The Devil in Roumanian folklore by (the late) DR. Agnes MURGOCI and miss helene murgocci. In the book "the devil is a clever cunning spirit, so that, when there is some hopeless muddle, it is said " Even The Devil could not understand " or " The Devil put his tail in it " a bright child is said to be " nakedly devil ".
The Devil in Roumanian folklore by (the late) DR. Agnes MURGOCI and miss helene murgocci. In the book "the devil is a clever cunning spirit, so that, when there is some hopeless muddle, it is said " Even The Devil could not understand " or " The Devil put his tail in it " a bright child is said to be " nakedly devil ".
The Devil in Roumanian folklore by (the late) DR. Agnes MURGOCI and miss helene murgocci. In the book "the devil is a clever cunning spirit, so that, when there is some hopeless muddle, it is said " Even The Devil could not understand " or " The Devil put his tail in it " a bright child is said to be " nakedly devil ".
Source: Folklore, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Jun. 30, 1929), pp. 134-167 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1255832 Accessed: 24/06/2010 11:25 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://dv1litvip.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=fel. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Folklore Enterprises, Ltd. and Taylor & Francis, Ltd. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folklore. http://dv1litvip.jstor.org THE DEVIL IN ROUMANIAN FOLKLORE. BY (THE LATE) DR. AGNES MURGOCI AND MISS HELEN B. MURGOCI. (Read at Meeting, 19th June, 1929.) IN his book on Roumanian folklore 1 Ciausanu says :-" The commonest of all the unclean spirits is the Devil, a clever cunning spirit, so that, when there is some hopeless muddle, it is said " Even the Devil could not understand " or " The Devil put his tail in it," and a bright child is said to be " nakedly devil " ." To the Roumanian peasant the Devil is a very real person, more often mentioned than any other, but the conception of his character is by no means simple. There is a large variety of sayings and stories about the Devil, which result probably from a mixture of several kinds of beliefs, for it is possible to analyse these stories into types, as follows:- I. Those where the Devil is co-creator of the Universe with God. This is a Bogomil or Manichee Devil, who (like God) may be invoked and worshipped. II. Those where the Devil is created by God to keep man in submission and dependence. He plagues mankind, who, in distress, turn to God. III. Those with a more or less Biblical Devil, who is thrown out of heaven to hell, where he tortures sinners. IV. Those where a devil accompanies man. He corre- sponds to and contrasts with the guardian angel. V. Those where man is surrounded by hosts of beings and powers from evil spirits allied to dragons and vampires, to bad beings, the mistresses of the wind, that cause 1Gh. F. Ciauganu, Supersti(file Poporului Romdn. 134 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 135 paralysis. In the stories, the better characterised of these minor evil spirits or devils may be tabulated thus :- (a) Pan-like Devil connected with goats, but also with most other animals. (b) Prometheus-Devil, who steals fire. (c) Puck-like Devil, who annoys man by playing tricks and who can also be a changeling. (d) Giant and Troll Devils, as in the stories of human heroes who, by cleverness, outwit their strength. Always we find that both God and the Devil are thoroughly human beings. There are good and evil, but they shade into each other, and even the Devil is not wholly black. For humans pure goodness is rather beyond reach, and so even the Devil is thought of with some sympathy. It is also considered wise to keep in with the Devil, not only in case of future necessity but also because, besides being clever, he is a person of good faith in his dealings. In his good faith he is often let down and cheated by man, and more so by woman, who is said to " out-devil the Devil," and can turn even the Devil's hair white. A great number of tales of the Devil with variants of various complexity have been recorded and published in Roumania, largely in Ion Creangd, (a folklore journal), in various books and monographs, such as Ciausanu's study of Roumanian folklore, Tudor Pamfile's Diavolul Invrdgbitor al Lumei, (" The Devil as Tempter of Mankind"), and P. Dulfu's chronicle of the adventures of Picalh. It is largely from these that the following translations are made. This selection is not inclusive of all the types, but gives some outline of the range of some of them. Creation of the World, Heaven, and Hell.2 In the Beginning there was water everywhere, and only God and the Devil were wandering about above the water. After 2 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 6. 136 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. they had wandered for seven years, God was tired and sent down the Devil to the bottom of the water to find some seed out of which to make the earth in God's name. The Devil dived and brought up earth in his own name, but it was all washed away. He dived again, and again it was washed away. The third time he dived and brought earth in God's name and his own. This time some of it remained under his nails. This is why, among the Roumanians, only the black under the nails of a man belongs to Satan, the rest to God. Accordingly, that a dead man may not fall into the power of Satan, the greatest care must be taken to clean his nails. In the tale, God then took three of the grains of mud and sand under the Devil's nails, and the rest he left for the Devil. From these three, God made a flat surface of earth, which served as a resting place both for him and for the Devil. The Devil, however, tried to arrange that God should be drowned when he fell asleep, so that he, the Devil, should alone remain and be lord of the earth. God knew what he was plotting, and pretended to sleep. The Devil caught hold of his leg, and tried to drag him into the water, so that he might be drowned. Whenever the Devil gave a big pull, the crust of earth stretched itself out, and so, as the Devil went on pulling in all directions, the earth extended itself and became the earth as we know it. But there were no mountains and valleys at first. The legend which accounts for the mountains and valleys says that as the Devil pulled the earth grew too large,-larger than the water. The Devil ran away, and God tried to think what would be the best thing to do next, but could not make up his mind. So he sent a bee to ask the Devil for his advice. The Devil would not reply to the bee, so the bee hid and listened, knowing that the Devil had the habit of talking to himself. Sure enough, the Devil soon began to speak :-" I wonder God did not think of it himself. Press the earth together, so that there will be mountains and valleys." The bee, when it heard this, was triumphant, and set out on its journey back to God. When the Devil saw it flying away, he knew that he had betrayed himself, and struck at the bee with a whip. The bee, The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 137 which was originally white, turned black with the bruise, and was nearly cut in two as we now see him. The idea that mountains belong to the Devil is wide- spread. In Valcea the inaccessible tops of mountains are said to be "the place where the Devil weaned the child." Another legend of the formation of mountains is that the Devil blew for twenty-four hours to push up the earth, because he wanted to get up to God in heaven, but God only just made the sign of blessing with His hand, and the mountains stopped growing and remained as they are to-day. In all Roumanian creation myths the world is brought up out of the water. The following one differs from the one above in that, after the creation, the Devil, here called Tartar, i.e. Satan, the chief of the devils, takes on a more orthodox character. The Creation of the World. 