
The Forest Maiden is perhaps one of the most complex and misunderstood representations of Romanian mythology. Those who have encountered her describe her as a malevolent being, a divinity, a demon, a female demon, considered the archetype of the wild woman, a semi-divinity that brutally embodies femininity, defying any aesthetic, behavioral, and moral norms. Young men, shepherds, woodcutters, and cattle herders fear her the most, but women also feel the same fear.
She is known as the Forest Maiden, but she is also called by many other names: the Maiden, the Maiden of the Night, the Forest Girl, the Devil’s Daughter, the Wood Nymph, the Night’s Owl, the Spirit of the Forest, the Queen of the Forest, the Forest Fairy, the One of the Woods, the Mistress, the Bitch, the Cursed One, the Defiled One, Mamnița, Evil Spirit, or Hala. Sometimes, she is simply referred to as “She.”
“She roams the night, dancing wildly, Satan herself, they say, is the Forest Maiden.”
The Forest Maiden is a polymorphic and anthropomorphic being who invades the realms of other mythical creatures. She metamorphoses, changes at will, is impulsive and playful, powerful, and destructive. The descriptions given by those who have seen her do not follow any specific pattern, even within the same village, and the reasons behind her actions are not necessarily known or understood. She is like nature itself—powerful, vast, and untamed, full of unpredictability, and her wild deeds do not always follow the classic principle of cause and effect, making her difficult to anticipate and prevent. She is the keeper of the essence of every plant on this earth, as well as of human nature and sexuality. She uses all the means at her disposal, which are limitless, to perpetuate this essence.
In the Footsteps of the Forest Maiden
This text aims to recreate the portrait of the Forest Maiden based on stories told by people, on what ethnologists have gathered in the field, on what has been written and interpreted later—a mosaic-like portrait built from small pieces to which we will add new elements. The Forest Maiden has an infinite number of faces and representations, morphing as she pleases, and her countless deeds seem to have no end.
The presence of the Forest Maiden throughout history and across various civilizations, not only in our region, is long-standing, reflecting the many shifts in mindset that have shaped humanity. Originally a Neolithic Mother Goddess, the source of life, at the root of all things, her role was completely reversed during the patriarchal era, radically transforming her into a malevolent figure. She appears over a vast area, bearing different names, from Macedonia, Albania, and Greece to Germany and Scandinavia. In our regions, the northern part of the country, northern Transylvania, Moldova, and northern Bukovina are rich with tales of the Forest Maiden, but she is also found in the Apuseni Mountains and Banat. Her character continues to circulate today in some small communities, with legends and beliefs adapting to modern circumstances and evolving according to the experiences of the society and its individuals.
“The Forest Maiden of the Carpathians is clearly the mistress of the forest and of the healing plants in nature. She is the ruler of places similar to those that formed the habitat of hunters and wild plant gatherers from prehistoric times.” (Jean Cuisenier, „Mémoires des Carpathes. La Roumanie millénaire: un regard intérieur“)
It is evident that we do not know to what extent she is solely the Forest Maiden of the Carpathians or the Maiden of forests everywhere, given that a female spirit of the forest and fertility exists in all cultures worldwide, under the most diverse names and representations. For example, in Germany, she is known as „Moosweiblein“ or „Holzweiblein“; in Scandinavia, she is called „Huldra“; in Baltic mythology, as „Lauma“; in Estonia, „Metsaema“, and so on. The Forest Maiden has been associated with Cybele (Kybele), the Phrygian female deity, a fertile and imposing mother like nature itself, with the goddess Freya—known in Northern and Central Europe, responsible for fertility, love, and death—as well as with Baba Yaga, from Slavic folklore, another ambiguous and enigmatic mythological being who either initiates young men or devours small children and flies in a mortar.
Just as the folk narratives about the Forest Maiden are vast and diverse, so too are the scholarly studies on this mythological figure. Many ethnologists, folklorists, linguists, and writers have attempted to decipher this complex character, to define her, to trace her roots, to understand her intricate nature, and to decode her actions. Much has been written about the myth of the Forest Maiden, about the legend of the Forest Maiden, or the mythological legends of the Forest Maiden (Constantin Eretescu).
Most studies aim from the outset to categorize the Forest Maiden into a specific typology—deity, sylvan deity, semi-divinity, malevolent being, god, female deity, relic of a female deity, demon, female demon, daimon, archetype of the wild woman. Some typologies inevitably overlap, even within the same research, while at other times, they contradict each other. Folklorist Pamfil Bilțiu describes her as “an evil spirit of the woods, a malevolent divinity,“ while Constantin Eretescu refers to her as a malevolent spirit, a spirit of the night, of darkness.
