Ion Creangă (Romanian pronunciation: [iˈon ˈkre̯aŋɡə]; also known as Nică al lui Ștefan a Petrei, Ion

Torcălău and Ioan Ștefănescu; March 1, 1837 – December 31, 1889) was a Moldavian, later
Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th-century Romanian literature,
he is best known for his Childhood Memories volume, his novellas and short stories, and his many
anecdotes. Creangă's main contribution to fantasy and children's literature includes narratives
structured around eponymous protagonists ("Harap Alb", "Ivan Turbincă", "Dănilă Prepeleac", "Stan
Pățitul"), as well as fairy tales indebted to conventional forms ("The Story of the Pig", "The Goat and
Her Three Kids", "The Mother with Three Daughters-in-Law", "The Old Man's Daughter and the Old
Woman's Daughter"). Widely seen as masterpieces of the Romanian language and local humor, his
writings occupy the middle ground between a collection of folkloric sources and an original
contribution to a literary realism of rural inspiration. They are accompanied by a set of contributions
to erotic literature, collectively known as his "corrosives".

A defrocked Romanian Orthodox priest with an unconventional lifestyle, Creangă made an early
impact as an innovative educator and textbook author, while pursuing a short career in nationalist
politics with the Free and Independent Faction. His literary debut came late in life, closely following
the start of his close friendship with Romania's national poet Mihai Eminescu and their common
affiliation with the influential conservative literary society Junimea. Although viewed with reserve by
many of his colleagues there, and primarily appreciated for his records of oral tradition, Creangă
helped propagate the group's cultural guidelines in an accessible form. Later critics have often
described him, alongside Eminescu, Ion Luca Caragiale and Ioan Slavici, as one of the most
accomplished representatives of Junimist literature.

Ion Creangă was posthumously granted several honors, and is commemorated by a number of
institutions in both Romania and neighboring Moldova. These include the Bojdeuca building in Iași,
which, in 1918, was opened as the first memorial house in Romania. His direct descendants include
Horia Creangă, one of the leading Romanian architects during the interwar period.