Ursitoare

[buketturk]

Hello everyone,

Can you tell me a little bit about the myth of ursitoare? I just found this info but i'm not sure about it: "In Romanian mythology, three birth nymphs believed to appear three nights after the birth of a child to determine the course of his life."

Thank you...

 

[farscape]

I think "birth nymphs" is a made up term, you should refer to them as Fates and they are common in the folklore and traditions of many peoples not just Romanians. The legends and customs vary from region to region therefore the story told here is as good as any although all three should be called ursitori (plural from ursitoare, sing.):
Edit -> The dictionaries list both these forms for plural: ursitoare and ursitori.

"The legend says that the Fates are actually three Iele with special gifts. The first Fate, called Ursitoarea, is the oldest and the tallest and the one who predicts how lucky and happy the life of the baby will be. The second Fate is Death, the keeper of the Thread of Life and she predicts how long the life of the little human will be. And finally, the third Fate is Destiny, tiny and cute, this fairy always tries to balance the previous two predictions so the baby can enjoy a beautiful life."

NB: Iele - the fairy folk leaving in the woods

 

[buketturk]

Thank you so much!