Romulus Vulcănescu places the Forest Maiden alongside other representations of the forest, treating them equally—Wild Man and Wild Maiden; Old Man of the Forest or Woodman, Forest Mother, and the Forest Maiden—to which he attributes similar characteristics, generically labeling them as semi-divinities. On the opposite end stands the Maramureș-based folklorist Pamfil Bilțiu, who groups legends about the Forest Maiden into categories entirely separate from other supernatural characters. In his work “Izvorul fermecat” published in 1999, the Forest Maiden is featured in the chapter titled “Forest Spirits.”
The materials on the Forest Maiden collected during field research mostly consist of very short narratives describing a single episode. In the communities studied, these are considered faithful accounts of events that have taken place. Following one of the fundamental characteristics of myth, these narratives are told and accepted as truths, without requiring verification. The informants, meaning the providers of these accounts, believe in the described events, even when the story was passed down to them (usually heard within the family) or when the action took place sometime in an uncertain past, either very distant or quite recent. Even the skeptics within these communities do not question the truthfulness, as they are familiar with the local mythology. The truth is always guaranteed by the testimony of a trustworthy person—a mother, father, brother, or someone from the family or community.
Most attestations of the legend are concentrated in the northern part of the country, northern Transylvania, and northern Moldova, with Maramureș being the region where stories about the Forest Maiden circulate most widely. Constantin Eretescu believes that the spread of the Forest Maiden legend from the north to the rest of the country might have occurred along with pastoral activities, and more recently, with the seasonal migration of the workforce. A few decades ago, women from Maramureș worked during the summer in the Bărăgan area, receiving corn in exchange for their labor. In this way, the migration of the workforce might have also led to the spread of these mythological legends. In areas where the legend’s circulation is more diluted, such as southern Transylvania and the Bărăgan, the Forest Maiden is depicted with less demonic features.
It is difficult to say where the legend of the Forest Maiden originated, but wherever she passed, she invaded the domain of other supernatural beings that haunt the forests, taking not only their names but also some of their traits. In many stories, she overlaps with the most popular female mythological figure in the narrator’s area. She is referred to as: Avizuhară, Ciuma, Dracul, Frumușelele, Muma Pădurii, Marțolea (Tuesday Evening), Milostenie, Smăoana. A frequent transfer occurs between one supernatural being and another:
“In place of her own cocoon, she sees that of the Forest Maiden, of Marțolea, which was made entirely of sheep’s wool and had horse hooves, as she had taken hers and left in its place that of the Forest Maiden.”
The most frequent overlap is between the Forest Maiden and Muma Pădurii (Mother of the Forest). Ion Candrea argues that Muma Pădurii is synonymous with the Forest Maiden, Forest Spirit, Wood Nymph, Forest Mother, Forest Woman, or Forest Hag.
Muma Pădurii-Mother oft he Forest is described as an “old woman wandering through the forest, with ugly clothes, sharp teeth, and claws. A hideous, evil old woman.”
In the Apuseni Mountains, the Forest Maiden behaves identically to Mother of the Forest. Both act as protectors of the forest and its creatures. When woodcutters arrive, the Forest Maiden, like Mother of the Forest, suffers, cries, and wails through the trees at night, producing eerie sounds throughout the forest to scare the woodcutters away.
The Birth of the Forest Maiden
The Forest Maiden is said to have been born out of a horribly violent incident. According to legend, a young, beautiful girl got lost in a forest. While searching for a path back to her village, night fell. At that moment, as darkness descended, a man dressed in black appeared in front of her and promised to guide her back to the right path. The girl followed him, but the man led her to a stone house, where he locked her in and began to speak strange words that drove the girl insane and completely transformed her face forever. He stripped her of her clothes and released her into the forest. Since then, she has roamed aimlessly through the woods. When she encounters someone on her path, she drains their soul, alters their appearance, or kills them.
Portrait of the Forest Maiden
The Forest Maiden is imagined in many unexpected forms and shapes, shaped both by the imagination of those who have directly encountered her and those who merely retell and perpetuate the stories they have heard. The differences in perception are vast, affecting every detail of her physical appearance and behavior—ranging from a massive and hideous creature with excessive hair; to a beautiful, irresistible woman; to a horse, goat, or anthropomorphized being, a creature half-human, half-horse; or even light or smoke.
