a-single-white-crow - Tumblr blog

a-single-white-crow · 19 days

Text

Romanian Folklore

Balaur-

In Romanian mythology, a balaur (pl. balauri) is a many-headed dragon or gigantic snake that is often supposed to have wings. According to certain stories, the number of heads is generally three, although it might be seven or twelve.

In folktales, the balaur is often wicked, demanding or abducting young maidens or princesses before being destroyed by a hero like Saint George or the fair youngster Făt-Frumos. There is some legend that the balaur is responsible for weather and lives in an airborne condition, although these versions of balaur are frequently referred to as hala or ala, which is confused with the pan-Slavic air and water demon. According to some stories, the weather-controlling Solomonari drives a balaur rather than a zmeu.

There are additional stories about the balaur and their ability to generate rare stones from their saliva. Furthermore, it is stated that whomever succeeds to kill it will be forgiven a sin.

In Romanian, balauri are "monstrous serpents" or dragons. Alternatively, the word balaur can refer to any monster-like entity. They have multiple heads, like the Greek hellhound Cerberus or the hydra.According to Lazăr Șăineanu, they are winged and golden. According to journalist Eustace Clare Grenville Murray, in Romanian tradition, the balaur or balaurul is a serpentine monster that guards treasures and princesses, occasionally clashing with the valiant Fêt-Frumos.

According to folklorist Tudor Pamfile, there are three sorts of balauri in folklore: water-, land-, and air-based.[6] A first-type balaur is a seven-headed monster that lives in a village well and demands maidens as sacrifice until vanquished by either the hero Busuioc or Saint George.[6] The second sort of balaur, according to Pamfile, lives in the "Armenian land" (Romanian: ţara armenească), where they manufacture valuable stones. According to American writer Cora Linn Daniels, in Wallachia, balaur saliva is said to generate valuable stones. Mircea Eliade, a Romanian scholar, observed that the belief that valuable stones are generated from snake spittle is widespread, extending from England to China.

The balaur is frequently connected with the weather and is also known as hala or ala, which is typically a Slavic name for a weather demon. Pamfile refers to this as the "third type" of air-dwellers.When two balauri collide and fight in the air, a variety of meteorological effects occur, such as tree uprooting or things being scattered. Another story holds that the balaur follows the rainbow and draws rainwater from any location to generate rain. There is additional mythology about the balaur that is claimed to be quite similar to Bulgarian Banat lore about the lamia (locally known as lam'a), which indicates that the lam'a pull water from the sea to fill the cloud.

Although the Solomonari's dragons are commonly referred to as zmei (sing. zmeu), some accounts suggest that they were balauri. These weather-controlling sorcerers controlled a balaur with "a golden rein" (or golden bridle; Romanian: un frâu de aur). Dragons were often kept concealed in the depths of a lake until called by their riders.

Căpcăun-

In Romanian folklore, a Căpcăun is portrayed as an ogre that kidnaps children or young females (usually princesses). It denotes evil, as do its equivalents Zmeu and Balaur. In most Romanian translations of other European literature, the names of creatures such as ogres or trolls are frequently rendered as căpcăun. The Romanian name appears to have meant "Dog-head" (căp is a variant of cap, meaning "head", and căun is a derivation of câine, meaning "dog"). According to Romanian folklore phantasy, the căpcăun has a dog head, sometimes with four eyes, with eyes in the neck, or with four legs, but whose major trait is anthropophagy.

Thatpcăun can also mean "Tatar chieftain" or "Turk chieftain" as well as "pagan". Some linguists believe căpcăun is an echo of a title or administrative position, such as kapkan (also kavhan, kaphan, kapgan), used by several Central Asian tribes that invaded Eastern Europe throughout late antiquity and the mediaeval era, including the Pannonian Avars, Bulgars, and Pechenegs.

Dhampir-

In Balkan legend, a dhampir (Albanian pronunciation: [ðamˈpir]) is a supernatural creature born from the mating of a vampire and a human. This union was mostly between male vampires and female humans, with reports of female vampires mating with male humans being uncommon.

