Dacian world · Romanian folklore · Symbols
The stories we carry.
A wolf-dragon on a standard. A shepherd in a ballad. A red-and-white thread passed from one spring to the next. Explore the objects, accounts and traditions behind the symbols.
15 of 15 stories
Archaeology · Dacian world
Draco · the flying standard
An animal-headed standard with a long, sinuous body gave Dacian military imagery one of its most memorable silhouettes.
Explore the story ↗Ancient account · Dacian world
Zalmoxis · a name in an ancient account
Herodotus describes beliefs about Zalmoxis among the Getae, offering an influential but external account of an ancient religious world.
Explore the story ↗Archaeology · Dacian world
Sarmizegetusa Regia · the sacred area
The remains of sanctuaries at Sarmizegetusa Regia preserve an architectural setting for Dacian religious life.
Explore the story ↗Archaeology · Dacian world
Gold in a spiral
Dacian gold bracelets combine multiple coils with carefully worked ornamental terminals, revealing extraordinary metalworking skill.
Explore the story ↗Archaeology · Dacian world
Falx · the curved blade
The falx is a curved weapon studied through archaeological finds and ancient depictions of Dacian warfare.
Explore the story ↗Archaeology · Dacian world
The andesite disc
The circular stone monument commonly called the Andesite Sun survives among the remains of Sarmizegetusa Regia’s sacred area.
Explore the story ↗Modern interpretation · Dacian world
The wolf · an image carried forward
This modern wolf study responds to the animal imagery associated with the draco and asks how ancient forms acquire new meanings.
Explore the story ↗Folklore · Romanian traditions
Miorița · the speaking ewe
A shepherd hears a warning from a speaking ewe, and a pastoral world becomes the setting for a meditation on loss and belonging.
Explore the story ↗Folklore · Romanian traditions
Meșterul Manole · the wall and the promise
The builder Manole’s legend turns a collapsing construction into a tragic story about love, creation and sacrifice.
Explore the story ↗Folklore · Romanian traditions
Iele · the unseen dancers
Iele appear in Romanian folk belief as powerful, elusive beings associated with dangerous encounters and forces beyond ordinary human control.
Explore the story ↗Folklore · Romanian traditions
Făt-Frumos and Ileana Cosânzeana
The names Făt-Frumos and Ileana Cosânzeana belong to a familiar world of Romanian fairy-tale heroes, heroines and impossible journeys.
Explore the story ↗Folklore · Romanian traditions
Strigoi · stories at the threshold
Stories of strigoi gave traditional communities a language for fears surrounding the living, the dead and the boundaries of the household.
Explore the story ↗Living tradition · Romanian traditions
Mărțișor · a thread for spring
Red and white threads are made, offered and worn in springtime practices shared across Romania and neighbouring countries.
Explore the story ↗Living tradition · Romanian traditions
Căluș · the moving circle
The Căluș ritual brings dancers, music and shared performance together in a tradition recognized by UNESCO.
Explore the story ↗Living tradition · Romanian traditions
The bear at the turning of the year
Bear costumes, drums and energetic movement transform winter streets into a performance space at the turn of the year.
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