0 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 1 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 ROMANIA The rich mythology and folklore of Romania is poorly-known beyond the borders of that country, largely because of cultural isolation for much of this century and before. The mythology is in general a mixture of Christian and earlier Pagan themes, and in parts seems to preserve very ancient aspects from earlier cultures that other European mythologies have either forgotten, or perhaps never had. For instance, the Romanian constellations are similar to those found in the West, but are a mixture of adapted Christian and agricultural symbols, with a few retaining historical links to the Roman conquest of Romania (then called Dacia). 2 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 The Making of the World By Marcel Olinescu Marcel Olinescu (September 17, 1896–February 15, 1992) was a Romanian engraver. In 1926, Olinescu went to Botoșani to teach at “A. T. Laurian” High School. The following year, he settled at Arad, where he taught drawing at the boys' commercial high school. From 1933 to 1937, he edited the local “Știrea” (The News) newspaper, while in 1931, he co-founded an artistic society in Arad. Together with other members he edited the literary and cultural magazine “Hotarul” (The Border). His book "Romanian Mythology" is one of the well know piece of his writing masterpieces. "Romanian Mythology" by Marcel Olinescu 3 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 Abyss In the beginning, before Old Adam and even before God, there was nothing in this world but pitch darkness. Nothing whatsoever, no Earth, no Sun, no Moon, nothing but a great stretch of water taking up the endless chasm. Wherever you turned or looked only water. And this water was motionless like a mirror. At a moment, nobody knows when and how for nobody witnessed the thing, the waters started to ripple slowly as if somebody was blowing over their surface. Big circles cropped up as it happens on a lake when a stone is thrown across or a frog dives in. As these circles kept on overlapping they formed waves, foamy waves that emerged on the dark metal-like table of endless water, flowing from here to there. The waves rolled their foam into white wavelets like soap bubbles in a basin. The never-ending movement of the waves pushed them into the middle of this vortex where all the foam exploded like a huge water-lily. Then a butterfly and a worm roamed this froth, coming, as they say, from the world under, from a different world. God After a time, the butterfly shed its wings and turned into a young, handsome lad, lighting up the darkness around him. And this was God. Then, the worm too turned into a creature, into Satan or the Devil. At first, he was human also but did not shine light. And since they had been born the same way and were the only beings living in this endless immensity of water and darkness, they got on well together. The Devil As the Devil saw it the two of them were equal, and therefore called he God “Brother” but God did not like that and called him back “Not-my-brother” or “My-no-good-brother”. Most likely the Devil preserved something of the worm features for envy consumed him, and he wanted by all means to be God’s brother, yet God kept on calling him “not-my-brother”. Now, the Devil blew his top when he saw God turn into a dove that started to fly across the waters – for God can change as he pleases. Therefore, he made himself three pairs of wings, and cuddling up in the waters said bitterly: “You take the air, I take the water!” So much he wanted to be the master of something. That was how these realms came into being… God, after having made everything in heaven, on earth and in water continued to live on earth. Only when a woman cast garbage before him and bawled out aster him did he realize that it was not befitting to mingle with the likes of these folks, and so he built himself some palaces in heaven. Still, he kept on visiting earth of which he had become fond, and together with Saint Peter, now and then he tested the mettle of people’s souls. 4 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 These stories date from that time. At night, before retiring, God made Saint Peter tell him a tale so that he could sleep better. But in time, as people’s nature grew meaner and meaner and he himself got older he no longer descended on earth: some say that occurred at the deluge, others say later on. God’s Countenance God is represented as an old, savvy man since wisdom comes only with age. He has a beautiful white face, surrounded by snow-white beard and rich hair, flowing on his back as meek old priests do. Though ancient, he is vigorous, and runs the affairs of the world as smoothly as he did in the beginning. How the Earth Was Built God walked across the waters, and the Devil stuck to him like a bur. Once the Devil complained to God that he had not even a single sliver of dry land to rest his bones for all that wide expanse of endless water. He had tried to make himself a bed out of foam but foam being foam, it washed away from his hands. Then God ordered him to dive to the bottom of the sea, and bring hence a handful of dust in his name. Old Scratch dived into the deep straight like an arrow but ambition would not leave him, so he picked some clods in his name not in that of God, and then rose up to the surface of the water. With the waves hitting from all sides, grains of sand started slipping from his fingers, so by the time he came before God he was empty-handed. And God scolded him: “See, that happened because you didn’t obey me! You did not fetch the dust in my name.” And the Devil stayed in the water to his knees. Enraged, he swam a second time to the bottom, and said: “I take these clods in my name not in that of God.” God heard him and blew softly so that the surface of the water turned into ice. The Devil, afraid to lose the dust again, closed his fist tight. But when he wanted to come up he was prevented by the layer of ice, and fighting to get free, he let the grains slip form his hands. Now, he managed to get out of water solely to his waist. The third time he said: “I take these clods in my name and in that of God,” but again he could not take the least bit to the surface, and stayed in water to his neck. The fourth time God blew harder and the ice was ten inches thick and the Devil, seeing he could not break it and fearing he could drown, said most enviously the words that God had told him: “I take these clods in the name of God” but on his way up he could not help himself and added…“ and my name.” 5 “Zodiac” - A collection of European legends, stories and myths related to astronomy- “Reach The Sky” 2015-2017 For this, when he got to the surface only a few grains were left in his hand. Then God picked his nails with a straw as Satan had long, dirty nails like naughty children, so God found enough material to make a small cake. He blew up on it, folded it and kneaded it to the point that it became a quite comfortable coach. “Well, now,” said God, “we have a bed to rest in when we are tired.” “We do, Brother,” replied the Devil who, like the fly returning from the field, attributed to himself the desert of having created the earth. When night came God lay in the bed he had concocted, making room for the No-Good-Brother to cuddle up next to him. “Don’t we bless it, now that we’ve made it?” the Devil asked God. “We don’t do anything for it’s late. We’ll bless it tomorrow,” and God stretched his limbs, and made believe he had fallen asleep. The Sun God had made the earth and was smiling contently at his feet. But the Devil kept on mumbling and protesting unhappily. The entire world was still plunged in darkness as there was no light. Certainly, God could go wherever he pleased as his eyes could pierce all darkness and even the soul of the Devil. Satan complained of having to grope like a blind creature through marshes and pits, stumbling all the time. “Why don’t you make light, God, so that I and the other beings on earth can see where we go and distinguish one day from another?” The Making of the Sun God did him this favor too. He sent the Devil to the four points of the world to bring flint, precious stones, and gold.