Cryptids in Romania

A dragon sculpture in Romania.

In Romanian folklore, cryptids and other monsters have notable roles.

The Balaur, Căpcăun, Muma Pădurii, Sântoaderi, Sânziană, Zână, Zburător,Zmeoaică, Zmeu, Strigoi,[1] Iele,[1] Moroi,[1] Pricolici,[1] Muroni[1] and Vârcolac[1] are all prominent examples of these tales.

## Cryptids

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### Balaur

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Main article: 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 heads according to some legends. The balaur in folktale is typically evil, demanding or abducting young maidens or the princess, and defeated by the hero such as Saint George or the fair youth Făt-Frumos.

### Căpcăun

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Main article: Căpcăun

A Căpcăun is a reported creature, 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 European works the names of creatures such as Ogres or Trolls are usually translated as căpcăun. The Romanian word appears to have meant "Dog-head" (căp being a form of cap, meaning "head", and căun a derivative of câine, "dog"). According to Romanian folkloric phantasy, the căpcăun has a dog head, sometimes with four eyes, with eyes in the nape, or with four legs, but whose main characteristic is anthropophagy.

### Iele

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Main article: Iele

The iele are feminine mythical creatures in Romanian mythology. There are several differing descriptions of their characteristics. Often they are described as faeries (zâne in Romanian), with great seductive power over men, with magic skills and attributes similar to nymphs, naiads and dryads found in Greek mythology.

### Moroi

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Main article: Moroi

A moroi  (sometimes moroii in modern fiction; pl. moroi) is a type of vampire or ghost in Romanian folklore. A female moroi is called a moroaică (pl. moroaice). In some versions, a moroi is a phantom of a dead person which leaves the grave to draw energy from the living.

Moroi are often associated with other figures in Romanian folklore, such as strigoi (another type of vampire), vârcolac (werewolf), or pricolici (werewolf). As with most concepts in folklore, the exact characteristics ascribed to moroi are variable from source to source. Wlislocki reported a belief that the child of a woman impregnated by a nosferat (a sort of incubus-vampire) would be extremely ugly and covered with thick hair, very quickly becoming a moroi.[2]

They are also sometimes referred to in modern stories as the living offspring of two strigoi. It may also signify an infant who died before being baptized. The origins of the term "moroi" are unclear, but it is thought by the Romanian Academy[3][4] to have possibly originated from the Old Slavonic word mora ("nightmare") – cf. Russian kikimora. Otila Hedeşan notes that moroi is formed using the same augmentative suffix as strigoi (along with the related bosorcoi) and considers this parallel derivation to indicate membership in the same "mythological micro-system." The "-oi" suffix notably converts feminine terms to the masculine gender as well as often investing it with a complex mixture of augmentation and pejoration.[5]

### Muma Pădurii

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Main article: Muma Pădurii

In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmuma pəˈdurij]) 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 the animals and plants, brewing potions and helping injured animals. She cures the forest if it is dying and she keeps unwanted trespassers away by driving them mad and scaring them.

She can be associated with witches (like the witch from the story of "Hansel and Gretel"), but she is a neutral "creature", harming only those who harm the forest.

### Muroni

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Main article: Muroni

The Muroni (or Murony) is a vampire in Wallachian mythology. It has the ability to transform into a variety of different animals. Due to this characteristic, a Muroni attack could be very hard to identify and could often be thought of as an animal attack. The only sign that a Muroni was there at all was an exceptional amount of blood loss.[6]

While the Muroni was often thought to be a vampire, it can also be considered a shapeshifter as it would take on the appearance of animals. The Muroni is one of many vampire legends which was believed to be a blood-sucking ghost in reality, only taking on the form of other beings to make feeding easier.[7]

### Pricolici

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Main article: Pricolici

A Pricolici (pronounced /pri.koˈlit͡ʃʲ/) (same form in plural) is a werewolf/vampire fusion in the Romanian folklore. Similar to a vârcolac, although the latter sometimes symbolises a goblin, whereas the pricolici always has wolf-like characteristis, they have the ability to transform into ordinary people or animals.

Pricolici, similar to strigoi, are undead souls that have risen from the grave to harm living people. While a strigoi possesses anthropomorphic qualities similar to the ones it had before death, a pricolici always resembles a wolf or dog. Malicious, violent men are often said to become pricolici after death, in order to continue harming other humans.

