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The Bear Dance

The fact that there used to be a master of ceremonies in charge with keeping ceremonial customs confirms the magnitude of these sumptuous and typically Oriental manifestations. The Bear Dance, highly appreciated, took place regardless of the date. Victor Bilciulescu placed

Traditional Animal Ecology

see Gallery In the case of primitive or rural cultures, one can undoubtedly speak of elements of ecology well before the term itself was ever used. This is even more natural when considering that the life of traditional communities maintained an organic relationship with

The Raven: A Totem Or A Bad Omen

Scientific classification Class AVES Order PASSERIFORMES Family CORVIDAE Sub-family CORVINAE Genera and species CORVUS CORAX CORAX – the raven CORVUS CORONE CORONE – the black crow CORVUS FRUGILENUS FRUGILENUS – the rook   COLEUS MONEDULA SPERMOLOGUS – the Jackdaw

Romanian Ornamental Wall Cloths With Zoomorphic And Avimorphic Motifs

from the collection of the Folk Art Museum in Tulcea see Gallery 1. General considerations In the context of the Romanian traditional fabrics ‘stergarele’ (cloths) represent a category with multiple functions: pieces for decorating or adorning the house , pieces

I Saw A Bear

Yesterday I saw a bear in the woods. It was very big and it took a long look at me. I don’t know if there was carelessness, sadness, or something similar to expectation in his eyes, but it sure wasn’t anger. The woods where I saw it was Băneasa, at the Zoo on the edge

Chamois: Black Beauties On Mountain Tops

People feel that encountering a Chamois on the highest peaks of the Carpathian Mountains is something very special indeed, an opportunity to be proud of. The Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)1 is certainly an exceptional creature in our fauna. They only roam the limited space

Killer Bears

More bear attacks occur each year, often in cities or villages, with human victims killed or severely wounded. Romania is now known as the country of the 6,000 bears, at a time when the optimum calculated number would be 4,400. So, this country has the largest number of

From Physiologus To Bestiary: Function And Desideratum

Towards the end of the 12th century, in full maturity of the Romanesque order—and this concordance is purely symptomatic—a new type of book was created: The Bestiary with illuminations, which would have a particular impact and an overwhelming influence among educated

Icebergs Ahead!

an interview with Cristian LASCUCristian Lascu is editor in chief of National Geographic Romania, a speleologist and researcher. His CV features a variety of activities and awards: he is a national judo champion, scuba diver, founder of the Group for Underwater and Speleological

From The Mountains To The Sea

During autumn and winter, migrating peregrines come to our country from the north, looking for prey in the fields as well. However, the ones who nest here can also be seen in the mountains during the warm season. Another bigger bird of prey, which also lives in rocky regions,

The Goldfinch

Minstrel— how your coat is patched!Joy into our homes you’ve hatched.  Under the bright and credulous gaze of a child, I sat last night and listened to his story. Once upon a time—a long, long time ago—we were caught in a dreary winter. Snowstorms had filled up

Dogs And Romanians

Mihai Eminescu published an article entitled “What happens when dogs are not looked after” in Curierul de Iasi, no. 129 of 26 November 1876. The text was the following: “D. N. Pascu, deputy-prefect in Dorohoi, was bitten by a rabid dog while strolling on the streets