3 God was born in the air. He was born like the wood worm in the air, in the dark. There was no earth, there was nothing. He made a butterfly from the wood worm, and a man from the butterfly. Then he thought what to do next. He was in the dark, and he thought,-" What can happen with this darkness." And out of his thought the old Tartar originated, and said,-" I am also on these waters." And God asked,- " Who are you ? " " I am the Tartar." " What have you on your claws ? " " Some earth." " Cannot you get me a lump of earth? " " Yes, why not? " said the Tartar. Then he went down through the water to find it, and came back with it to God and gave it to him. God began to weave the earth, and in five days had made it and everything on it. On the sixth day, he saw that it was too big, and did not know what to do. He went to ask all the animals, but he only found the bee. The bee went to ask the hedgehog, as he was the only animal that had not yet been asked. He was in a barrel, and asked the bee,-" Who sends you to me ? " "I come to ask about 3 Ion Creanga, vol. viii, p. 143. 138 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. the earth, because it is too big." The hedgehog drove her away, and would say nothing. The bee pretended to go away, but lingered near and listened. The hedgehog talked to himself, saying,-" They come to ask me because they do not know that they can make the earth smaller by making mountains and valleys." The bee heard this, flew away, and told God, who said,-" What comes from thee shall be holy." Then he made valleys and mountains. The Tartar came with a man made of earth, and said,- " Lord, can you give a soul to this man ? " "I will not give him a soul unless you give him to me. Consider the matter." The Tartar considered, and said,-" Let him be mine when he is dead, and yours when alive." He knew that men would live more dead than alive. God, when he heard that the man was to be his when alive, breathed on him, and gave him a soul. He thought of life in such a way that, giving man life, man would be mostly his. But he saw many dead going down below. He sent an archangel, saying,-" Go and serve below for a year, and see what can be done." The archangel served a year, and asked,-" Tell me, how can God break the contract and get men away from here? " They beat him, and turned him out. He went back to God and told him. God said,--" Go back and serve another year." Again they beat him, and again he came back. God sent him to serve a third year. After the third year, he again asked about the contract. The Tartar replied,-" I see what you are after. It is not possible to break the contract. At least there is just one flower that can break the contract." When God heard this, he said,-" You have done well; it shall be your privilege to take away the souls." God went out and found a lily in flower. He went along the road to the well, and met the Mary, the mother of Our Lord, and said,-" Will you smell this flower of mine? " Mary did not speak, but went home, and told her mother. The mother said,-" You might smell it, to see what the man says." She did not know that the man was God. So Mary went and smelt the flower, and went home to her mother and told her. The mother asked,-" What did he say? " " He did not say The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 139 anything. I smelt the flower, and came away." Then she found she was pregnant, and bore Jesus Christ. In this way mankind have been saved from the old Tartar, and the contract is broken. There is a similar tale of the contract between God and the Devil to divide the world between them in Dr. Gaster's Roumanian Bird and Beast Stories (No. LXX). The dead were for the Devil, the living for God. The Devil lost the contract, but eventually St. Peter found it and got it away safely. Roumanians think that light has its origin in God, darkness in the Devil. The Devil once built himself a house. When it was finished, he did not know how to get light into it, and thought of bringing some in a tub. By chance God passed by and asked,-" What have you done, oh my enemy? " " Look, I have made a house and now I don't know how to fill it with light." " Give it to me." " I'll give it to you." God broke holes in the walls in three places, and put in windows with the woodwork in the form of a cross, so that now the Devil cannot come near the house.4 In Hell devils are supposed to be engaged in torturing sinners, and realistic pictures of hell with devils stabbing, boiling, or roasting people are often seen in peasant houses. Similar frescoes are also found in the roof of the entrance of Roumanian churches, together with representations of heaven. A traditional song says :- "And I saw my dear sweetheart With two devils torturing her, Proudly she tried to get away, And the devils disappeared. She screamed to catch hold of me. I quickly made the sign of the cross; There was a long flight And the devils tried to catch me up." SIon Creangal, vol. iv, p. 20. I40 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. Another song says:- "I went down to the bottom of hell, The horror of heaven And there, in the lowest place, I saw my sweetheart, Some five devils were beating her, And red blood sprang from her." The Tale of Saint Peter among the Devils. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His love for men, went once to hell to see whether, among the sinners there, there might not be some who had been purged of their sins and could be redeemed by their sufferings. With Christ was the Apostle Peter. After they had travelled about in hell in all directions, Christ went outside. Peter was so intent on looking at the sufferings of the sinners that he did not notice when Christ went out. When he looked round, Peter saw himself quite alone in the midst of millions of devils, who were looking askance at him, and he searched everywhere up and down, up and down, but could not find the door, for he was in the lowest depths of hell. What ever was he to do to get out ? He did not like to ask his way, but he did not want to stay in hell, for he did not know what the devils might do, so he made a cunning plan. He found that fortunately he had a bit of string in his pocket, so he pretended to be taking measurements. He put bits of sticks into the ground to mark certain places and pretended to be making calculations and taking notes all the time. The autocrat of the devils saw him, and sent a little boy devil to him to ask what he was doing. The little devil hurried up, and asked,-" What are you doing here, Peter ? " " What am I doing ? I am measuring off the ground so as to build a church." " A church here ? " " Yes, why not ? " The little devil rushed back at full speed, and, still panting, told the autocrat what he had heard. The autocrat sent another devil, an older one, to invite Peter to take his departure. This devil went up to the saint :-" Peter, my master begs you The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 141 to remove yourself from here as quickly as possible." "That is not possible," said Peter; " I have come here to build a church, and I am going to build one." When the autocrat grasped this, he made a sign, and all the other devils big and small, young and old, crowded round him. I do not know what he said to them, but they all rushed at Saint Peter, picked him up, brought him to the door of hell, and gave him a good shove outside. Saint Peter was pretty glad to get out to the light again, but the devils were more than glad to escape from a visitor who was as welcome to them as dust in the eye, and to see him taken out like a bad tooth. In one conception of Hell, it is supposed to have its foundations resting on seven old women, for women can go one better than the Devil. If one old woman gives way, the Devil has to go and find another as soon as may be, to take her place.5 The Devil and Animals. The Devil can take the form of almost any animal except the cock, the sheep, and the bee. The bee is sacred, for out of its wax the tapers used in church are made. One way of saying that the Devil cannot take the form of a sheep, is that he cannot take the form of any animal unless he can count its hairs.6 Animals with special relationship to the devil are goats and wolves, dogs, cats, geese, rams, and bulls. Dr. Gaster (op. cit.) gives a large number of tales and legends accounting for the origin I and form of particular animals, and of their bargains with the Devil. The Devil is often co-creator of animals, as of the Universe, as in the tale 8 where the goat is his version of what the lamb, God's 5 T. Stratilescu, From Carpathian to Pindus, p. 172. 6 T. Stratilescu, op. cit., p. 171. 7 M. Gaster, op. cit., Nos. v, xiv, xxii, (Origin of glowworms, of the dragon-fly, and of the worms in apples). 