The Savage Woman
As suggested by her most frequently used name, the Forest Maiden is perhaps, above all, a representation of a female spirit of the forest, a deity or semi-divine, sylvan being. Her forest belongs to an archaic world, possibly inhabited by the first people. She appears as an “unevolved” humanoid female, hairy, disheveled, ugly, oversized, and wild-looking.
“She had long hair down to the soles of her feet, with hooves like a horse. Hair all over, completely shaggy. Her face was dark, hideous.”
“The Forest Maiden was like a woman, only very unkempt, very ugly, haggard.”
A creature from the mists of time, untamed, she does not know clothing and acts impulsively, like a wild beast. In societal norms, even in contemporary ones, excessive hairiness is considered a predominantly masculine trait.
“The Forest Maiden is tall, with hair all over and long hair on her head down to her feet, and she even sings.”
Women with mustaches, beards, and body hair have never fit into beauty standards, often being excluded, marginalized, and hidden from view. They were either exhibited in circuses alongside other non-conforming individuals like the elephant man or the giant dwarf or pushed to the fringes of society, symbolically into the forest or the most uninhabited areas.
“The Forest Maiden is huge. Who knows how long she truly is.”
In addition to her hairiness, the Forest Maiden is large and strong, very tall and massive, and thus can physically match the strength of a man, perhaps even surpass him. In traditional societies and beyond, anything that deviates from the norm must be removed and neutralized.
II. The Metamorphoses of the Forest Maiden
As an anthropomorphic representation, the Forest Maiden does not exist solely in her archaic form as a wild woman. She has an extraordinary ability to transform into anything imaginable, continually surprising her victims with her shape-shifting powers.
“[…] I looked, and suddenly, it seemed like it was her, like a smoky form, something like a big sheet lifted up by one corner, and it was so hideous that it terrified me, and I just went, ‘Oh!'”
She can be whatever she wishes—small, large, material, or immaterial.
“She was a spirit, an unseen spirit.”
One of her essential characteristics is precisely this ability to metamorphose, a trait often attributed to deities. She can transform into animals and objects, blend different realms, and combine opposing traits—a beautiful woman with horse hooves or monkey feet, a centaur-like creature half-human, half-horse, or even half-woman, half-tree trunk; half-young, half-old; half-beautiful, half-ugly, both fat and thin, simultaneously repulsive and alluring.
“She appeared as a great horse, about three meters tall, with thick legs, chasing after us. […] She was also like a tall woman, white as the church tower and thin as a sheaf.”
The spectrum of the Forest Maiden’s transformations is limitless. She can “manifest as a meteorological phenomenon” (according to Constantin Eretescu), transforming into light, smoke, mist, a dog, a cow, a large white pig, a bush, or a haystack. Her most frequently encountered form is that of a horse, a mare, or a foal.
“[…] If the young man tried to catch her, he would feel like he was touching a mare. She transformed into a white mare.”
Sometimes, she appears as a beautiful woman but with monkey feet, goose feet, or goat hooves:
“She had goose feet with large scales.”
“When she walks, she sings so beautifully through the cliffs and forests. Her voice is like that of a nightingale. Her hooves are almost like those of a monkey, just a bit finer, but she has a very beautiful body. She has long hair and blue eyes, the kind that can easily enchant men.”
However, the Forest Maiden is not always hideous and terrifying; she is often described as a beautiful, young, and attractive woman, adapting to the standards of beauty of the societies and times she passes through. “She was a beautiful girl with long golden hair, combing herself.” Many texts present her as transformed into the beloved of a young man, often a shepherd, whom she intends to enchant. Almost every time, though, her unsettling and irresistible beauty is marred by an unusual detail that hints at something out of the ordinary, such as a piece of clothing out of place or from another era, wooden clogs instead of shoes, or a pair of hooves—those of a mare, goat, or monkey. The man often discovers too late and by accident that the woman he believes to be his lover is not human at all. This revelation often occurs during a moment of intimacy, which provokes the Forest Maiden’s rage: “[…] he saw that from behind, she looked like a basket, with hair, and inside her boots, she had hooves […].”