Dhampirs and other mythical creatures are well-known in Balkan folklore. In the remainder of the region, titles like Serbian vampirović, vampijerović, and vampirić (hence, Bosnian lampijerović, etc.) literally mean "vampire's son" are used. In other places, the kid is referred to as "Vampir" if a male and "Vampirica" if a girl, or "Dhampir" if a boy and "Dhampirica" if a girl.[Citation required] In Bulgarian mythology, several titles such as glog (lit. "hawthorn"), vampirdzhiya ("vampire" + nomen agentis suffix), vampirar ("vampire" + nomen agentis suffix), dzhadadzhiya, and svetocher are used to refer to vampire children and descendants, as well as other specialised vampire hunters. Dhampiraj is an Albanian surname.

According to legends, dhampirs were generally accepted members of the community. However, dhampirs, particularly males of paternal vampire lineage, could see invisible vampires and practise magic, frequently embarking on careers as vampire hunters that would be passed down through generations. Some traditions describe indicators for recognising a vampire's children. According to Albanian mythology, they have untamed dark or black hair and are extremely crafty or fearless. They are not drawn to blood and can eat regularly like humans, yet the option of biting other living beings to extend one's life is always available.

When compared to vampires, dhampirs are considered to be very harmful to blood drinkers since a dhampir's blood and spit acts as an acid to vampires, rendering them incapable of being bitten. Because of their blended blood, dhampirs are not scorched by the sun.

In Bulgarian legend, such indicators include being "very dirty," having a soft body, no nails or bones (the latter physical characteristic is often attributed to the vampire itself), and having "a deep mark on the back, like a tail." In contrast, a prominent nose, as well as larger-than-normal ears, teeth, or eyes, were frequently used as indicators. According to J. Gordon Melton's book The Vampire Book: The Encyclopaedia of the Undead, in some locations, a real dhampir had a "slippery, jelly-like body and lived only a short life—a belief... that vampires have no bones."

Iele-

The iele are feminine legendary beings from Romanian mythology. There are several descriptions of their qualities. They are sometimes depicted as faeries (zâne in Romanian), with immense seductive power over males, as well as magical abilities and characteristics comparable to nymphs, naiads, and dryads from Greek mythology.

The iele are claimed to reside in the skies, woodlands, caverns, and solitary mountain cliffs, and have been observed bathing in springs or at crossroads. From this perspective, the Iele resemble the Ancient Greek Hecate, a three-headed Thracian deity who guards crossroads.

They mostly appear at night by moonlight, as dancing Horas, in secluded areas such as glades, the tops of certain trees (maples, walnut trees), ponds, river banks, crossroads, or abandoned fireplaces, dancing naked, with their breasts almost covered by dishevelled hair, bells on their ankles, and holding candles. In virtually every case, the Iele appear to be incorporeal. They seldom use chainmail jackets. The effect of their special dance, the Hora, is comparable to that of the Bacchantes.

The site where they had danced would later be carbonised, with the grass unable to grow on the trampled ground and the leaves of the nearby trees burned. Later, when grass grew, it would be scarlet or dark-green in colour; animals would not eat it, but mushrooms would flourish on it.

Dimitrie Cantemir depicts the iele as "Nymphs of the air, in love especially with young men" in his Descriptio Moldaviae. The origins of these beliefs are uncertain. Interestingly, the term iele is phonetically similar to the feminine plural version of the Romanian word meaning "they". Their true identities are kept hidden and unavailable, and they are frequently changed by nicknames based on their traits.

The names based on epithets are: Iele, Dânse, Drăgaice, Vâlve, Iezme, Izme, Irodiţe, Rusalii, Nagode, Vântoase, Domniţe, Măiestre, Frumoase, Muşate, Fetele Codrului, Împărătesele Văzduhului, Zânioare, Sfinte de noapte, Şoimane, Mândre, Fecioare, Albe, Hale, etc.