8 Ibid., Nos. vii, x. 142 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. creation, should be. The Devil also is 'described as stealing fire from God 9 accompanied by a company of goats. God, seeing them, threw hot stuff out of a pot and burnt their knees, baring them, as they still are. The Devil tries to steal the sun from heaven but is beaten by saints.1o Often the devils are thought of as fallen angels, still fighting to regain heaven." The Devil makes attempts to enter or destroy the Ark, and Noah battles with him in his various forms; one tale accounts for the origin of fleas, and another for the reason why cats are possessed of the Devil.'2 The Devil is the subject of dispute between Adam and Eve.13 The cock is holy; a representation of a cock set on the top of a house wards off evil spirits. Carved or wooden cocks are put on houses in Oltenia. Even metal ones are found in Bucuresti. The cock is thought to be an angel made visible. Anyone swearing at the cock and wishing it were at the Devil, is thought to be a bad man who will go to hell. The crowing of the cock diminishes the power of the Devil, because spirits flee from noise. A man should give away at least one cock in his lifetime 14 for the souls of the dead, so that in the other world, when the Devil comes and demands his soul, the cock will begin to crow and the Devil will flee. Cocks and hens are sacrificed and built in the foundations of buildings and at graves. A black cock is specially valued as keeping off evil. If a hen lays a misshapen egg, and any one keeps it for nine days and nine nights with hands crossed in an empty house, where there is no cross or ikon, a little tiny black chicken will come out, and that is the Devil. The Devil is the servant of the man who kept the egg, and can be sent anywhere, but care must be taken or it will die when you 9 M. Gaster, op. cit., No. x. 10 Ibid., No. xv. " Ibid., Nos. v, xiv. 12 Ibid., Nos. lxviii, lxxi. 13 Ibid., No. lxvii. 14 Ion Creanga, vol. iv, p. 18o. The Devil in Roumanian Follkore. 143 don't expect it, before the tenth day. If you crack the egg and spread it on a.plate, without squeezing, there will be a serpent's head.15 In Valcea, any monster that is born is supposed to have the Devil as its father. A story is told of a horror of a creature who was taken to the shore of a lake. As soon as this unholy creature saw the water, he dashed into it and was no more seen.16 Changelings and Sick Children. It is thought that evil spirits, Vidmele, Smeoaice, or even devils pure and simple, take away children that they find alone and are beautiful, and replace them by their own breed.' The changeling is always ugly and sucks vora- ciously. In fact a voracious appetite and continuous wasting are characteristics of changelings. To get back your own child, take three hazel rods grown in the same year, bring the changeling to a rubbish heap after sunset at new moon, and beat him with the rods. The spirits will bring back your own child. If a mother loses all her children, or if they are sickly, which means that the Devil (ducd-se-pe pustii) is torturing them, it is the custom to change their names and deceive the Devil. The name must be changed in this way. A woman who loses her sons looks out for another woman whose sons are strong and arranges as follows :-She comes to her house, approaches the window, and calls to the woman inside, who does not go to the door :-" Do you happen to have a boy? " " Yes, I have." " Will you sell him ? " The bargaining goes on as if for a purchase or interchange of their children, so that the Devil will be cheated and will lose trace of the sick son. Children are 15 Ibid., vol. v, p. 270. 16 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 222. 17 Ibid., p. 381. Cf. Folk-Lore, vol. xxxvii, p. 334, " The Vampire in Roumanian Folklore." 144 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. often called Wolf, Bear, Horror, Ugly One, so as to frighten away the Devil.18 The Devil and Man. Tudor Pamfile gives the following list of attributes of the Devil as tempter of man, the Devil being thought of variously as, e.g., a more or less Biblical devil, attendant tempter, or player of evil tricks. I. The Devil who ruined the happiness of Adam and Eve. II. The Devil who prevented Noah from building his Ark and later tried to drown him. III. The Devil who causes the fall of man through wine and alcohol. IV. The Devil who makes people laugh in Church and forget God. V. The Devil who never builds a church and takes joy in separating husband from wife, and friend from friend.'9 To work his ends the Devil can take the appearance of men, or can work through those men, or more especially old women, who have dealings with him. Thus an old woman will invent proofs for the husband of his wife's unfaithfulness, with the result that he kills his wife and commits suicide. At the old woman's success even the Devil is horrified. The Devil is supposed to stand on the left of a man. The left hand and foot are his. Adam and the Devil made a bargain that the seed of Adam should belong to the Devil, and wrote it on a brick. Christ at His baptism stood on it in the waters of Jordan, and destroyed it. Since then God has put an angel at the right hand of man, and at the left is a devil. The devil tempts him to evil, the angel leads him to good. Man listens sometimes to one, sometimes to another. When 18s Ciau?anu, op. cit., p. 384. 19 Tudor Pamfile, Diavolul Invra'gbitor al Lumei, p. 8. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 145 man listens to the devil the angel weeps, and the devil laughs. As man is weak, the angel might easily leave him, but one good deed cancels three sins. But, if anyone attack another man with a knife, the angel of the former goes away and does not return for forty days.20 In VAlcea people say,-" What did the Devil whisper ? " " What did the Devil advise you to do ?" There are also the verses : " Under the heel of my boots Lie the devil and a woman And they teach me to do evil." This idea that the devil is always at the side of anyone comes out in two variants of the story of the disputing wife, and in all of the following tales. In the first the wife insisted on going first,-an unheard of thing among Roumanian peasants. She said,-" The duck first," her husband saying " The drake first." Tired of her persistence, the husband drowned her, but even half-drowned she gurgled up through the water " The duck first." 21 The devil came up to the husband, who told him,-" She was dreadful; she made my hair grey." The devil said she had turned his hair white. The bleaching of the devil's hair refers to her own attendant devil, and probably not to any other relationship with the Devil. In a second variant, the wife insisted on calling her husband pdduche lesinat, (louse in a faint), and even with her head under water, half-drowned, made the motion of squashing a louse. Once a man sat down at table and did not make the sign of the cross. The devil clapped his hands, and said,- 20o on Creanga, vol. iv, p. 144. 21 This reminds one of the Yorkshire story of the dispute between the weaver and his wife whether the web of cloth should be cut with a knife or with scissors. The weaver throws his wife into the mill dam, and, when she comes up for the third and last time and is unable to speak, she makes with her fingers the motion of cutting with scissors. [ED.] K 146 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. " Look ! he does not cross himself ; he is mine." " Wait," said the angel gently. " He is very hungry. When he has eaten, you will see that he will thank God." The man finished, yawned, stretched himself on the bed, took charcoal from the fire to light his pipe, and burnt himself. He swore a great oath, so that the angel went away crying but the devil was joyful, for he had gained a soul.22 The Devil and Churchgoing.23 A young girl was going to church. The Devil changed himself into an old woman, and came to meet her. " Where are you going, young girl ? " said the Devil. "I am going to church, grandmother." "The church,-what should you do at church ? Only old men and women go there. You will go later on, but look at the dancing in the valley; what dancing ! You should go and dance too." " That is a good idea, grand- mother." Time passed and the girl grew up. She went again to church. The Devil again turned into an old woman and met her. " Where are you going, pretty girl ? " " I am going to church, grandmother." "A pretty girl at church ! Who ever heard of such a thing ? There are only old men and women there, pretty girls let youths make love to them and dance in the village dances. Go, and be friendly with the youths. Now is the time." " What a good idea, grandmother! " Time passed, and the pretty young girl married and went to church. Again the Devil in the form of an old woman met her. " Where are you going, young wife ? " " I'm going to church, grandmother! ." " Dear young wife, how can a young woman like you go to church ? How can you leave husband and children alone at home. A child might be burnt, or anything dreadful might happen. Time enough to go to church when you are an old woman." " That is right, grandmother." The wife became an old woman. Again she went to church, and again the Devil in the form of an old woman met her. " Where are you going ? " "To church! " " To church ! 