The Forest Maiden – Mother
The Forest Maiden is a solitary being, wandering alone through forests, mountains, hills, villages, and more recently even cities. However, sometimes she is seen in the company of other beings. For instance, she is occasionally spotted tending her small garden along with many other beautiful and hardworking girls. In search of healing plants for his sheep, a shepherd once saw in the Forest Maiden’s garden “a group of beautiful girls, each one more ready and busy than the next.” It’s unclear whether these are the Forest Maiden’s sisters or simply another one of her shape-shifting tricks, intended to bewilder her future victim.
In most versions of the legend, she appears in the role of a mother, accompanied by her child or children—“When he came back, he saw two proud little children sitting on a stone […] They were the children of the Forest Maiden.”
Her children are often the result of her interactions with young men, whom she sometimes assaults. The offspring born from the union of these two beings from different realms—one human, the other a supernatural creature—are themselves strange and exceptional.
“She falls in love with demons and fills the world with little demons.”
Her child resembles its mother, covered in excessive hair all over its body, and is described as ugly, sickly, and underdeveloped. This is why the Forest Maiden is obsessed with the desire to replace her sick child with a healthy, “normal” one.
The Forest Maiden’s Garden
The Forest Maiden is the keeper of a sacred and mysterious garden, commonly known as the Forest Maiden’s garden, where she carefully plants the most potent herbs and healing plants with magical properties. She ensures that each plant in her garden retains all the unique characteristics that nature endowed it with from the very beginning.
The Forest Maiden’s garden is located far from any human settlement, in a hidden place that no one should ever discover. Wherever the legend of the Forest Maiden is told, her garden is said to be nearby:
“The Forest Maiden had all kinds of flowers in her garden, there at Giulești.”
“On Gutâi, there is a flower garden like no other. That is the Forest Maiden’s Garden.”
“On a beautiful stone, you can see all kinds of flowers that your eyes have never seen before.”
“And now, that garden of the Forest Maiden still exists, at Poiana lui Ștefan.”
The Forest Maiden’s garden is a sacred and meticulously organized space. As disheveled and wild as the Forest Maiden herself may be, her flower beds are just as carefully arranged. At the center of her garden, there is a stone table and a few chairs. Those who come to take plants from her garden must leave an offering, a gift, on the table. This exchange mirrors the rituals associated with the mandrake plant. When people want something from the mandrake, they must leave flour, honey, bread, or drinks. Similarly, when gathering a magical plant from the sacred garden of the Forest Maiden, they must follow this ritual.
“With a bottle of sweet milk, they would go to the garden. And wherever they took the flower, they had to leave sweet milk.”
“[…] You must leave a coin.”
People gain the right to enter the sacred space and take flowers from the garden only once the ritual offering is made. They must be careful not to pull the flowers out by the roots but to cut them carefully, and they must not touch anything else. They are forbidden to speak or look back as they leave. Any violation of these rules leads to punishment for those who disobeyed.
In Maramureș, it was believed that the Forest Maiden was responsible for making the sheep and goats sick with a condition called “zăruit” where the udder becomes inflamed and the milk curdles—”The Forest Maiden spoils the sheep.” When shepherds found out their sheep were ill, they would search for the Forest Maiden and her garden, the only place where they could find healing herbs for their animals.
The Deeds of the Forest Maiden
The Forest Maiden wanders naked through the woods, villages, and towns, traveling along the less-trodden paths, near factories and industrial areas, washing clothes at night and singing. Sometimes, she is seen carrying stones or boulders or transformed into a white mare, scattering the sheaves of the harvesters. Strong winds and storms often herald her arrival. She takes on the appearance of the beloved of the man she intends to seduce, approaching him in disguise and deceiving him. She often follows young men and attacks them violently, especially those who are in isolated places, far from their villages and communities. Through her song, she enchants and mesmerizes them, casting a spell that instantly captivates them. From that moment, the men transition from real time into a mythical realm, where they undergo a ritual of initiation. Only after their symbolic death can they return to the real world. However, not all are able to emerge unscathed from the encounter with the Forest Maiden—the character who initiates this ritual. According to Constantin Eretescu, this reflects the remnants of an ancient ritual in which young men transitioned from boyhood to the status of men, initiated into the mysteries of nature. The one who facilitates this transition subjects them to great trials, during which they must prove their courage and resilience.
Young men, especially shepherds, are her primary targets, but she also attacks cowherds, goatherds, hunters, and woodcutters. In many tales, the attack occurs at the sheepfold when the young shepherd is alone. Many shepherds lived in prolonged isolation, separated from their families and loved ones. Particularly in some regions of the north, women were forbidden from visiting the sheepfold, and shepherds were not allowed to be with a woman until St. Elijah’s Day, or the sheep would lose their milk.
