Moroi

The Moroi represents a central figure in Romanian folklore, particularly in the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. According to the compilations by Emily Gerard in her 1885 article, the Moroi is a living vampire, born to mothers under auspiciously inverted conditions: births during Christian holidays like Christmas or Easter, twins, sons of priests or widows, pregnancies exceeding 9 months. These children are born with visible demonic attributes: large head, sharp teeth, abundant hair, long nails or even a small tail. During the day, they blend into society as ordinary humans, capable of marrying and procreating, but at sunset, their malevolent soul separates from the body to wander as an invisible spirit, attacking sleepers. This belief intertwines with Orthodox rites, where early baptism is crucial to prevent such a fate, and family curses or unconfessed sins hasten the manifestation. The narratives emphasize that Moroi can transform into strigoi (dead vampires) if no measures are taken post-mortem.

The daytime appearance of the Moroi is that of an attractive or pale human, often young, with possible marks like a harelip or unusual eyes. At night, it manifests as a translucent or shadowy spirit, wearing a long white shirt resembling a shroud, floating or flying with invisible wings, emitting whistles or howls. It can shapeshift into small animals like cats, dogs, chickens or insects to sneak into homes. Agnes Murgoci in 1926 describes how it enters via chimneys or cracks, sitting on the victim's chest to suck their breath or vital energy, causing oppression, nightmares and gradual exhaustion. Its presence is detected by restless livestock, fogged mirrors or moved objects. In myths, the Moroi has superhuman strength in spirit form, able to strangle or suffocate, but avoids direct light.

Protection against the Moroi includes garlic, wormwood, thyme and other herbs hung on doors, holy water sprinkled, iron crosses and Orthodox prayers. To prevent nocturnal outings, the suspect's hands are bound or amulets used. Post-death, special rituals: stake into the heart, decapitation, filling the mouth with garlic or poppy seeds to distract it in the afterlife, burying the head between legs or upside down. If failed, it rises as stronger strigoi mort. Romanian folklore emphasizes community vigilance, with peasants exhuming suspicious graves to check vampire signs like fresh blood or incorrupt bodies. These practices persist in Romanian cultural imagination, influencing modern literature like Stoker's Dracula.