22 Ion Creanga, vol. vi, p. 362. 2a Ibid., vol. iv, p. 385. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 147 What are you going to do there ? You don't hear well, your feet ache, you cough, you may faint, and people will laugh. If you die, you will come to church then." " You are right." So this soul fell into the power of the devil. The Monk and the Devil.24 This is the way of the devil, the servant of Satan. He persisted in tempting a poor monk. He did hundreds and thousands of impish tricks every day; he overturned the pot with potatoes on the fire; he threw down the monk's hood; he hid his slippers or his rosary. Even when the monk was praying, the wretched devil showed himself in his real form, and made the poor monk forget his prayers and everything else. At length the monk, monk though he was, lost patience and began to swear. The devil bubbled over with joy, and danced and played, as if possessed by Iele, and rejoiced because he had worn down the patience of the monk. The tricks went on, and the monk tried to find out what was the matter. " What do you want, devil, that you do not leave me alone ? " " I'll leave you alone, but do just one thing to please me, just one! " "What do you want me to do? " " One of three things,-either get drunk, or go with a loose woman, or commit murder.. Choose just one, and I'll swear by the lowest depths of hell that I'll leave you alone." The poor monk was upset, but did not think that much harm would be done if he got drunk just once. " Well, I'll do what you want, devil, I'll get drunk to-morrow, just to get rid of you." " You'll get rid of me, your holiness," said the devil, and grinned mockingly. Then he drew himself up proudly and went to the Tartar, to tell what he had done. " Has he decided to get drunk, little one ? " asked the Tartar of the devil. " To get drunk, to get drunk," said the little devil, and all the devils laughed till hell shook. The monk left his cell, went to an inn, got drunk, and was turned out. On the road he met a woman, and Satan, who now had him in his power, on account of drunkenness, awaked other feelings in him, and another sin followed drunkenness. 24 Ibid., vol. viii, p. 74. 148 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. Then he thought that the woman would betray him, so he murdered her and went away. He had not gone two steps when he heard a voice,-" Your holiness, not that way, come this way." This was the devil, who had long been waiting for him. " Well, devil, won't you leave me in peace even now? Have I not done what you wanted ? " " Yes, you have, only too well, and you are so dear to me that I cannot bear to part with you and want to take you to our kingdom so that our Tartar may see you. You cannot imagine how he longs to see you and all other drunkards." The Story of Tobacco.26 This plant did not grow on earth at the beginning of things; for at the beginning men were good and God did not let them have poisonous plants. At the time when God and St. Peter used to wander about the earth, there was in the country of black men a monastery. The monks had such faith and charity that even the Devil was envious. One day the Devil met God and asked him for leave to try his luck with the monks of the monastery. As God had absolute confidence in the monks, he allowed the Devil to try his arts on them. The Devil worked in vain for -a year; the faithful monks would not listen to him. One night, tired out, he tried for the last time. He thought that he had caught them, but he was mistaken. Now he forgot that day was approaching. All of a sudden the cock crew, and there was a tremendous explosion. The Devil had burst, and sunk into the earth so that no trace of him was seen. At the place where he burst a plant grew which the monks called tobacco. How the Old Woman got the better of the Devil. The Devil came to an old woman and said,-" Baba (old woman), I've come for your soul." " Take it," said she, " if you can do the task I shall set you." " I can do anything, baba; 25 Ion Creangi, vol. vii, p. 202. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 149 hurry up and tell me what it is." " Bring me home bubbles from the water of the river." The Devil went away and took a veil to collect the bubbles. On the way back from the river, the bubbles broke, and he went back again to fill the veil a second time with bubbles. Again and again the bubbles broke, so that from the evening to the next morning the Devil spent his time running from the river a little way towards the baba's house and back again to the river, but he never succeeded in bringing her any bubbles. When daybreak came, he was obliged to disappear, and so the old woman was left in peace. The Fight between the Old Woman and the Devil. The Devil came one evening to an old woman to take her soul. The old woman resisted, and said,-" Let us have a fight, and, if you beat me, then you can take my soul; if I beat you, let me never see you darkening these doors again." The baba gave the Devil several clubs and sticks, so that he could choose the strongest. The Devil chose a long tough stick, thinking that with this he could make a speedy end of the baba. The old woman took a short heavy club with which she could give painful blows at a short range. She called the Devil into her room, locked the door, and began the fight. When the Devil wanted to strike the old woman, the long stick struck the wall, and the old woman got underneath it and hit away at the Devil with her short club till he smarted all over. In this way the baba tormented the Devil till daybreak, and then the Devil disappeared, never to come back again. The Devil and St. Elijah. Saint Elijah has orders to strike with thunderbolts all devils thrust out of heaven. God, however, following the advice of the Devil, Himself arranged a plan for some devils to be spared, so that men might be obliged to turn to God himself for help. The power of St. Elijah to kill devils was to be limited to his own name's day. St. Elijah, however, does not know when his name's day is, 150 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. and so tries to kill devils all the year round. He aims at the devil wherever he may be, striking even church towers, should the devil hide there. Man must therefore be very careful where he stands during a thunderstorm. As the Devil often enters into cats and dogs, it is well to keep away from them. Men who speak blasphemies, and thus do the work of the Devil, may be struck; thus, if a man blasphemes, bystanders will say,-" May the Saint strike you with thunder." Safety can be attained by lighting an Easter candle, or by putting an axe in the yard and sprinkling salt on it.26 Why St. Elijah is so Angry with the Devil. Once, when St. Elijah was walking about on earth, he met the Devil. The Devil said,--" What, Elijah, you walking about here, while your wife sleeps with a lover in her bed !" St. Elijah, hearing himself called by his name, asked,-" How do you know that my name is Elijah ?" " How should I not know, since I am the Devil? " At this St. Elijah went home. He arrived at night, and saw his wife in bed with a tall youth beside her. The youth was his son, but Elijah did not recognise him, for it was long since he had left home. Immediately, he drew his sword and cut off their heads. His mother, who slept in another bed, woke up and, seeing what was done, said,- " Elijah, Elijah, what have you done ? Don't you see that you have killed your wife and son? " St. Elijah, when he understood, wept bitterly, and told his mother everything that had happened. Then, as a punishment, he went to the wilderness and stayed three years there, eating what he could find. After three years had passed, he heard a bell ringing in heaven, calling all saints to come together, so that each should be told what service he should perform. When he came to St. Elijah, God asked him,-" What service shall I give you, Elijah ? " " 0 Lord," said Saint Elijah, " give me the Devil."' " Good," said the Lord, " I'll give him to you." 26 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 223. