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209:, DomniĹŁe, MÄiestre, Frumoase, MuĹate, Fetele Codrului, ĂmpÄrÄtesele VÄzduhului, Zânioare, Sfinte de noapte, Ĺoimane, Mândre, Fecioare, Albe, Hale, etc. But there are also personal names which appear: Ana, Bugiana, Dumernica, Foiofia, Lacargia, Magdalina, Ruxanda, Tiranda, Trandafira, Rudeana, Ruja, PÄscuĹŁa, Cosânzeana, Orgisceana, Lemnica, RoĹia, Todosia, Sandalina, Margalina, Savatina, Rujalina, etc. These names must not be used randomly, as they may be the basis for dangerous enchantments. It is believed that every
331:, youthful feminine humanoid spirits of great beauty living in forests and other natural places, underground, or in wells and springs; having as a sacred tree the same maple tree; and with magical powers, such as having the ability to cast spells with their circle dances. The elves also leave a kind of circle where they had danced, the
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There is some discussion on the topic that an episode of "Destination Truth"; which had a follow-up episode may have encountered Iele. The
Romanian forest episode, in the episode they believed they were encountering ghosts or aliens. Some viewers went to the online boards for the show discussing that
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from ancient Greek mythology. Invisible to humans, there are however certain moments when they can be seen by mortals, such as when they dance at night. When this happens, they abduct the victim, punishing the "guilty" one with magical spells, after they previously caused him to fall into sleep with
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them. Terrible punishments are inflicted upon the ones who refuse their invitation to dance, or the ones who mimic their movements. The one who randomly hears their songs becomes instantly mute. A main characteristic is their beautiful voices which are used to enchant their listeners, just like the
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They are not generally considered evil genii: they resort to revenge only when they are provoked, offended, seen while they dance, when people step on the trodden ground left behind by their dance, sleep under a tree which the Iele consider as their property, drink from the springs or wells used by
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The iele are said not to be solitary creatures, but gather in groups in the air, where they can fly with or without wings; they can travel with incredible speeds, either on their own, or with chariots of fire. The iele appear sometimes with bodies, at other times only as immaterial spirits. They
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trees), ponds, river sides, crossroads or abandoned fireplaces, dancing naked, with their breasts almost covered by their disheveled hair, with bells on their ankles and carrying candles. In almost all of these instances, the Iele appear to be incorporeal. Rarely, they are dressed in
179:, with the grass incapable of growing on the trodden ground, and with the leaves of the surrounding trees scorched. Later, when grass would finally grow, it would have a red or dark-green color, the animals would not eat it, but instead mushrooms would thrive on it.
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is phonetically close to the feminine plural form of the
Romanian word for "they". Their real names are secret and inaccessible, and are commonly replaced with nicknames based on their characteristics. The names based on epithets are: Iele, Dânse, DrÄgaice,
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The iele are said to live in the sky, in forests, in caves and on isolated mountain cliffs, and reported to have been seen bathing in the springs or at crossroads. From this point of view, the Iele are similar to the
Ancient Greek
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are young and beautiful, voluptuous immortals, their frenzy causing delirium in onlookers, and with bad tempers, but not being necessarily evil. They come in groups of three or seven. This version is mostly found in
260:, having the right to avenge in the name of their employers. When they are called upon to act, they hound their victims into the center of their dance, until they die in a furor of madness or torment. In this
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288:, the Marina etc. Anyone not respecting these holidays was said to suffer the revenge of the Iele: men and women who work during these days would be lifted in spinning
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worn around the waist, in the bosom, or hung from the hat; or hanging the skull of a horse on a pole in front of the house. The most important cure is the dance of
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the sounds and the vertigo of the frenetic Hora, which they dance around their victim, who is abducted, to disappear forever without a trace.
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knows nine of these pseudonyms, from which she makes combinations, and which are the basis for spells.
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The same common Indo-European mythological base is suggested by the close resemblance with the Nordic
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Victor
Kernbach, DicĹŁionar de mitologie generalÄ, Ed. Albatros, BucureČti, 1995, pp. 256â257.
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describes the iele as "Nymphs of the air, in love especially with young men" in his
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People also invented cures against the iele, either preventive or
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To please the iele, people dedicated festival days to them: the
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The iele are also believed to be agents of revenge for
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They mostly appear at night by moonlight, as dancing
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the events and behavior closely tied with the Iele.
343:. Arguably, Iele are the Romanian equivalent of the
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175:The place where they had danced would after remain
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69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
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355:from Slavic mythology, and the Irish
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230:, called Catrina, Zalina and Marina.
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405:, Editura Albatros, BucureČti, 1982
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351:of Greek and Roman mythology, the
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163:is similar to the dances of the
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403:DicĹŁionar de mitologie generalÄ
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16:Feminine mythical creatures
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450:Female legendary creatures
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414:Victor Kernbach, ibidem
341:ring of small mushrooms
53:more precise citations.
389:Descriptio Moldaviae
193:Descriptio Moldaviae
228:Alexander the Great
440:Romanian mythology
384:Cantemir, Dimitrie
335:("elf dances") or
276:Appeasing the Iele
91:Romanian mythology
87:mythical creatures
401:Victor Kernbach,
188:Dimitrie Cantemir
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299:in nature:
51:introducing
434:Categories
297:exorcistic
262:hypostasis
256:or of the
177:carbonized
165:Bacchantes
138:Activities
59:April 2018
34:references
372:Footnotes
337:älvringar
333:älvdanser
282:Rusaliile
248:Vengeance
217:Character
171:Scorching
121:Locations
113:found in
386:(1714).
309:CÄluČari
207:Vântoase
132:Thracian
99:Romanian
460:Fairies
345:fairies
305:mugwort
290:vertigo
266:Erinyes
224:Oltenia
47:improve
349:nymphs
301:garlic
286:Easter
270:Furies
241:Sirens
152:walnut
148:maples
128:Hecate
111:dryads
107:naiads
103:nymphs
36:, but
357:sĂdhe
329:Elves
315:(see
258:Devil
211:witch
203:Vâlve
183:Names
144:Horas
353:vili
303:and
198:iele
161:Hora
109:and
95:zâne
83:iele
81:The
319:).
254:God
97:in
89:in
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