The Banished Wood Mother of the Romanians

Adrian Poruciuc

Abstract

In Romanian folklore the “Wood Mother” appears as a horrific figure in folktales and ballads. There are also archaic Romanian spells “against scare,” which are meant to keep the Wood Mother away from humans, and especially from children. However, it seems that her status as a vicious monster is not exclusively remembered as such. In some parts of Romania she is also presented as beneficent: she sometimes shows the way to children lost in the woods; and she can prove to be of ultimate help to women in difficult labor. In his article, the Romanian linguist Adrian Poruciuc discusses the puzzling features of the Romanian Wood Mother―as well as her resemblance to the classical Gorgon from the perspective of archaeomythology, the field of research founded by Marija Gimbutas. This investigation explores this mythological figure as a complex female being whose attributes can be traced to the death-wielding and regenerative powers of primordial Nature honored in Old European symbolism.