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 151 Then St. Elijah began to send thunder and lightning, so that unborn calves and children sprang from their mothers. Then his mother, out of pity for those on earth, cursed him, saying that he should lose the use of his right hand. So now St. Elijah is able to send lightning with his left hand only; also he does not know when his name's day is, for, if he did, he would do too much mischief. He asks God when his day is, and God, having pity on the world, says either that it has passed, or that it is a good way off. 27 St. Spiridon and the Devil. 28 Once when he was a little boy of about eleven, St. Spiridon went with his mother to a shoemaker, to order a pair of shoes. The bootmaker, a disagreeable man, asked too much for a little pair of boots for a boy, in fact just at the same time he was asking less from another customer, a grown man and a rich one. Spiridon's mother was poor and did not have the money to pay, so he did not get his shoes. Spiridon was distressed by this way of doing business, and resolved to become a shoemaker, but never to look at his customers. He carried out his intention; when he was taking the measure for shoes he asked his customer to press his foot into ashes. Obtaining the size of the foot in this way, he never made mistakes. He never bargained about the price, but took what people gave him, so that everyone was satisfied, rich and poor alike. He never lost, for if the poor people gave him 4 or 5 coins, the rich gave him Io, and he also was satisfied. One day a very beautiful woman came from no one knows where. When Spiridon had taken her measure with the ashes, she said,-" Shoes for my feet are very small, please make them cheaper, not like other people's." Spiridon was surprised to find some one who did not know his custom about payment, and looked up at his customer to see who she was. He was struck by her beauty, but, remembering his oath never to look at a customer, he stuck his awl in his eye and put it out, saying,- " You have seen, you must suffer for it." The woman vanished, as if by magic, and Spiridon understood that it was the Devil, 27 Ion Creangd, vol. vi, p. 342. 28 Ibid., vol. viii, p. 141. 152 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. who had come in the form of a woman to tempt him. He took his eye from the point of his awl and put it back. It healed at once, just as if nothing had happened. From that day, he was counted a saint, and people spoke of St. Spiridon, the cobbler. His day is kept as a feast day by all Christians, and especially by cobblers, who rest on it and do not even hammer in a single nail. In Roumania, the Devil is especially associated with lost property. When a thing is lost, it is said that the Devil has put his tail on it. There is a special method of getting the Devil to remove his tail. The person who wishes to find the object ties a knot in his belt and says :- " Give up, Devil, what you have stolen, For, if not, I will tie up your beard And hang you to the axle of the mill wheel." If the object is not found, a second knot is tied and the incantation repeated. It is likely that the object will then be found, for the devil is afraid of three knots. If it is found, the knots must be untied; if not, a third knot is tied and the sign of the cross made. Then, spitting on the palm, the following verse is repeated:- "Give up, Devil, what you have stolen, Or I'll hang you up and beat you With the iron of the plough upon your back." Then a quick movement is made with the hand, and where the spittle falls, the lost object will be found. 29 There are many tales in Roumanian folklore, some of almost epic character, dealing with various adventures of man and the Devil, of battles between God and the Devil, and of the dealings of women with the Devil. Of the following tales, the first describes the origin of the con- stellations, the others are typical of many tales of the prowess of man among the Devil's host. The tricks that 29 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 220. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 153 Sdrunc plays (in the tale told here), are also often ascribed to P~calA. The Heavens.30 When the world was created, heaven was very near the earth, but men were too dull to appreciate the goodness of God in this arrangement, for it was no small thing for man to have God near him, and to ask his advice, just as he would ask the advice of a good father, any time he needed. The dullness of mankind reached such a point that one day a woman threw up into heaven a child's dirty garment, which might well have stained the purity of heaven. God was very angry, and moved away heaven so far from earth that we now say " As far as the heavens are from the earth." Heaven thus being far from earth, poor men were more unfortunate than before, and this on account of a woman, so that we say " long skirts and short wits." Men could no longer ask God's advice, and they had not much confidence in the advice of their wives, for, as they say,-" Women have no great understanding except perhaps of evil things." Accordingly, a man, who felt that he had great need of God's advice, set out on a journey through the heavens to get to God. Knowing that it would be a long journey, for the earth is very, very far from Heaven, and that he would be a long time away from home, the man took many things with him; for example, his big wagon with four oxen, the smaller wagon, the wall light from his house, the cross from the church, the well from the cross roads, a hatchet, a gimlet, a sickle, a scythe, a plough, the big dog from the sheep fold, the little dog from the yard, the hen and chickens, the sow and her sucking pigs, the shepherd from the sheep fold, the cowherd, the driver of the horses, the swine herd, and the hora (youths and maidens dancing a round dance) from the village. This was all because he wanted to present himself before God like the good Christian he was. He also took care to have everything needful for the road, and folk to talk to on such a long and bitter journey, folk who would help him in time of need. Then he took both seed corn, 30 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 55. 154 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. and maize for seed, so that, when he arrived in the great plain of Heaven, he could sow his seed, waiting and eating the provisions he had brought with him till the corn was ripe; he could then mow the corn and gather his maize, and have plenty of provisions with which to pursue his way still further. Doing this, the man wended his way further and still further, until he was about halfway to heaven. At this point the Devil met him. " Where are you going to? " " That's not your business." " Who are you looking for? " " Get out of my way, and take yourself off quick." " A nice temper you have ! " " You are a villain and a beast ! " And with you are this, and you are that, they had a downright good quarrel. The Devil took from his bag the dragon and a hideous serpent, the bear, a poisonous scorpion, a wild horse, and a human skull, and threw them at the man to frighten him. The man, however, was not frightened, and without losing his presence of mind,-for Roumanians are not easily scared,-he joined battle with the Devil like a warrior; in fact so much like a warrior that out of a little wrestling match there grew a great battle in Heaven which is going on to-day and will go on for ages. This battle is a mighty wind; if it touches a bird, the bird immediately becomes mad, and falls down dead. If an animal eats the bird, the animal also becomes mad. In the middle of this battle between the man and the Devil, the little dog, small but vicious, rushes up to the horse and bites him; the horse with the dog at his legs, seeing the big dog coming after the little one, is seized with panic and flees for his life. The shepherd smashes in the head of the dragon with the wooden collar he uses for carrying milk pails. The cowherd drives away the serpent with the aid of the dancers, and the serpent flying away is still seen in the sky. The coach- man (or charioteer) breaks the skull with the hatchet. The scorpion stretches out its claws towards the man, and tries to help the Devil, but, when it sees that the man is getting the better of the Devil, it becomes furious, blood starts to its eyes, and it remains with all its legs and claws stuck out and its gall bladder burst through sheer rage. