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A
group of women walk along the forest up to the mountain pasture.
Sirbi, Rumania.
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An old man
was gone out to reap hay. When the night came, a light suddenly appeared
in the field. He heard grass rustle in the valley, sources roar. Then he
began to vomit. But he was not afraid. He went out of his colibra
(shelter) to see what happened there and saw a woman : it was Fata Padurii,
the "Girl (or fairy) of the Forest". He took off his gurtle and
tied her with it. He brought her in his shelter and attached her solidly.
Then the oxen of his yoke began to low, since she was not a human creature.
The next morning, his wife went up to give the girl something to eat (...).
The man asked her : "What can you say ?, since I know you are the Girl
of the Forest. Speak frankly to me, since if you say me all what you know,
we shall deliver you". And the Girl told how she proceeded to provoke
ill-health, diseases and maledictions, how she proceeded to prevent the
cows from giving milch. The old man asked her : "What is the remedy
for that ?" And the Girl of the Forest answered : "The remedy,
is ..." (inaudible words). But what did the old man ? At cockrow he
fabricated a dog with all its hairs. When the old woman came back the next
day she saw the dog and asked him : "What is that, what are you doing
with this dog ? - Be quiet, old girl, because this dog is the Girl
of the Forest. - Untie these ties", said the old woman, "because
I am afraid. Aren't you ?" She insisted : "Untie these ties".
Then the old man untied the ties. At the same time a strong wind began to
blow and the Girl of the Forest changed into a woman again. I do not know
what she did after. May be she went off again. (Piece related and recorded
at Sirbi, Maramures, Rumania, 1973). 
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J.C.:
Mémoire des Carpathes, La Roumanie millénaire, un regard intérieur,
Paris, Plon, Terre Humaine, 2000, p.194 |
