloian'' (also ''Calian(i)'', ''Caloiță'', ''Scaloian'', ''Gherman'', or ''Iene'') was a rainmaking and fertility rite in Romania, similar in some ways to '' Dodola''. Its namesake is a clay effigy, whose sculpting, funeral, exhumation, an ...

* Star boys' singing procession

Fairy tales

* "

The Boys with the Golden Stars The Boys with the Golden Stars ( Romanian: ''Doi feți cu stea în frunte'') is a Romanian fairy tale collected in ''Rumänische Märchen''. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Violet Fairy Book''.Lang, Andrew. The Violet Fairy Book'. London; New Y ...

"Andrew Lang, ''The Violet Fairy Book'',
The Boys with the Golden Stars
* " The 12 Sisters and the Demon Bride" * "

Seventh son of a seventh son The seventh son of a seventh son is a concept from folklore regarding special powers given to, or held by, such a son. To qualify as "the seventh son of a seventh son" one must be the seventh male child born in an unbroken line with no female sibli ...

" * "Let Thee Be Marked in Magic" * "Povestea lui Harap Alb, Harap Alb's story" * "Greuceanu"

, ''Legende sau basmele românilor'', Editura Minerva, 1989 * "Youth Without Aging and Life Without Death" * "Trandafiru"

Characters in folk literature

* Baba Cloanța (similar to

) * Baba Dochia * Calul năzdrăvan (similar to Pegasus, direct translation: The Marvellous Horse) * Căţelul Pământului, Cățelul Pământului * Cotoroanță (similar to

) * Fata Pădurii * Faurul Pământului (Blacksmith of Earth) *

Ileana Cosânzeana Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Folklore of Romania, Romanian mythology. She is represented as a beautiful and good-natured princess or daughter of an Emperor,Muma Pădurii In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii () is an ugly and mischievous or mad old woman living in the forest (in the heart of virgin forests, in a hut/cabin, or an old tree). She is the opposite of fairies such as Zână. She is also the protector of ...

* Murgilă * Rohmani (or Blajini) * Samca *

* Uniilă (a devil ) * Ursitoare - similar to the Moirai, Fates * Vâlva * Zburător * Zorilă

Heroes

* Ber-Căciulă * Doamna Neaga *

Ileana Cosânzeana Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Folklore of Romania, Romanian mythology. She is represented as a beautiful and good-natured princess or daughter of an Emperor,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 ...

(giant dragon with seven heads) *Bogeyman, Baubau, variant form ''Babau'' (similar to the Bogeyman) *

(an ogre) * Corcoaia (similar to Lernaean Hydra) * Dragon * Iele * Moroi (a type of vampire) * Nemorți (similar to Zombie, zombi) * Pricolici (a werewolf or

) * Sântoaderi * Sânziana (or Drăgaică) * Scorpie (Chimera (mythology), Chimera) * Spiriduş, Spiriduș (a Sprite (creature), sprite) * Stafie - similar to Ghost * Strigoi (a vampire or zombie) * Uriaş, Uriaș - similar to Giant (mythology), Giant * Vasilisc - similar to Basilisk * Vântoase (spirits of the wind) * Vârcolac (werewolf) *

(fairy) * Zburător (similar to an incubus) * Zgripțor (similar to Griffin) *

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 ...

List of folk dances

* Bătute * Brâul, Sesh dance * Buciumeana, hornpipe dance * Căluşari, Călușari (Călus, Călușul) * Ciuleandra * Chorea (dance), Hora, a circle dance * Geamparale * Joc (dance), Joc * Joc cu bâta (Jocul cu bâta), Game with stick * Mărunţel, Mărunțel * Periniţa, Perinița, translated as "Little pillow", a dance of wedding traditions, a.k.a. Handkerchief Joc * Pe loc, "On Spot", a stomping dance * Poarga românescă (Romanian polka) * Sârba * Tropotiţe, Tropotițe

Banat plain

* Sorocul de la Beregsaul Mare * Sorocul de la Jebel * Pe loc ca la Murava * Pe loc a lui lefta Lupu * Intoarsa

Banat mountain

* Briu Batrin * Ardeleana de la Rugi * Ardeleana Baba Peleaga * Ardeleana ca pe Valea Almajului * Doiul roata de la Glimboca * De doi ca la Caransebes

Moldova

* Bătrânesca din Bucovina * Arcanul * Arcanul Bătrânesc * Bătuta * Hora Câmpulungului * Hora de la Munte * Raţa, Rața * Hora miresei (translated as "Bride's Hora") * Batuta de la Tudora * Batuta de la Vorona

Oltenia

* Alunelul de la Goicea * Sârba Căluşerească, Sârba Călușerească * Sârba Oltenească * Trei Păzeşte de la Bistreţ, Trei Păzește de la Bistreț * Trei Păzeşte de la Dolj, Trei Păzește de la Dolj * Bobocica * Boiereasca * Alunelul * Briuletul * Hora mare * Galaonul

Bihor

* Polca * Pe picior

Nasaud

* De-a lungul * Barbuncul * Invirtita, Învârtita (a Romanian-style square dance, done mainly throughout the Romanian Transylvania region, which also includes Nasaud.)

Transylvania

* Crihalma * Fecioreasca * De-a Lungul * Joc în Patru * Oaş Dance, Oaș Dance * Sârba Sita Buzălilui