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 155 Only the oxen from the big wagon do not bear themselves well in the struggle, for they are frightened by the bear. Even the bear freezes with fear when he sees how the man beats down the Devil, for the Devil is beside the bear, and the bear sees that his turn is just going to come. So the bear does not give any more trouble in the fight. All this can still be seen in Heaven. In the midst of all, there is the man (Hercules) standing up proudly as a conqueror, but the Devil is beaten and hardly dare move any more. The man has a regal mien, as God intended he should have even on the earth, so that the Devil should go about in fear of him and acknowledge him as his master. To conclude, the path followed by the man is well known. It is seen on clear nights when there is no moon, and it is called the Milky Way. It is called milky because it was whitened by milk spilt from the pails of the shepherd. The shepherd needed his carrying collar as a weapon against the dragon, and, pulling out his collar quickly, he overturned his pails, and the milk was spilt all over the path and ran and ran, making all the path white. Sdrunc, spaima smeilor (Sdrunc, dreaded by devils).31 There was once a poor peasant who had seven sons for whom he did not know how to find enough food. One day he arranged to lose them in the forest, but the youngest son, called Sdrunc, who was the cleverest, brought them all home again. Again the peasant arranged to lose them, and this time Sdrunc was lost. He wandered alone until he suddenly came upon an encamp- ment of devils. He asked them for food; they gave him some. He asked to be taken into their service; they said they would, if they found that such a weak little fellow could do anything for them. On the first day they sent him to the spring to bring water. He could not even carry the pail they gave him, so he went away with a spade and did not come back. After a while, the 31 From oral tradition. The resemblance of the opening sentences to Perrault's Little Tom Thumb will be noticed, and also items parallel to well-known episodes in Grimm's Kinder- und Haus-mdrchen. [ED.] 156 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. devils went to see what he could be doing. He was digging round the spring. They asked him why he did not come back with the water, but he replied that, as the devils always needed water, he thought it would save time if he brought back the whole well with him. The second day they sent him to cut down trees. He could not even use their axe, so he went away, taking a long rope with him. Again, after waiting, the devils went to see what he was doing and found him tying the trees together, to bring the whole forest home. The devils began to be impressed, and so, on the third day, asked him to tame a dreadful wild animal, that had been kicking them all. Sdrunc, seeing this was nothing more than a horse, sprang on its back and paraded it round for the devils. These episodes continue. Sdrunc squeezes water out of a stone, which was no more than a piece of cheese; he throws a stone up into heaven, the stone being a bird. In the end the devils became anxious to get rid of him. He was quite willing to go home if the devils would carry his wages, some bags of gold. They. set out, a poor devil panting with the weight of the gold. Sdrunc was very light, so, as the devil drew in his breath, Sdrunc was pulled back with the inrush of air, and blown far ahead as the devil breathed out. The devil asked why he was always coming backwards and forwards. Sdrunc replied,-" I rush on because I am so eager to see my village again; then I think of my money and come to see if it is safe." When they approached the village, Sdrunc made a great rush ahead, and told all the children to get knives and forks from their houses and come out into the street, brandishing these and singing :- " We'd like to eat Some devil's meat ! " again and again. Sdrunc went back to where the devil was, and they entered the village together. There were dozens and dozens of children singing and beating their knives and forks. The poor devil was panic-struck. He dropped the gold, and tore off home as fast as his legs would carry him. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 157 Pdcald. There is in Roumanian a cycle of stories about a man Pdcald, who sometimes by simplicity, sometimes by intelligence, comes off the best in his dealings with his fellow men. There is a very cruel village priest who hires his servants with the agreement that, if they are angry with him, he has the right to cut their noses off; if he is angry with them they have the right to beat him. Picala finds that his two brothers have been in the service of this priest; he has treated them out- rageously, and cut their noses off. To avenge them he enters the priest's service for a year, " till the cuckoo is heard calling," -with the agreement that if he is angry the priest may cut off his nose; if the priest is angry, he may beat the priest. Then follow a whole series of adventures. Picala is told to build a bridge, with one step hard and the next soft. He does it by killing the goats of the priest, and arranging them alter- nately on their backs and on their bellies. The priest wants to be angry, but dare not because of the beating. The priest wants to get rid of Picala, and so sends him deep into the woods to a place called the " bear's den" to bring wood. Pacala goes, the oxen of his ox cart are eaten by a wolf and a bear, and he harnesses the wolf and the bear instead of the oxen. They return from that ride With the oxen inside, And a smile on the face of Picalh, so Pacala scores again. Now the priest tells his mother-in-law,--(his wife was killed in one of the little incidents with Picala),-to fill three sacks with ashes. He calls Picala, and says,-" Look ! There are three sacks,-one with rye, one with maize, and one with wheat. Take them now immediately, and bring them to the mill to be ground. But not any mill will do. You must take them to a mill that grinds very quickly. You must take them to the Devil's Mill, and be back to-morrow morning at daybreak." Pacala takes some provisions for the journey, and goes away quite cheerfully, although he is fully aware of the stories about the place,-that any one who goes to the Devil's Mill at night never returns. 158 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. He travels along, the night comes on, and the stars come out. Finally he arrives at the Devil's Mill, not at all afraid, but full of curiosity to know what kind of creatures devils are. He pushes at the door, and calls,-" Hallo, miller, are you there, are you sleeping ? Get up ! " No reply-the mill is empty. " Well," thinks Picali, " I'm hungry. While I am waiting, I'll get myself some supper." So he lit a fire on the hearth, and cut himself a long stick; he cut a slice of bacon, put it on his stick, and began to roast it. Just. as he was doing this, a voice called,-" Who's there? " The door was forced open, and in came a devil. Pdcald took a good look at him, his black skin, his horns, and his tail, and thought,-" Well, if they are all like that, they are not a handsome lot," and he began to laugh out loud. The devil looked at him surprised, and said,- "Have you not a tongue in your mouth? Who are you ? " " Who should I be ? I myself is the name my god- father gave me at baptism." "I myself, I'm glad to meet you. And what are you doing at the fire ? " " Don't you see ? I'm roasting meat for my supper." " How jolly! I'd like to sup with you. I've eaten nothing all day." " Oh! are you hungry ? Well, if you go outside to the marsh, you will see as much meat as you want." So the devil went out, and came back in a minute with a long stick like Pacala's and with a frog impaled on it. They both sat by the fire, and went on roasting. The devil, as if by accident, brings his frog up against Pacald's bacon. " Here, don't do that. You'll spoil my bacon." The devil kept off for a bit, but again brought up his frog against the bacon. Pdcala jumped on the devil, and brought his stick with the bacon down on the devil's head with such force that his eyes burst. " Now, let that be a lesson to you." Then Picala cut himself another slice of bacon and went on roasting. The devil called out,-" Oh! oh! I'm dying! To the rescue, brothers " In a minute the whole mill was filled with horned devils. "What, brother, what's the matter, why do you call out so wildly ? " " Why, I've lost my sight." " But who has done this ? " " I myself, with the roast on the stick." " Well, then, why don't you take care ? Who's hurting you, The Devil in Roumanian Follkore. 