Personal names that appear include Ana, Bugiana, Dumernica, Foiofia, Lacargia, Magdalina, Ruxanda, Tiranda, Trandafira, Rudeana, Ruja, Păscuţa, Cosânzeana, Orgisceana, Lemnica, Roşia, Todosia, Sandalina, Margalina, Savatina, Rujalina, and so on. These names should not be used at random, as they might be the foundation for deadly enchantments. It is said that every witch learns nine of these pseudonyms, from which she crafts combinations, and which are the basis for spells.

The iele are claimed not to be solitary animals, but rather to assemble in groups in the air, where they may fly with or without wings and travel at amazing speeds, either alone or with fire chariots. The iele manifest in many forms, including bodies and immaterial souls. They are youthful and attractive, sensuous immortals whose fury causes madness in bystanders, possess terrible tempers, but are not always malicious. They appear in bunches of three or seven. This version is particularly common in Oltenia, where three Iele are regarded Alexander the Great's daughters, Catrina, Zalina, and Marina.

They are not generally regarded as evil genii: they only take revenge when provoked, offended, seen while dancing, when people step on the trodden ground left behind by their dance, sleep under a tree that the Iele regard as their property, or drink from the springs or wells that they use. Those who ignore their offer to dance or imitate their gestures face severe punishment. Anyone who suddenly hears their tunes becomes instantaneously silent.

One distinguishing feature is their wonderful vocals, which are utilised to lure their listeners, much like the Sirens from ancient Greek mythology. They are invisible to humans, although mortals can see them when they dance at night. When this occurs, they capture the victim and punish the "guilty" one with magical spells, having earlier made him to fall asleep with the noises and vertigo of the frantic Hora, which they dance around their abducted victim, causing him to vanish forever without trace.

The iele are also thought to be agents of retribution for God or the Devil, with the authority to avenge in the name of their employers. When called upon to act, they pursue their victims into the centre of their dance, where they perish in a fit of madness or pain. In this hypostasis, the Iele resemble the Ancient Greek Erinyes and the Roman Furies.

People set aside festival days to honour the iele, such as the Rusaliile, the Stratul, the Sfredelul or Bulciul Rusaliilor, the Marina, and so on. Anyone who did not observe these holidays was said to face the Iele's wrath: men and women who worked during these days would be lifted into spinning vertigo, people and cattle would die mysteriously or become paralysed and crippled, hail would fall, rivers would flood, trees would wither and houses would catch fire.

People also devised treatments for the iele, whether preventative or exorcistic in nature: garlic and mugwort worn around the waist, in the bosom, or hung from the hat; or hanging a horse's skull on a pole in front of the home. The most significant remedy is the Călușari dance.

Marțolea-

Marțolea is a malevolent monster from Romanian mythology (particularly in Bucovina and Maramureș). The entity's gender is unknown, as it may shapeshift at will. It resides in the mountains and descends on Tuesday evenings to seduce and punish women who are caught working. Called as Marţi Seara (the old Romanian terms for "Tuesday Evening"), is a malefic creature that insists that the semi-holy day of Tuesday be observed and bans four women's chores: spinning wool, sowing, boiling laundry and making bread. This is a pagan entity. Faun is one of his equivalents.

Marțolea's punishments for these actions are terrible, such as murdering by tearing and hanging the guts on nails to the wall and around the dishes in the case of unmarried women. For married women, the punishments include murdering or seizing their kid or a spouse who is away from home. It usually takes the appearance of a goat with a human-like head, horns, and hooves. It can transform into an unattractive old woman clothed entirely in black, a soldier, or a lovely guy. It portrays married women as an old lady, married men as a virgin, and unmarried women as a young charming guy.

In some locations, there is a separate character known as Joimârița, which is a variant of the Romanian word for Thursday. This one, however, penalises indolent children. Marțolea rewards the women who keep Tuesday sacred by leaving eggs on their doorsteps or flowers from the highest mountains in Bukovina. On the first night of March, women who wear March Trinkets (Mărțișor) are rewarded by Marțolea with a silver coin, which the girls must preserve for the entire year.

