Sânzâiene
(Midsummer)
Presented by Giulia Gurza, grade 4B,
“The delicate
yellow flowers of sânzâiene (lat. Galium verum), with a strong smell and
therapeutic virtues, are associated to the Christian celebration of St. John,
event that is observed around the summer solstice (June 24), on midsummer, when
the cuckoo doesn’t sing any more and the sun shines nicely in the sky. This
resemblance suggests an effect of sympathetic magic. In the folklore
pharmacopoeia this plant is known for its capacity to heal several illnesses.
In the Romanian mythology, the flowers of Sânzâiene are associated to the Iele
(supernatural female beings, who are said to be wild, seductive and magical),
or Drăgaice (Drăgaica is associated to the Diana godess), euphemistically
called „Frumoasele” (The beautiful ones), in order to escape the severe
punishments they give the mortals who dare top look at them or say their names.
Anyway, in the
plurality of the malefic Sânzâiene, there is also a good fairy – Iana Sânziana.
Her name comes from the Latin Sanctae Diana (vaccording to M. Eliade- Histoire
des croyances et des idées réligiueuses).
There are several
beliefs regarding these flowers that are blessed in church and brought home to
be placed at the windows, the gates or the house eaves to protect them from the
evil ghosts. They are used for divine purposes in the villages from Maramureş,
preserving the belief in this flower’s oracular capacity. Thus, on Midsummer
Eve, the girls gather in groups and go to pick up these flowers and make small
crowns of them – as many of them as there are members in the family. Then they
throw the little flower crowns on the house roof calling the name of the person
associated to that crown. If a crown slides, without falling down, they believe
that person will have some health issues, its duration being suggested by the
dimension of the slide. If a crown falls down, the warning is more severe,
suggesting death if the crown falls down when it is thrown on the hose the
second time. The stability of the crown brings much joy, because everyone is
preoccupied by the fate of their loved ones. If among the sânzâiene there are
also some thistle, the person’s luck is measured by the quantity of thistledown
grown by morning. ”
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