159 if you yourself have blinded yourself ? " "I myself, don't you hear? " and he ran madly round the mill. " Be quiet, brother, be quiet; it will get better. Go behind the mill and wash with cold water." So he went off, and all the other devils gathered round Picala and began to ask him who he was and what his business was at the mill. He said angrily,-" The mill,-this is not a mill! Look at these sacks behind the door! I came to get my wheat ground, and I thought I was coming to a decent mill. How could I know that this was a robber's den ? " The devils all started in surprise. " What, fellow, do you dare to speak of our mill in this way? " " Why not? I came with maize in one sack, with wheat in one, and with rye in the third, and now look,-nothing but ashes ! You have robbed me in the night of my hard-earned bread, and left me nothing but ashes. Now you wish that I should be silent. Where else in all the world are such swindlers ? " " Swindlers in our mill," said the devils with one voice, " You are mad." " But it is so." " It is not possible ! Clear out ! " " What, don't you believe me, tartars ? Just look in the sacks." " We will look," replied a devil, " and, if you lie, it will go badly with you." The devil went to see, and came back and said,-" Ill luck ! It is ashes, brothers, nothing but ashes in all three sacks. The poor man was right. Who could have done this ? " " Who else but you yourselves ? " called Pacala. " I'll tell my folk about this, and about your old mill. Don't forget. No human foot will ever come here again." The devils tried to calm him down. " Forgive us. Don't be angry. We will make it up. It will be all right. What has happened will never happen again." So they rushed away, emptied out all the ashes, and filled the sacks with beautiful flour,-maize, wheat, and rye,-and carried them down to the ox cart. " Now, are you satisfied ? " " Yes, I am satisfied." " Pleasant journey, and don't tell your folk what happened with the sacks. We don't want our mill to have a bad name among humans." " Well," said Picala. " From now on there is no mill in the world like yours." And yoking up his oxen, he set off. i 6o The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. The priest was just saying,-" He has not come back and it is already daylight. The devils will have torn him to pieces with their claws. How glad I am ! " when all at once in came Pacal- with his cart. " Ah ! you come! " Then he mastered his rage, and asked,-" Well, what's your news ? " " Good news. I've got back safely." " What was the mill like ? " " Ah! master, if you knew what was there. Devils straight from hell." " What, and nothing happened to you ? " " Oh, yes ! The unholy creatures stole my maize, rye, and wheat and put ashes instead. But I gave them what for. There was one quite offensive, and I gave him such a blow that his eyes started out. As for the rest, I talked to them so strongly about the theft that they were frightened and went off, poor things, to fill my sacks with flour." " Is it possible ! " said the priest. " Well," said Pacala, " if you don't believe me, look and see." The priest went and saw the flour, and said to his mother-in- law,-" Mother, come and look ! Have you ever seen anything like it! What shall we do, how shall we get rid of him, when he is able even to blind the Devil ? " 32 Games. The Devil is such an accepted person in Roumanian society that he enters even into children's games. When children, tending sheep in pastures, want to make a fire to bake maize or sweet marrow, and the flint and tinder do not light, they sing out as they strike,- " Ajutd Doamne, (Give help, Lord, Ajutd Drace !" Give help, Devil).33 In an indoor game for children, two children,-one re- presenting an angel, the other a devil,-go out. The others choose a name from their chief, God, who calls them by names of flowers etc. One from outside knocks, and is asked what he wants. If he guesses a name, the child goes over to him. This goes on until all are gone over either to the angel, or to the devil.34 32 P. Dulfu, Isprdvile lui Pdcald. 3' Ibid, vol. vi, p. 214. 33 Ion Creangd, vol. vi, p. 183. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 161 Proverbs, Sayings, and Beliefs. The most current ideas of the Devil are probably best expressed in the proverbs. Roumanian proverbs are, however, of such perfect form and terseness that transla- tions are difficult to make, and the result is inadequate. The following are extracted from Proverbile Romdnilor, collected by I. Zanne, (1907) :- Only the Devil is poor, for he has no soul. (2713) When God gives, even the Devil can't alter things. (2736) Great is God, but the Devil is clever too. (2732) Believe in God, but don't forget the Devil. (2733) Bow down before God, but don't quarrel with the Devil. (2734) It is a good thing to give a candle to the Devil also. (2688) Be friends with the Devil till you have passed the bridge. (2702) Be friends with the Devil till you have crossed the lake with him. (2701) Don't teach the Devil to swim, to drown children, to wean children, to shoot with a gun. (2697, 2700) He who plays with the Devil, gets to the Devil's father, (or, similarly, he who escapes from the Devil). (2693-4) To escape from the Devil and to fall into the lake. (2695) I fled from one Devil and met another. (2765) With speech to God and heart to the Devil. (2740) With body in church and mind with the Devil. (1039) A Christian with a cross in his bosom and the Devil on his back. (2671) You cannot have your soul in heaven and the Devil in your pocket. (2684) Make a big cross, for the Devil is old. (2690) A man laughs at men, but the Devil at everyone (women also). (2700) The Devil laughs at the ripe maize, but is blacker than it. (2681) Even the Devil does not want a bad man. (3514) When the Devil was old, he became a monk (or a hermit). (2707) 162 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. When the Devil has nothing to do, he lights his pipe. (2689) Even the Devil did not think of doing that. (2730) Run away, like the Devil from incense. (2721) The man after money would take the Devil's daughter. (3526) Catch the Devil, take out his eyes. (2718) Looking after the Devil's eggs. (2720) The Devil put his tail on it. (2724) Keep your tail to yourself ! (2726) Better a black devil than a white one. (2705) The Devil's hair also, she turned white. (2728) What the old woman does, even the Devil cannot undo. (2722) You bring the Devil in with the band (at the wedding), but you can't drive him out with a hundred soldiers. Not in vain did the Devil wear out his shoes to bring them together (both bad). (2711) Neither hell, nor woman, nor the parched earth will say "Enough.'" ' (2748). Ciausanu (op. cit.) gives the following sayings and beliefs : When there is sunshine and rain at the same time, the Devil is beating his wife. (p. 62) Don't leave vessels uncovered at night, for, if you do, the Devil will wash in them. (p. 1077) The skull of dead cattle guards against ielele (vide infra, p. 165), if put on the fence. (p. 1799) The following are from Ion Creangd :- The Devil is not as black as he paints himself. (Vol. iii, No. 45) Everything is begun by God and finished by the Devil, but some are begun by the Devil and finished by God. (Vol. v, No. 964) If two people are talking and say the same word together, then a devil dies. (Vol. vi, No. 1392) If you cut your nails on Sunday or a festival, they will dry up; cut them on a Saturday, for then a devil will burst. (Vol. vi, No. 1335) The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 163 Do not get water from the well at night, for you will see the Devil. (Vol. ix, No. 232) Where there is a whirlpool, there the Devil is playing. (Vol. vi, No. 1344) When a person with black hair wakes from sleep to find it turned white, the Devil is said to have bleached it, to draw the man into his ways. (Vol. vi, No. 1632) If you sleep out of doors in the springtime, especially if on grass, ielele will come upon you and will leave you wrymouthed or with a powerless