''Zână'' (plural ''zâne''; ''zînă'' and ''zîne'', ''d̦ână'' and ''d̦âne'' in
old spellings) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek
Charites
In Greek mythology, the Charites (; ), singular Charis (), also called the Graces, are goddesses who personify beauty and grace. According to Hesiod, the Charites were Aglaia (Grace), Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia (Grace), Thalia, who were the ...
or the
fairy godmother.
They are the opposite of monsters such as
Muma Pădurii. These characters make positive appearances in
fairy tales and mostly reside in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of
fairies
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
and the Germanic
elf
An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...
. They vary in size and appearance and can transform to blend into their surroundings for protection and cover. They can appear openly in the woods and coax travelers to follow them in order to help them find their way. They can also hide in the woods and quietly guide those who need help through signs and "breadcrumbs" through the forest.
Mythological role
They give life to
fetus
A fetus or foetus (; : fetuses, foetuses, rarely feti or foeti) is the unborn offspring of a viviparous animal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic development, embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Pren ...
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 other good people.
Etymology
The word ''zână'' comes from the Roman goddess
Diana (as does Astur-Leonese ''
xana''). She is the one who has all the beauty, and is the one that gives it away.
In culture
''Zână'' is also used in current Romanian slang to refer to an attractive girl.
See also
*
Xana
*
Zana
*
Sântoaderi
References
General references
*
Romanian mythology
Fairies
Romanian legendary creatures
Forest spirits
{{Legendary-creature-stub
ro:Zână