Vyrkolak [1] [2] ( rum. Vârcolac ) [3] [2] - a mythological character of , a demon associated with eclipses of the stars [1] [3] , sometimes a werewolf [1] [3] [2] (see funny ) or a vampire (mainly in Transylvania ) [2] .
| Vyrkolak | |
|---|---|
| room. Vârcolac | |
| Mythology | Romanian |
| Related characters | werewolf , vampire |
| Character traits | magical sight |
| Related Events | Eclipse |
| Origin | the souls of deceased unbaptized children or evil people cursed by God |
| In other cultures | Skoll , Tiangou |
Content
- 1 Name
- 2 Origin
- 3 Mythology
- 4 notes
- 5 Literature
Name
Other variants of the name: vîrcolac , vîrgolăc [1] , vîrcolak , svîrcolak [3] , zvîrcolac , vălcolak [1] . The word is a rather ancient borrowing from the early Bolg. varkolak - “werewolf, vampire, creature causing eclipse” [3] .
Origin
It was believed that vomiting came from the souls of children who died unbaptized [1] [3] ; from the souls of evil people cursed by God; as well as from the souls of some other dead people. They look like dogs or puppies, hunting dogs, wolves [1] , often a snake [2] . Their gaze has supernatural power, see for example a conspiracy : “If a woman is cleaned, she is jinxed by a clean, unclean woman, with the eyes of a jerk” [1] .
Mythology
The vyrkolaki in Romanian mythology are associated with the moon and the sun. According to some beliefs, it was believed that they live on the moon, in the sky. When it rains, they come to drink in the form of a rainbow. Lunar and solar eclipses are caused by the fact that vyrkolaki eat luminaries, biting off, tearing off or pinching pieces from them. The moon and the sun at the same time are filled with blood [1] , of which red water pours onto the earth [2] . Moreover, in this action the patron saint patron Saint Peter . However, the luminaries are always restored, either because the jerks eat slowly, or from the crumbs that have fallen from their mouth. According to another explanation, they cause eclipses, just sitting on the disk of the sun or moon.
In order to drive away the pranksters, people had to make a loud noise: ring the bells, shoot rifles [1] and pistols [2] , rumble with buckets, trays, copper or cast-iron vessels, tripods [1] and other metal utensils [2] , beat into the drums, flip a whip. It was believed that vigilantes were especially afraid of people born on Saturday . [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sveshnikova T. N. Wolves-werewolves among Romanians // Balcanica: Linguistic research / Institute of Slavic Studies and Balkan Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences ; open ed. T.V. Tsivyan . - M .: Nauka , 1979. - S. 214-215. - 300 s. - 1250 copies.
- Sveshnikova T. N. Wolves-werewolves in Romanians // From the works of the Moscow semiotic circle / Comp. and entry. article by T. M. Nikolaeva . - M .: Languages of Russian culture, 1997. - S. 381-382. - 896 p. - (Language. Semiotics. Culture). - ISBN 5-7859-0003-3 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Golant N. G. Mythological representations of the Vlachs of Eastern Serbia (based on materials from expeditions 2013–2014) // Materials of field studies of the MAE RAS / Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Peter the Great ( Kunstkamera ) RAS; [resp. ed. E. G. Fedorova]. - SPb. : MAE RAS, 2015 .-- pp. 130-131. - ISBN 978-5-88431-287-6 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ivanov Vyach. Sun The Balkan names "ghoul" and their origin // Balkan readings 9. Terra balkanica. Terra slavica. On the anniversary of Tatyana Vladimirovna Tsivyan. (Moscow, February 6, 2007) / Ans. ed. T. M. Nikolaev ; Institute of Slavic Studies RAS . - M. , 2007. - S. 75. - 206, [8] p. - ISBN 978-5-7576-0198-4 .
Literature
- Golant N. G. Mythological representations of the Vlachs of Eastern Serbia (based on materials from expeditions 2013–2014) // Materials of field studies of the MAE RAS / Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Peter the Great ( Kunstkamera ) RAS; [resp. ed. E. G. Fedorova]. - SPb. : MAE RAS, 2015 .-- pp. 130-131. - ISBN 978-5-88431-287-6 .
- Ivanov Vyach. Sun The Balkan names "ghoul" and their origin // Balkan readings 9. Terra balkanica. Terra slavica. On the anniversary of Tatyana Vladimirovna Tsivyan. (Moscow, February 6, 2007) / Ans. ed. T. M. Nikolaev ; Institute of Slavic Studies RAS . - M. , 2007. - S. 75. - 206, [8] p. - ISBN 978-5-7576-0198-4 .
- Sveshnikova T. N. Wolves-werewolves in Romanians // Balcanica: Linguistic research / Institute of Slavic Studies and Balkan Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences ; open ed. T.V. Tsivyan . - M .: Nauka , 1979. - S. 214-215. - 300 s. - 1250 copies.
- Sveshnikova T. N. Wolves-werewolves in Romanians // From the works of the Moscow semiotic circle / Comp. and entry. article by T. M. Nikolaeva. - M .: Languages of Russian culture, 1997. - S. 381-382. - 896 p. - (Language. Semiotics. Culture). - ISBN 5-7859-0003-3 .