Moroi-

A moroi (also spelt moroii in contemporary fiction; plural moroi) is a sort of vampire or ghost in Romanian mythology. A female moroi is termed a moroaică (plural: moroaice). In some tales, a moroi is a ghost of a deceased person who emerges from the grave to take energy from the living. Moroi are frequently linked to other characters in Romanian folklore, such as strigoi (another sort of vampire), vârcolac (werewolf), and pricolici (werewolf). Moroi's specific traits, like those of most folklore notions, vary from source to source. Wlislocki described a notion that the kid of a woman pregnant by a nosferat (a kind of incubus-vampire) would grow extraordinarily unattractive and covered in thick hair, rapidly becoming a moroi.

In modern legends, they are also known as the live spawn of two strigoi. It may also refer to a child who died before being baptised. The roots of the name "moroi" are uncertain, however the Romanian Academy believes it may have sprung from the Old Slavonic word mora ("nightmare")

Otila Hedeşan observes that moroi is produced using the same augmentative suffix as strigoi (along with the related bosorcoi) and believes this similar derivation indicates participation in the same "mythological micro-system." The "-oi" suffix notably changes feminine nouns to masculine gender and frequently invests them with a complicated blend of amplification and pejoration.

Muma Pădurii-

In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmuma pəˈdurij]) is an ugly and mischievous or demented old lady dwelling in the forest. She is the antithesis of fairies like Zână. She is also the defender of animals and plants, preparing remedies and assisting ailing creatures. She heals the fading woodland and scares away undesirable trespassers. She may be connected with witches (such as the witch in the fable "Hansel and Gretel"), but she is a neutral "creature" who only harms people who disturb the forest.

Muma Pădurii technically means "mother of the forest," but "mumă" is an ancient variant of "mamă" (mother), giving the Romanian reader a fairy tale feel. A few additional nouns, usually the protagonists of folktales, have this impact.

Muma Pădurii is a woodland ghost that appears in the form of an ugly and elderly lady. She sometimes has the capacity to shift her form. She lives in a gloomy, awful, and secluded small home. She is considered to assault children, and as a result, she is the target of a wide range of spells (descântece in Romanian).

This (step-)mother of the forest kidnaps and enslaves young children. In one legendary myth, she attempts to cook a little child alive in a soup. However, the little girl's brother outwits Muma Pădurii and pushes the woman-monster into the oven instead, akin to the fable of Hansel and Gretel. The narrative concludes on a positive note, with all of the children free to return to their parents.

Muroni-

The Muroni (or Murony) is a vampire from Wallachian folklore. It can morph into a number of animals. Because of this, a Muroni assault can be difficult to distinguish and is sometimes mistaken for an animal attack. The sole indication that a Muroni was present was a significant loss of blood. While the Muroni was often supposed to be a vampire, it may also be classified as a shapeshifter because it takes on the form of animals. The Muroni is one of many vampire stories about a blood-sucking ghost who takes on the guise of other beings to make feeding easier.

Pricolici-

A Pricolici (pronounced /pri.koˈlitɡʃʲ/) (same form in plural) is a werewolf/vampire fusion in Romanian legend. Similar to a vârcolac, albeit the latter occasionally represents a goblin, pricolici always have wolf-like traits and may shift into regular humans or animals. Pricolici, like strigoi, are undead spirits who have emerged from the tomb to harm living people. A strigoi retains human characteristics identical to those it had before death, but a pricolici always resembles wolves. Malicious, aggressive males are frequently supposed to become pricolici after death in order to continue hurting others.

According to certain Romanian tradition, Pricolici are werewolves in life before becoming vampires after death. This also gives birth to the mythology that vampires may transform into animals like wolves, dogs, owls, and bats. The unifying denominator across all of these creatures is that they are nocturnal hunters, much like vampires.

