Let me share with you some witchy stories. Romanian folklore is abundant with vampires, strigoi, curses and spooky things that the rest of the world got fascinated about and has been spreading legends, writing books and making movies for the last centuries.
Witch class no 1 “Deochi”:
It is the evil eye curse – when someone f.eks. envy you and sent you negative energy or a bad luck. You may also have a headache and similar symptoms. To check if it’s true, you need to ask a lady who is savvy in this stuff and she will put your head on her lap, blow air 3 times over your head, burn 3 matches or hot coal and drop them to the glass of water. If the matches sink into the water it means that the person was “deochiat” (cursed), and now has to drink the water and throw away the matches in three different places (yards/properties). If the person yawns the Deochi has left.
I won’t write down the incantation here as some parts sound more like casting a curse IMHO.
This belief dates back to the ancient Greek (at least) and exists in many different cultures all over the world.
Witch class no 2 “strigoi” & “moroi” types of a vampire:
Strigoi (striga) in Romanian mythology are evil spirits that are said to have risen from the grave.
A moroi is a type of vampire or ghost. In some versions it is a phantom of a dead person which leaves the grave to draw energy from the living.
In 2004 some older people from a remote Transylvanian village shocked the country by dealing with a moroi who was attacking one lady, took a heart out of the deceased, burnt it and gave to the victim to drink it. The lady got immediately cured and the attacks stopped.
The man with a secret knowledge of Van Helsing who initiated this mission was announced the last vampire slayer.
Although he had a good intention, courage, skill of a real monster hunter and rescued one living person, the court convicted him of desecration.
Lol!
Witch class no 3:
Mirrors should be covered when someone dies so his or her soul wouldn’t stuck there. If a not married couple die, during the funeral they should be first married and buried in wedding clothes.
Folklore Romanian masks:
Masks are a big part of Dacian tradition, worn by shamans in times before Christ. There are different kinds in shape of a bear, goat, wooden that later were worn on Christmas caroling, dancing, also in funerals in some regions.
There is also a huge, thick mask made of sheep fur and leather called Ruginoasa. This one was used for beating… yes, that’s correct. Man in the past were wearing it on a New Year’s Eve and fighting with each other. The tradition was to leave the anger in the previous year so the new year would start fresh without resentments.
Some of them are very colourful and decorated with pictures and ribbons, some represent animals and different people.
Although you can buy these masks in Romanian markets and souvenir shops, it is not easy to find information about them especially in English. I gathered it from my friends and I hope I got this right 🤓
My traditional Romanian skirt and blouse that is over 100 years old (!) was an amazing gift from my friend. It was passed in her family for generations and given to me!
As you might have noticed, I love to wear costumes and traditional clothing from different parts of the world. It makes me feel more connected with the culture and enriched. This is a part of my adventure, and I just soak the experience of being in a certain place on our planet.
My traditional outfit from the previous century made my trip even more unique and I feel grateful for that ♡
If you want to learn more about Dracula and Vlad The Impaler click here.
And check my Instagram highlights from Romania.
Malvina Dunder 
Leave a Reply