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.
8 of 15 stories
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.
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Iele · the unseen dancers
Iele appear in Romanian folk belief as powerful, elusive beings associated with dangerous encounters and forces beyond ordinary human control.
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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.
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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.
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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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