Even in modern times, several individuals in Romania's rural areas have reported to have been violently attacked by exceptionally huge and aggressive wolves. Apparently, these wolves attack stealthily, unexpectedly, and solely on single targets. Victims of such attacks frequently allege that their attacker was not a normal wolf, but a pricolici who has returned to life to continue inflicting havoc. The derivation of the term is uncertain, but it possibly has Dacian origins.

Rahmans-

Rahmans (Ukrainian: рaхма́ни, Romanian: rohmani, blajini) are a mythological country of pious Christians, according to popular beliefs in Romania and Ukraine. Neopagans believe that Rahmans is a reference to the Indian caste of Brahmins. The term "blajini" (pronounced [blaˈʒinʲ]) comes from the Slavic word "blažĕnŭ," which means a friendly and considerate person.

They are characterised as humanoid and short, with rat-like heads on occasion. They are either depicted as malevolent or as having a deep regard for God and living a spotless life. They are thought to fast throughout the year, so benefiting humans greatly.

Blajin can also refer to a deceased infant who did not receive the Holy Spirit's blessing. The ethnograph Marian Simion Florea wrote: Blajini are fictional entities, embodiments of unbaptized dead infants who reside at the end of the Earth, near the Holy Water (of Saturday).[8] Some see them as the offspring of Adam's son Seth. Others believe they used to coexist with humans on Earth, but Moses, seeing his people oppressed by them, parted the waters and, when he and his people had fled to safety, poured the waters back over them, sending them to their current location.

Sântoaderi-

The Sântoaderi were a group of magical beings described in Romanian folklore. They were shown as seven or nine young men with large feet and hooves, dressed in capes. It was claimed that they would emerge magically in a community, sing, beat their drums, and inflict disease on individuals by putting them in shackles, inflicting rheumatism, or stomping their bodies.

People were urged to stay indoors after hearing their music and the sound of hooves, since this was regarded safe. Those who did not seek refuge indoors risked being kidnapped by the Sântoaderi and forced to participate in the parade. Victims of such kidnappings would occasionally return in good health and with presents, while others would return sick, dying, or mad.

The Sântoaderi have some parallels to the fairies of Irish legend. Mircea Eliade, a Romanian historian, observed a parallel between the Sântoaderi and the zîne, the Romanian version of the fairy godmother, both of whom were thought to go through the night in a procession of dancers. There is also a legend that on the 24th day following Easter, the zîne and Sântoaderi gather to play and exchange flower bouquets.

Sânziană-

Sânziană is the Romanian word for gentle fairies who play an important role in local tradition; it can also refer to the Galium verum or Cruciata laevipes flowers.[Citation required] In its plural form, Sânziene refers to an annual event honouring fairies. The name is derived from the Latin Sancta Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and the moon, who was also venerated in Roman Dacia (ancient Romania).[Citation required] Diana was regarded as the virgin goddess, and she watched after both virgins and women. She was one of three virgin deities - Diana, Minerva, and Vesta - who vowed never to marry.

Every year on June 24, people in the western Carpathian Mountains commemorate the Sânziene festival. This is related to the Swedish Midsummer festival and is said to be a pagan celebration of the summer solstice in June. According to the official viewpoint of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the practices are related to the commemoration of Saint John the Baptist's Nativity, which also takes place on June 24.

According to Sânziene folklore, the most attractive maidens in the village dress in white and spend the entire day searching for and gathering flowers, one of which must be Galium verum (Lady's bedstraw or Yellow bedstraw), also known as "Sânziànă" in Romanian. The girls braid flowery crowns from the flowers they collected during the day and wear them when they return to the hamlet at night.

There, they meet their lover and dance around a bonfire. Crowns are tossed over buildings, and it is thought that if the crown falls, someone will die in that house; if the crown remains on the roof, the owners will have a bountiful crop and fortune. Jumping over the coals after the campfire has died down, like with other bonfire festivities, purifies the person and brings health.

Another common belief is that on Sânziene Eve night, the skies open, making it the most powerful night for magic spells, particularly love charms. Plants gathered this night are also thought to have significant magical abilities.