leg. (Vol. vi, No. 1505) These appear in Gorovei's Credinti si Superstitii al Poporului Romdn (1914) : When many people are together and there is a sudden silence, a devil is born. (1157) If someone calls, do not answer. If someone calls you outside do not go, for the Devil in man's shape is calling. (1158. Cf. Folk-Lore, vol. xxxvii, p. 334) If at night someone calls you through the window, do not go out until the third calling, for otherwise you will either be lost or die, for the Devil called you. The Devil cannot call three times. (1I89) Do not sleep with your girdle near your head, for the Devil will come to hang you. (I165) When you go to bed, do not lie on your left side, so that the Devil may keep away. (1171) If you eat with your cap on your head, the Devil laughs and God weeps. (2070) If you walk backwards, the Devil laughs and the Virgin Mary weeps. (1187) If a man takes a weapon to injure another, the Devil will stick to him. (1207) The Devil appears at midnight in places where there has been a murder. (1193) The Devil hears everything man says, but not what he thinks. (I 168) 164 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. The Devil's Names. It is evident that the Devil is a person much thought of in Roumania. His name takes the place of an exclamation mark in speech and swearing. At the same time, among more credulous peasantry, especially among women, it is considered unlucky to name him, lest he should appear. Women are able, with special enchantments, to command the presence and service of the Devil, and with his help can perform their worst. To do this, they go at midnight and stand naked at the edge of marshes where the Devil lives. Often, however, to avoid ill luck, he is not mentioned except by alternative names and euphuisms. In one tale he may be alluded to by five or six different names. The most usual name, drac, is a good translation of the English devil. Diavol is less usual and more majestic. The following are all used fairly commonly : A. Tartorul (The Tartar), Tartorul cel batidn (The Old Tartar), Scaraoschi, Sarsaild, Cornea (The Horned), Aghiutd" All allude to the chief devil or Satan. B. Necuratul (" The Unclean One "), Nepricistuitul (ditto), Uciganul (" Who Kills "), Neprielnicul (" Unfavourable One "), Nefdrtate (" Unbrotherly "), Ucig d'l cruce (" Kill Him, Cross "), Ucig d'l toacd (" Kill Him, Churchgoing "), are all euphuisms for his name. C. El (He), Naiba, dla, lui, lacacui. Similar to " Thon " in Scottish. D. Minor evil powers, similar, or allied to, the devils, and interchangeable with them :- Stima banilar, guardian of buried treasures of unclean origin. Spiridusii, small devils, attending on witches and doing their will. Smeul, a man-like dragon. The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 165 Vidmele, Smeoaice, and Strigoaice are female evil spirits or witches. Strigoaice are allied to vampires. Smeoaice (feminine of Smeul) change children. Ducd-se-pe pustii, evil spirit causing children to die or be sickly. Elele, ielele, ddnsele (feminine for " Them "), strdgele vdntoasele (" windy ones "), albele ("white ones"), soimanele (" evil ones," feminine enemies), drdgoicele (" feminine devils"), sfintele (" holy ones "), alte sfintele, domnitele ("the maidenly ones"), bunele (" good ones "), rusaliile, are all bad spirits, mistresses of the wind, and comparable with the Slav vilele. Most plagues, illnesses, and all palsies are due to these beings. Some plagues have their special spirits, with a complicated means of destroying or avoiding them. To return to the Devil himself,-we once had a cook who was always invoking the Devil. Dr. Murgoci gave her 5 francs a month not to do it, but she still went back to her old habit. Then she was asked,-" Why is it absolutely necessary to call in superhuman aid on every occasion ? " (She always called in the Devil, and never God.) " Ah!" she said, '' God is great, but the Devil is the principal person here below." I conclude with a story 35: The Devil is Frightened of a Woman. A man had a wife who plagued him to death, asking for all kinds of things,-clothes, jewels, and what not. He finally determined to get rid of her. " Dear one," said he, "I have found a place where you can get everything you want,- clothes, jewels, and fine things." " Tell me," she said, " where I may find these lovely things." " Come with me." The man took his wife to a well, which the Devil had chosen for his habitation. " Here," he said, "I am going down into the well." " No, no," begged his wife, " rather let me down 35 Ciauganu, op. cit., p. 411 ; cf. II Pentamerone, I66 The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. first." "I don't want to." " But if I beg you to, my dear husband ? " Finally the man let himself be overpersuaded. He let down his wife by a rope, dropped the rope, took a stone, and closed up the mouth of the well. Then he went peacefully home, relieved to escape from the nagging of his wife. That very same evening, the devils came home to the bottom of the well, and were struck dumb when they saw a young woman shut up there. Enchanted by her beauty, they said,- " Ask from us whatever you want." She repeated her old song, and asked for clothes, jewels, gold pieces, and other treasures. At first the devils hastened to satisfy her, but she became more and more exacting, and found nothing good enough or beautiful enough to satisfy her. In short, even the devils got sick of her, just as her husband had. On the third day her husband came to the well just to see if she was alive and well. When the devils saw him, they begged him to relieve them from the wretched woman, promising him all sorts of favours and rewards. " Take away the stone from the mouth of the well," they said, " and we will arrange that you shall gain enormous riches. When we get away from her, we will go to the royal court and get the daughter of the King into our power; the King will offer rich rewards to anyone who can cure his daughter, but no one will be able to do this. You must then make your appearance at court, saying that you are a doctor from some distant island of the sea. Immediately you come into the princess's room, we will come out from her heart and enter into the heart of the Grand Vizier's daughter. But take care! Don't try to cure the Vizier's daughter, however much money he may promise you, for, if you do, when we leave her, we will enter into you. We tell you this clearly, that you may make no mistake." The man took away the stone, and the devils came out. After the devils had gone, the man, as you may imagine, put back the stone, not even dreaming of having his wife home with him again. On the morning of the second day, it was announced that the daughter of the King had been struck by an illness, and that no doctor had been able to cure her. The princess seemed The Devil in Roumanian Folklore. 167 to be dying, and the King was at his wits' ends. The news was sent to the wise men of all the neighbouring countries, but science and skill were all in vain. The miserable King, at his wits' ends what to do, sent out heralds to declare that he would load with the richest gifts anyone who would cure his daughter. The man who had put his wife in the well came to the palace, and was brought into the princess's room. Just as he crossed the threshold, the devils left the princess's heart, and entered into the Vizier's daughter. The princess was restored to health, and the man who had cured her received an enormous reward. However, the daughter of the Vizier was struck down by the same illness that the princess had had. To cure the Vizier's daughter, doctors came from all parts of the country, and from foreign countries, but in vain. Finally they thought of the man who had cured the princess. The Vizier promised him much gold, but the man was frightened of the devils and did not wish to come. The Vizier ordered his soldiers to pick him up and bring him. The poor man lost his head. The moment the devils see me, he thought, they will come out of the girl's heart and come into mine. Suddenly a brilliant thought struck him. Hurrying into the sick room, he whispered so that the devils could only just hear him,-" I have not come to turn you out of the girl's heart, but to inform you that my wife has got out of the well and is hurrying here to ask you to give her clothes and jewellery." The devils, when they heard that the woman was on their tracks, took a hasty flight. (The late) AGNES MURGOCI. HELEN B. MURGOCI.