The Sântoaderi were a group of

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

entities found 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 Romania ...

. Viewed as either seven or nine young men with long feet and hooves, they were also thought of as wearing capes. It was believed that they would mysteriously appear in a village, where they would sing, beat their drums, and cause illness for people; wrapping them up in chains causing

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

or stamping on their bodies. Upon hearing their music and the sound of hooves, people were advised to stay indoors, which was considered safe. Those that did not retreat indoors, could be kidnapped by the Sântoaderi and made part of the procession. The victims of such kidnappings would sometimes return in healthy condition and carrying gifts; other times, they would return sick, dying, or insane. The Sântoaderi share some similarities with the

fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

Irish folklore Irish folklore () refers to the folktales, balladry, music, dance and mythology of Ireland. It is the study and appreciation of how people lived. The folklore of Ireland includes banshees, fairies, leprechauns and other mythological creatures, ...

. The Romanian historian

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. One of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and in ...

also noted a similarity between the Sântoaderi and the '' zîne'', the Romanian equivalent of the fairy godmother, both of whom were believed to travel through the night in a procession of dancers. There is also a belief that on the 24th day after

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 ...

, the ''zîne'' and Sântoaderi meet together to play, and offer them bouquets of flowers.

References

{{Legendary-creature-stub Romanian legendary creatures Romanian folklore Fairies

See also

References