Vâlva
Encyclopedia
Vâlvă is a female spirit mentioned in Romanian folklore. Akin to the Iele
, the Vâlve are believed to walk over the hilltops at night, and are subdivided into Vâlve Albe ("White Vâlve"), who are considered beneficial, and Vâlve Negre ("Black Vâlve" or "Dark Vâlve"), who are considered evil. In certain contexts, they are believed to have human form (especially when they came to protect villages from a storm). They may also appear under various guises, such as shadows or black cat
s. They also have the ability to shapeshift
.
The Vâlve include several types, among which are: Vâlva Apei ("of the water"), considered as a sort of guardian of the water sources and fountains; Vâlva Bucatelor (roughly, "of the morsels"), protector of the poor people, and of crops
; Vâlva Băilor ("of the mines"), defender and protector of mines and tunnels, whose departure means that the deposit is coming to an end; Vâlva Banilor ("of the money"), protector of money; Vâlva Comorilor ("of the treasures"), protector of treasures, who can also signal the spot where these are buried; Vâlva Pădurii ("of the forest"), protector of woodlands, similar to Muma Padurii
; Vâlva Ciumei ("of the plague
"), controlling bubonic plague
and other diseases; Vâlva Zilelor ("of the days"), protector of the days (there is one for each day of the week); Vâlva Cetăţilor ("of the citadels"), defender of ancient ruins.
The best known among oral tradition are, still, the Vâlve of the mines. Legends about them flourish around traditional metal exploitation areas in Romania, such as Roşia Montană
, a place extremely rich not only in gold, but also in folklore and myth. There, the people still say that you cannot find any gold in the mines without the help of a Vâlvă (which is white). But if one gets too greedy, or spends the money foolishly, or if someone steals the gold or money from the family it was originally revealed to, the Vâlvă will become a black one and will not stop until she will avenge the injustice and disrespect to her. Miners say that anyone can hear her knocking through the galleries just in the next corridor, even if there is no knowledge of that place in the rock or if you know for sure no one can be there at that time. She is producing that strange sound to search for gold to show them, or to help them not get lost. If they don't listen to her advice, the galleries collapse on them.
Iele
The Iele are feminine mythical creatures In Romanian mythology. There are several differing descriptions of their characteristics. Often they are described as virgin fairies , with great seductive power over men, with magic skills and attributes similar to the Ancient Greek Nymphs, Naiads and...
, the Vâlve are believed to walk over the hilltops at night, and are subdivided into Vâlve Albe ("White Vâlve"), who are considered beneficial, and Vâlve Negre ("Black Vâlve" or "Dark Vâlve"), who are considered evil. In certain contexts, they are believed to have human form (especially when they came to protect villages from a storm). They may also appear under various guises, such as shadows or black cat
Black cat
A black cat is a feline with black fur. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The Bombay, known for its sleek black fur, is an example of a black cat. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats...
s. They also have the ability to shapeshift
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
.
The Vâlve include several types, among which are: Vâlva Apei ("of the water"), considered as a sort of guardian of the water sources and fountains; Vâlva Bucatelor (roughly, "of the morsels"), protector of the poor people, and of crops
Crop (agriculture)
A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...
; Vâlva Băilor ("of the mines"), defender and protector of mines and tunnels, whose departure means that the deposit is coming to an end; Vâlva Banilor ("of the money"), protector of money; Vâlva Comorilor ("of the treasures"), protector of treasures, who can also signal the spot where these are buried; Vâlva Pădurii ("of the forest"), protector of woodlands, similar to Muma Padurii
Muma Padurii
In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii is an ugly and mean old woman living in the forest.Muma Pădurii literally means "the Mother of the Forest", though "mumă" is an archaic version of "mamă" , which has a fairy-tale overtone for the Romanian reader...
; Vâlva Ciumei ("of the plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
"), controlling bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
and other diseases; Vâlva Zilelor ("of the days"), protector of the days (there is one for each day of the week); Vâlva Cetăţilor ("of the citadels"), defender of ancient ruins.
The best known among oral tradition are, still, the Vâlve of the mines. Legends about them flourish around traditional metal exploitation areas in Romania, such as Roşia Montană
Rosia Montana
Roșia Montană is a commune of Alba County in the Apuseni Mountains of western Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the Valea Roșiei, through which the Roșia River flows...
, a place extremely rich not only in gold, but also in folklore and myth. There, the people still say that you cannot find any gold in the mines without the help of a Vâlvă (which is white). But if one gets too greedy, or spends the money foolishly, or if someone steals the gold or money from the family it was originally revealed to, the Vâlvă will become a black one and will not stop until she will avenge the injustice and disrespect to her. Miners say that anyone can hear her knocking through the galleries just in the next corridor, even if there is no knowledge of that place in the rock or if you know for sure no one can be there at that time. She is producing that strange sound to search for gold to show them, or to help them not get lost. If they don't listen to her advice, the galleries collapse on them.