“Most sheepfolds are in the mountains. […] In the mountains, they are isolated. No one sees her, no one hears her. She freely goes to the sheepfold, makes love with the shepherds, throws the fire, curses the sheep, unleashes a storm that breaks trees. She’s very dangerous. She makes the shepherds sick.” (Interview with Pamfil Bilțiu)
With demographic shifts and changes in professions, the legend of the Forest Maiden has also spread to cities, especially among young workers. Gradually, she started to attack young workers on the backroads near factories as well.
The initial scenario of these tales was simple and evolved over time—a young shepherd, far from home, longs for his beloved. Miraculously, soon after the thought crosses his mind, she appears at the doorway of his hut—the Forest Maiden in disguise. Their encounter is not always detailed, but we learn that the young man was seduced. When it is not merely implied, the sexual act is described as wild, with the Forest Maiden controlling the entire process insatiably. In the end, the man is left devitalized.
“[…] She enchanted him so much that he had no strength left.”
“And he grows so weak that he’s on the verge of death when he lies with her.”
In the midst of this intimate moment, the young man realizes he has been deceived. The partial transformations of the Forest Maiden are what betray her—hooves inside her boots, hair that’s too long, excessive body hair, a hunched back, or some unusual object. The discovery and unveiling of her deception trigger the Forest Maiden’s rage. She unleashes her supernatural power upon the man, throws him into the fire, beats him, lifts him high and slams him down, hurls him into a ravine and crushes him, strikes and rolls him, drowns him. Thus, contact with the Forest Maiden can have clear and lasting consequences, forever marking a young man’s life. Some lost their voices, their sight, or their lives; others faced social downfall or were ostracized by their communities. Many were left with psychological scars, developed epilepsy, became paralyzed, or were left impotent. In areas where the legend was widely told, any unexplained accident was often attributed to the Forest Maiden, especially if the victim was a young man.
“And then she took him and put him in the fire, burning both his hands.”
Another scenario involves a young man being abducted at night by the Forest Maiden transformed into a horse. Waking up to the sound of barking dogs, the young man leaves his hut. Outside, he sees a large mare, and in a moment of recklessness, he mounts it. The mare takes flight and carries him to a cave. There, he either meets the Forest Maiden, or the mare transforms into her. The young man remains trapped inside for a long time. In some versions, the young man is taken to a stone house, a random room, or even a hotel room. In the enclosed space, he has sexual relations with the Forest Maiden or with multiple such feminine apparitions. From time to time, the door or windows of the room open, offering the young man a chance to escape. He only returns home on the day his parents hold his funeral rites, believing him to be dead.
The Forest Maiden doesn’t only appear at the sheepfold or in isolated huts; she also manifests on roads, trails, and lesser-known paths or crossroads, attacking unsuspecting travelers like a wild animal. She seizes young men and lifts them into the air. If someone accidentally steps on the Forest Maiden’s tracks or trespasses on her territory, they fall into a trance-like state, becoming disoriented and finding themselves in an unfamiliar place. They lose track of time and their sense of direction, wandering aimlessly all night as if struck by amnesia. Only at dawn, when the roosters crow, does the person snap out of the trance and find their way home.
The Forest Maiden also targets young mothers who have recently given birth, stealing or swapping their babies with her own—”She came at night, took her child, and replaced it with her own.” Newborns, especially those up to six weeks old and unbaptized, are at particular risk.
The Forest Maiden slaps a young woman who, through her singing, keeps her child from sleeping, strikes a teenage boy, tricks a little girl and leaves her at the top of a tree, and kidnaps a boy only to abandon him by the shore of a lake.
Unbinding
To free themselves from her influence, people resort to various magical and religious practices. Sometimes, they turn to specific objects and plants for protection, used not only against the Forest Maiden but also against other evil fairies: celandine, lovage, wheat grains, linden bark, garlic, pepper, a knife, or a horseshoe. The process of healing and liberation is complex, combining magical techniques with religious practices—witches burn, smoke, and chant, people make the sign of the cross and pray, remain silent, wear a red belt around their waist, or burn or discard the clothes they were wearing when they met the Maiden. Young people sit on the hearth for protection.
“If you make the sign of the cross, it’s said she runs away from you, and if you have garlic with you, even better, she flees if you have garlic.”