Some Romanian folklore delineates that Pricolici are werewolves in life and after they die, return as vampires. This also gives rise to the legend of vampires that can turn into animals such as wolves, dogs, or owls and bats. The common theme of all these animals being that they are nocturnal hunters much like vampires.

Even as recently as modern times, many people living in rural areas of Romania have claimed to have been viciously attacked by abnormally large and fierce wolves. Apparently, these wolves attack silently, unexpectedly and only solitary targets. Victims of such attacks often claim that their aggressor wasn't an ordinary wolf, but a pricolici who has come back to life to continue wreaking havoc.

The etymology of the word is unknown; although it probably has Latin origins from the word "Lycus" i.e "wolf" (prico+lici).[8]

### Strigoi

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Main article: Strigoi

Strigoi in Romanian mythology are troubled spirits that are said to have risen from the grave.[9] They are attributed with the abilities to transform into an animal, become invisible, and to gain vitality from the blood of their victims. Bram Stoker's Dracula may be a modern interpretation of the Strigoi through their historic links with vampirism.[10]

### Sântoaderi

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Main article: Sântoaderi

The Sântoaderi were a group of supernatural entities found in Romanian folklore. 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 or stamping on their bodies.[11]

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.[1]

The Sântoaderi share some similarities with the fairies of Irish folklore.[1] The Romanian historian Mircea Eliade also noted a similarity between the Sântoaderi and the zîne, the Romanian equivalent of the fairy godmother,[12] both of whom were believed to travel through the night in a procession of dancers.[11] There is also a belief that on the 24th day after Easter, the zîne and Sântoaderi meet together to play, and offer them bouquets of flowers.[11]

### Sânziană

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Main article: Sânziană

Sânzienele at Cricău Festival 2013

Sânziană is the Romanian name for gentle fairies who play an important part in local folklore, also used to designate the Galium verum or Cruciata laevipes flowers.[citation needed] Under the plural form Sânziene, the word designates an annual festival in the fairies' honor. Etymologically, the name comes from the Latin Sancta Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt and moon, also celebrated in Roman Dacia (ancient Romania).[citation needed] Diana was known to be the virgin goddess and looked after virgins and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, Diana, Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry.[13]

### Vârcolac

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Main article: Vârcolac

A vrykolakas (Greek: βρυκόλακας or βρικόλακας, pronounced [vriˈkolakas]), is a harmful undead creature. Similar terms such as vourkolakas (βουρκόλακας), vourvoulakas (βουρβούλακας), vorvolakas (βορβόλακας), vourvolakas (βουρβόλακας), vourdoulakas (βουρδούλακας) were also used for the creature.

It shares similarities with numerous other legendary creatures, but is generally equated with the vampire of the folklore of the neighbouring Slavic countries. While the two are very similar, a vrykolakas eats flesh, particularly livers, rather than drinking blood, which combined with other factors such as its appearance bring it more in line with the modern concept of a zombie or ghoul.

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h Trips, Transylvania (2019-10-27). "The 8 haunting creatures of Transylvania". Transylvania Trips. Retrieved 2024-12-23. Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
2. ^ von Wlislocki, Heinrich (1896). "Quälgeister im Volksglauben der Rumänen". Am Ur-Quell. 6: 108–109.
3. ^ Noul dicţionar explicativ al limbii Române, Bucharest: Litera Internaţional, 2002. ISBN 973-8358-04-3
4. ^ *moroi in Dicţionarul explicativ al limbii Române, Academia Română, 1998
5. ^ Hedeşan, Otila (1998). Şapte eseuri despre strigoi. Timişoara: Marineasa. pp. 15–16.
6. ^ Forder, Timothy Jay (2010). "Vampire Owners Manual", p. 172-173.
7. ^ Patrick, David (1888). "Chamber's Encyclopedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge", p. 708.
8. ^ Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române
9. ^ "Strigoi". www.dexonline.ro. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
10. ^ McLaughlin, Daniel (18 June 2005). "A village still in thrall to Dracula". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
11. ^ a b c Eliade, Mircea (February 1975). "Some Observations on European Witchcraft". History of Religions. 14 (3): 162–163. doi:10.1086/462721. S2CID 161503454.
12. ^ Frențiu, Luminița (2012). A Journey through Knowledge: Festschrift in Honour of Hortensia Pârlog. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 174–. ISBN 978-1-4438-4268-6.
13. ^ "Invitatie: Sărbătoriţi Sânzienele la Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României | Cultura / Culte". Archived from the original on 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2011-06-24.