It is not advisable for a male to walk at night on Sanziene Eve, as this is when the fairies dance in the air, blessing the crops and bestowing health on people - they do not like to be seen by males, and whoever does will be maimed, or the fairies will take their hearing/speech or make them angry. In certain parts of the Carpathians, the locals then light a large wheel of hay from the ceremonial bonfire and push it downhill. This has been regarded as a metaphor for the lowering sun (the days will shorten from the solstice until the midwinter solstice).

Spiriduș-

In Romanian mythology, a spiriduș is described as a "demon incarnate" or a household spirit, who frequently takes the appearance of an avian familiar, such as hens, crows, or hunting birds. Once summoned, these familiars serve as messengers or middlemen between the master of the home where the spiriduș was born and the devil. The spiriduș allows the master to ask the devil for any mortal desire in exchange for their soul in the hereafter.

Strigoi-

In Romanian mythology, strigoi are disturbed ghosts that are claimed to have risen from the tomb. They are said to be capable of transforming into animals, becoming invisible, and gaining energy from their victims' blood. Bram Stoker's Dracula may be a contemporary version of the Strigoi, given their historical association with vampirism.

Strigòi is a Romanian word derived from a root similar to the Latin terms strix or striga, with the addition of the augmentative suffix "-oi" (feminine "-oaie"). Otila Hedeşan observes that the same augmentative suffix exists in the related words moroi and bosorcoi (derived from Hungarian boszorka) and believes this similar origin indicates participation in the same "mythological micro-system." The "-oi" suffix notably changes feminine nouns to masculine gender while also frequently imbuing them with a complicated blend of amplification and pejoration. The root has been linked specifically to owls.

Strega and strìga, both meaning "witch" in Italian and Venetian, are examples of cognates found in Romance languages. The Italian stregone even has a similar augmentative suffix that signifies "sorcerer." In French, "stryge" refers to a bird-woman who sucks the blood of youngsters. Jules Verne used the term "stryges" in Chapter II of his novel The Castle of the Carpathians, which was published in 1892. The Greek term Strix, Polish strzyga, Hungarian sztriga, and Albanian shtriga are all cognate. It is connected to the Romanian word a striga, which meaning "to scream".

Uriaș-

Uriaș (plural uriaşi) is the typical Romanian-language term for giants, who are important figures in Romanian folklore. There are various variants of uriași, which share many characteristics but have distinct names depending on the historical area of Romania. Thus, Jidovi is the name used mostly in Oltenia, and its bearers are said to be the constructors of enormous mounds, with some stories portraying them as malicious. Novaci is mostly used in Muntenia to refer to animals native to the Southern Carpathians.

Vâlvă-

Vâlvă (plural vâlve) is a female ghost described in Romanian folklore. The Vâlve are said to stroll over the hilltops at night, and are separated into two groups: Vâlve Albe ("White Vâlve"), who are regarded beneficial, and Vâlve Negre ("Black Vâlve" or "Dark Vâlve"), who are considered bad. In certain cases, they are thought to be human (particularly when they arrive to defend towns from a storm). They may also appear as shadows or black cats. They are also capable of shapeshifting.

The Vâlve are classified into several types, including Vâlva Apei ("of the water"), who is thought to be a guardian of water sources and fountains; Vâlva Bucatelor (roughly, "of the morsels"), who protects the poor and crops; and Vâlva Băilor ("of the mines"), who defends and protects mines and tunnels, whose departure signals the end of the deposit.

Vâlva Banilor ("of the money"), the guardian of money; Vâlva Comorilor ("of the treasures"), the protector of valuables, who can also indicate the location of their burial; Vâlva Pădurii ("of the forest"), like Muma Padurii, protects woodlands; Vâlva Ciumei ("of the plague"), controls bubonic plague and other diseases; Vâlva Zilelor ("of the days"), protects the days (one for each day of the week); and Vâlva Cetăţi ("of the citadels"), defends ancient ruins.

