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Tell the story of the myth covering the mains plot points.
Sânzienele/Drăgaic
On the morning of Sanziene before sunrise, people gathered bouquets of Sanziene, which they braided into crowns and threw them on the roofs of houses. It is considered that the man will live a long time if the crown remains on his house, and he will die quickly if the crown slides towards the edge of the roof or falls from the roof. The girls gathered Sanziene flowers to put them under the pillow, the night before the holiday, in the belief that they would dream of a bear. In some areas, girls made crowns from Sanziene, which they left overnight in gardens or in clean places. If they found crowns full of dew in the morning, then it was a sure sign of marriage in the summer.
The householders tried to find out what their luck would be also with the animals. They used Sanziene flowers and hung wreaths in the corner of the house oriented to the east on the eve of the holiday. If there was hair from certain animals caught in the crowns or down feathers from birds then it was considered very lucky.
The folk belief is that during the Sanziene’s Eve night, the heavens open up, making it the strongest night for magic spells, especially for the love spells. Also it is said that the plants harvested during this night will have tremendous magical powers. Hence, the celebration is linked to paranormal events reported during this time of the year. According to popular beliefs, strange things, both positive and negative, may happen to a person wandering alone on Sanziene night.
The young girls start a round dance called ‘hora’ while bringing flowers and weeds to life, turning them into miraculous medicinal plants, good for healing all diseases. This happens on the eve of June 24, when they are flying over meadows, smelling and touching the wildflowers, enriching them with special healing properties. The dance is performed by a group of 5-7 young girls, with a chosen one called Dragaica. She is dressed as a bride, wearing a wheat wreath on her forehead, while the other girls are dressed in white.
The Feast of Midsummer Day used to be a true ceremonial in the countryside in old times. After dark, men and boys used to go on the hills carrying torches that they spin around making them burn and spark intensely. After midnight, when torches are almost burnt out, they would go down the hills, where girls and women joined them. They build a bonfire and jump over it for good luck.
Identify and briefly describe the main characters. Photos and illustrations are more than welcome!
Sanzienele Feminine creatures, like fairies, nymphs, goddesses, have their origin in an ancient solar cult. The name is taken from Sancta Diana, the wild goddess. Sanziene were considered, since the time of Cantemir, as phytomorphic representations (Florile de Sanziene) and anthropomorphic deities. The Sanzienele are amazingly beautiful girls untouched by men, fairies, who live in forests or in the fields. They are said to be part of the Iele family, gracious fairies with magical powers. Unlike the most of Iele, who can be mean and evil, Sanzienele are always good and kind to humans.
Where does the story takes place? Name specific places or describe the landscape / backgrounds. Have a photo that can help us visualize the place? Put it here!
Mountainside during the summer solstice. This is essentially the Romanian midsummer.