Strigoi

The strigoi represent one of the most feared manifestations of Romanian folklore, emerging from ancient pre-Christian beliefs in restless spirits and wandering souls that return from the grave to torment the living. Two main types are distinguished: the strigoi vii, living humans endowed with supernatural powers, often witches or sorcerers born with anomalies like a vestigial tail or prominent teeth, capable of projecting their spirit at night to feed on the vitality of sleepers; and the strigoi morți, reanimated corpses that leave their graves, characterized by incorrupt bodies, reddish skin, and long nails that grow post-mortem. Their origin is linked to vital transgressions such as suicides, births on odd days, or violent deaths, influenced by Balkan and Slavic myths that emphasize ritual impurity and soul retention due to unresolved karmic debts.

The strigoi possess physical and supernatural attributes that distinguish them from mere ghosts: the morți exhibit superhuman strength to open graves and doors, flight in animal form like bat, wolf, or fly, and the ability to become invisible or turn into mist to infiltrate homes. They feed by sucking blood or vital breath through orifices in victims' bodies, causing lethargy, pallor, and gradual death, while the vii cause nightmares and exhaustion through astral visits. Both emit a fetid odor, have glowing red eyes and animal reflexes, and are vulnerable to sunlight that reduces them to dust, garlic and thorns that repel them. Their longevity derives from lunar cycles, activating on full moon nights to multiply victims and spread the curse through bites or hypnotic gazes.

Romanian tradition offers multiple methods to repel and exterminate strigoi, preserving the community from their perpetual threat. Among preventive protections stand out burying the deceased face down with a stake in the nape, placing coins on the eyes and garlic in the mouth to prevent return, or surrounding the house with thorns and garlic hung on doors. To detect strigoi morți, the grave is exhumed: if the body is intact with fresh blood in veins and grown beard, the curse is confirmed. Ritual destruction involves decapitation, staking the heart with ash or oak, anointing the mouth with garlic, and burning the remains until no ashes remain, scattered in running water. The vii are neutralized by exorcising them with Orthodox prayers, holy water, and iron crosses. These rites, transmitted orally, reflect a worldview where ritual purity and divine intervention counteract undead impurity.