The Vâlve of the mines remains the most well-known oral tradition. Legends concerning them abound in traditional metal exploitation locations in Romania, such as Roşia Montană, a region rich not just in gold but also in folklore and myth. There, many still believe that finding gold in the mines requires the assistance of a Vâlvă (a white person). However, if someone becomes overly greedy, spends the money recklessly, or steals the gold or money from the family to whom it was initially revealed, the Vâlvă will turn black and will not stop until she has avenged the wrong and disrespect shown to her.

Miners claim that anybody can hear her banging through the galleries in the next corridor, even if they have no knowledge of the location in the rock or are certain that no one can be there at the moment. She makes that weird sound to find riches to show them or to keep them from getting lost. If they don't follow her instructions, the galleries will fall on them.

Vântoase-

Vântoase are entities that appear in Romanian mythology as feminine spirits. According to popular belief, they may cause dust storms and violent winds in the same way that harpies do. They dwell in forests, the air, and deep lakes, and they move in a specially designed waggon. The Vântoase are also thought to be capable of assaulting youngsters, and the sole defence against them is the enigmatic "grass of the winds".

Vrykolakas-

In Greek folklore, a vrykolakas (pronounced [vriˈkolakas]), also known as vorvolakas or vourdoulakas, is a terrible undead monster. It is comparable to many other mythical animals, although it is most commonly associated with the vampire from adjacent Slavic nations' mythology. While the two are quite similar, a vrykolakas consumes flesh, particularly livers, rather than drinking blood, which, paired with other characteristics such as its look, brings it closer to the current image of a zombie or ghoul.

The word vrykolakas comes from the Bulgarian word vǎrkolak. The term is documented in other Slavic languages, such as Slovak vlkolak, Serbian vukodlak, ultimately derived from Proto-Slavic vьlkolakъ, and cognates may be found in other languages such as Lithuanian vilkolakis and Romanian vârcolac.

The Greeks thought that a person may become a vrykolakas after death if they lived a sacrilegious life, were excommunicated, buried on unconsecrated ground, or ate the flesh of a sheep injured by a wolf or werewolf. Some thought that after being slain, a werewolf may transform into a strong vampire with the same wolflike fangs, hairy hands, and blazing eyes. Vrykolakas' bodies are similar to those of vampires in Balkan legend. They do not rot; rather, they enlarge and may even acquire a "drumlike" form, being quite enormous, with a rosy hue, and being, according to one report, "fresh and gorged with new blood".

According to reports from the territory of contemporary Serbia, people with red hair and grey eyes were considered vampires at the time. The vrykolakas' activities are almost invariably negative, ranging from simply leaving their grave and "roaming about" to indulging in poltergeist-style behaviour and even creating epidemics in the town. Among other things, the monster is claimed to knock on the doors of dwellings and shout out the people' names.

If it receives no response the first time, it will terminate without inflicting any harm. If someone answers the door, he or she will die a few days later, becoming another vrykolaka. For this reason, there is a tradition in several Greek towns that one should not answer a door until the second knock. According to legend, the vrykolakas crushes or suffocates the sleeping by sitting on them, similar to a mare or incubus (cf. sleep paralysis)—as does a vampire in Bulgarian mythology. Unlike vampires, vrykolakas are characterised in Greek tradition as cannibals rather than bloodsuckers, with a preference for human liver.

Legends say that if the vrykolakas is left alone, it will grow in strength. As a result, it should be destroyed. According to certain tales, this can only be done on Saturday, when the vrykolakas is buried (similar to Bulgarian vampire folklore). This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, the most frequent of which include exorcism, impaling, beheading, cutting into pieces, and, most importantly, cremating the alleged body to remove it from living death and keep its victims safe.

Zână- Zână (plural zâne) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites, or the fairy godmother. They are the antithesis of monsters like Muma Pădurii. These figures make pleasant appearances in fairy tales and are typically found in woodlands. They are also known as the Romanian version of fairies and Germanic elves. They vary in size and appearance, and they may change to fit in with their environment for safety and shelter. They can emerge openly in the woods and entice travellers to follow them in order to guide them to their destination. They may also lurk in the woods and silently guide anyone in need through the woodland using signals and "breadcrumbs".