In the case of other female spirits—Ușurelele, Sânzienele, Ielele—people use certain plants for protection, especially wormwood, garlic, and basil. These are used either preventively or when harm has already occurred and needs to be remedied. It has always been known that the Sânziene-fairies become angry when their space is invaded, when they are interrupted while sitting at the table, during their dance, or when people work on the days dedicated to them. People know these rules and strictly respect them. This is not the case with the Forest Maiden, who does not fit any known pattern. She always acts unpredictably, outside any predefined set of rules. And the plants are not as effective against her, since she herself is the guardian of all the earth’s plants. However, in some specific situations, knowledgeable women have known how to use plants like lovage or celandine to drive away the Forest Maiden and to break her spell.
“For lovage and celandine,
If they had never existed,
The whole world would be ours.”
After the harm has already been done, many young people turn to a witch or an experienced old woman to cast out the spirits. Sometimes, the intervention of a priest is also needed. Women resort to fire, smoke, and incantations. To remove the illness from them, young people are beaten with a broom, an essential item in the witches’ magical toolkit.
Fire is one of the main elements used to restore balance after the disturbance has occurred.
“They go to the witch, stand with their heads down and feet up to purify themselves and get rid of those spirits. […] Because it’s said that it goes into them.” (Interview with Pamfil Bilțiu)
The power of words combines with the force of fire, which is why women use them together. When they chant, the old women directly address the spirit with curses, insults, and threats.
“Aren’t you ashamed? You harlot! You wickedness! Suddenly, a wind came and twisted the hay all together, cucu, and it was gone.”
When the Forest Maiden makes a person ill with epilepsy—known as “the evil hour”—they take hair from the Maiden that has snagged on tree branches or at the well, and burn it, using the smoke to fumigate the sick person. “[…] They should be fumigated with it three times a week, and soon they will recover from the evil hour […]”
In the most severe cases, a symbolic death of the patient is performed, purifying them with fire or simulating their hanging, followed by their rebirth.
“[…] And they went to an old woman who made a good fire in the oven and took him as if she were throwing him into the fire.”
The Forest Maiden does not touch solomonari (sorcerers), witches, male witches, werewolves, impotent men, children born at seven months, or twins.
People become ill not only through direct contact with her but also when, unknowingly, they enter her territory, as the area is contaminated with her powers. Sometimes, merely stepping on the Forest Maiden’s tracks triggers her wrath and its effects.
Another supernatural being, opposed to the Forest Maiden, is the Man of the Night, whose primary role is to protect the victims and punish the Forest Maiden. In some stories, it is said that the Man of the Night is the Forest Maiden’s husband, while in others, he is her killer, the one who relentlessly pursues her to destroy her. When he catches her at the sheepfold, the Man of the Night tears her apart, throws her on the fire, roasts her, and then eats her in front of the shepherd.
The Belt and the Red Boot
The belt is one of the main magical tools used to catch the Forest Maiden, utilized in protective and liberating rituals. The belt, a trouser strap, a braided lace, a belt, anything that can be tied around the waist becomes effective. “[…] but it can simply be a linden belt…”. This belt is specially made by women, meaning it has come into contact with other women, and sometimes it has even been worn by the young man’s girl, much like the shirt worn by the young man in the ritual of banishing the female spirit. Even the mere presence of a girl in a room where the Forest Maiden is causes her to disappear.
The belt is also used as a means of protection. For increased effectiveness, various plants can be attached to it—valerian, St. Peter’s wort, garlic, or celandine.
“Then the old woman, skilled in making magic, quickly made linden belts, stripped the linden, the linden bark, placed garlic tips and celandine. And she tied them all tightly at the waist.”
The Forest Maiden can be immobilized with the belt and also with the help of a red boot. A trap is set for her by leaving a single red boot as bait near the well. When she goes to the well to wash, she notices the boot and can’t resist trying it on. Not knowing the clothing customs of humans, the Maiden puts both her feet into the boot and becomes stuck. “If you leave a boot in her path, she gets so excited and puts one foot in. But there’s no space for the other. Then she squeezes both into one boot, and that’s when you can catch her.”
To be released from the trap of the belt and the grip of the red boot, the Maiden is forced to offer people valuable information about healing plants, whose secrets are known only to her.
“[…] And she told him that all flowers are good for healing (…) and the shepherd asked her what cure there is for a sheep when it is sick with jaundice. She told him the cure is pusleacu and a pot with ash.”
Author: Ilinca Micu
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