Zâna
Encyclopedia
Zână is the Romania
n equivalent of the Greek Charites
. They are the opposite of monsters like Muma Padurii
. These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and reside mostly in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and of the Germanic Elf
.
They give life to fetus
es in utero
and bestow upon them great gifts like the art of dancing, beauty, kindness, and luck. In folk tales, it is told not to upset them because they also have the power to do bad things or put a curse on the wrongdoer. They also act like guardian angels
, especially for children who enter the woods, or for other good people.
Zână means "beauty". She is the one whom has all the beauty, and is the one that gives it away.
Zână is also used in current Romanian slang to refer to an attractive girl, though it is not necessarily the kindest way to do so.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n equivalent of the Greek Charites
Charites
In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of several Charites , goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. They ordinarily numbered three, from youngest to oldest: Aglaea , Euphrosyne , and Thalia . In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces"...
. They are the opposite of monsters like 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...
. These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and reside mostly in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and of the Germanic Elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
.
They give life to fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
es in utero
In utero
In utero is a Latin term literally meaning "in the womb". In biology, the phrase describes the state of an embryo or fetus. In legal contexts, the phrase is used to refer to unborn children. Under common law, unborn children are still considered to exist for property transfer purposes.-See also:*...
and bestow upon them great gifts like the art of dancing, beauty, kindness, and luck. In folk tales, it is told not to upset them because they also have the power to do bad things or put a curse on the wrongdoer. They also act like guardian angels
Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization of unarmed citizen crime patrollers. The Guardian Angels organization was founded February 13, 1979 in New York City by Curtis Sliwa and has chapters in 15 countries and 144 cities around the world.Sliwa originally created the...
, especially for children who enter the woods, or for other good people.
Zână means "beauty". She is the one whom has all the beauty, and is the one that gives it away.
Zână is also used in current Romanian slang to refer to an attractive girl, though it is not necessarily the kindest way to do so.