THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SICKLE IN ROMANIAN FOLKLORE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PERSONIFIED PLAGUE: IMAGOLOGICAL, ETHNOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL INTERFERENCES

Abstract

In Romanian folklore, the personified Plague has a hideous, terrible image, bringing death and poverty. In the collective imagination, the Plague appears in its capacity as an evil creature, ruthless and merciless, devouring people and animals, but afraid of dogs and held in check by Saint Haralambie. As a rule, the plague is accompanied by other misfortunes and diseases such as cholera, locust invasions and famine. People, being frightened by the disastrous effects of the plague, believed in the existence of several plagues, their evil face being reflected in medical folklore and popular iconography. The significance of the harvest in the context of the personified Plague is versatile. Traditionally, the symbol of the sickle is linked to the completion of agricultural work by harvesting grain. In medical folklore, the personified Plague uses the sickle, the scythe and the sword to reap the world. At the same time, the sickle plays an important role in magical medicine, protecting unbaptized children from evil forces. Through the sickle placed next to the deceased, the relatives of the deceased tried to protect him from demons and undead.