Queen of the fairies and biblical queen. Notes on the Romanian Herodias

Abstract

Based on written and oral evidence, the present study focuses on Romanian Herodias' various hypostases: biblical queen, queen of the fairies, sovereign of the calusari. The canonic, apocryphal and magical writings referring to Herodias are considered as some of the most signifi cant testimonies about this character. Such texts present the image of Herodias as biblical queen who provoked the decapitation of John the Baptist, as it was promoted in 17 th -18 th -century Romanian literature; they also represent an important document for deciding whether a certain apocryphal tradition infl uenced Romanian folk beliefs related to the malevolent fairies. The study of the oral evidence investigates how Romanian folk beliefs assimilated the story of St John's decapitation and transformed it into traditional legends and inquires whether these new compositions had an effect on Herodias' traditional roles, those of queen of the fairies and patroness of the calusari. Finally, the research attempts to describe how Herodias' benefi cial functions are put into the shade by a powerful Christian opponent.