They give life to foetuses in utero and bestow wonderful qualities such as the art of dance, beauty, benevolence, and luck. In folklore, it is said not to offend them since they have the capacity to do horrible things or curse the wrongdoer. They also function as guardian angels, particularly for youngsters who enter the woods or other nice individuals.

Zburător-

Zburător or sburător (a Romanian term meaning 'flying') is a supernatural figure in Romanian mythology, described as a "roving spirit who makes love to maidens by night".

The zburător is also compared to an incubus and characterised as a malignant demon who acts in a "oniric-erotic" manner, visiting women in their dreams in the form of a lovely young man.

In certain locations, the zburător is also known as a zmeu (another dragon-like creature, albeit it is said to have more human-like characteristics than the zmeu.

Dimitrie Cantemir, writing about the myth concerning it in Descriptio Moldaviae (1714-1716), stated that the "zburator" meant "flyer" (Latin: volatilis), and according to the Moldavan beliefs, it was "a ghost, a young, handsome man who comes in the middle of the night at women, especially recently married ones, and does indecent things with them, although he cannot be seen by other people, not even by those who waylay him"

Ion Heliade Rădulescu Zburătorul subsequently reworked the tale in his love poem 'The Flyer/Flying Incubus' (1843), in which the "incubus" with flowing black hair visits a young girl and induces her sensual awakening. The tale occurs in late romantic literature, including Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu's Călin (file de poveste) and Luceafărul (The Evening Star) (1884). According to George Călinescu's framework (1941), the zburător (sburător ) story emerged as one of the four essential myths in Romanian folk poetry.

Zmeoaică- The Zmeoaică (plural: zmeoaice) is a figure from Romanian mythology. It's a bad character, the wife of a zmeu.

Zmeu-

The Zmeu (plural: zmei, feminine: zmeoaică / zmeoaice) is an incredible monster from Romanian folklore and mythology. Though some accounts refer to the zmeu as a dragon, it is unique since it is humanoid, has legs and arms, the capacity to produce and utilise artefacts such as weapons, ride a horse, and desires to marry young girls. Some observers identify it as a giant (similar to an ogre), a devil, or even a vampire.

In other accounts, Zmeu comes in the sky and spits fire, or he may change shape. In some myths, it carries a mystical valuable stone on its head that sparkles like the sun. It prefers attractive young females, which it typically kidnaps in order to marry. It is nearly always defeated by a brave prince or knight-errant. The zmei has also been mistaken for or confused with the dracu or the balaur type dragon.

Some refer to the zmeu as a "dragon," but it may also play the role of a suitor or lover of a human female, and in some circumstances, they are heroic[4], while in others, they are devilish. Thus, zmeu has been observed to be "anthropo-ophidian," i.e., bearing both man and dragon/serpent-like features: a "scale-covered, human-like body, a snake's tail, and bat-like wings," or alternatively it is a "man's head" resting on a "bird's trunk, [and] a serpent's tail," according to other sources.

Indeed, zmeu has been depicted as a man-eating monster, similar to the Western ogre, with a "rocky tail" but the ability to mount a horse. According to some folklorists, the zmeu was nothing more than a monster with a human face, but slightly taller and bulkier in body, and was capable of human speech, albeit in an unpleasant manner. One publication classified the zmeu as a Rumanian vampire, alongside the vârcolac (blood-drinking werewolf),[12], but the latter is more commonly associated with the blood-sucking strigă (pl. strigoi).

The zmei are also mistaken with the dracu (dragon) by the public. The Řolomonarii ride winged beasts known as zmeu or balaur, depending on their authority. However, in some fairytales, the zmeu only appears as the king of the serpents.

#a little folklore #i want to learn more for my romanian aunt and step-grandma

10 notes · View notes