#iele

romanian mythology: iele

Not a great deal, but enough to find them very interesting!

At first glance iele really remind me of the Dutch witte wieven (which are somewhere between fae and spirit). They are both beautiful and ethereal, known for dancing in the moonlight and dangerous to witness. But the iele seem to have a lot of attributes that are very distinct.

I've seen mentions of them dancing naked, wrapped in their long disheveled hair, wearing bells around their ankles and carrying burning candles. Sometimes they are described only as dangerous if you offend or approach them, but other descriptions say they specifically seduce young men, take grieving young women, or steal children. Some say their song and dance drives people mad or takes their sight or hearing from them, others say the iele do this as a punishment for disturbing them. They do not seem to bestow favours like the wieven or fae sometimes do, but they are mentioned to be appeased with gifts.

So far that's all still fairly within my wheelhouse. But if you look on Wikipedia there are claims about them fulfilling a more religious function. I really do not know enough about Romanian culture to know which claims are plausible and which aren't and I obviously can only read translated sources. For instance, there is mention that iele means "they" and that these beings are never called by their true name. That would fit with the English and Celtic practice of calling fae "the good folk" etc., but while I have seen people write that it is a similar "don't draw their attention" there is also the more mystical "their true name is unknowable by mortals". As with most folklore, it can be very hard to tell apart which ideas came first and which came later. I certainly can't.

this poor thing could dissolve itself with its tears if captured

it was a red camel with a bleached human skeleton upon its back. that's pretty fucking metal

this creature is said to have lived in caves, decapitated its victims, or drowned them in the water. evil fucking pancake

this possible water spirit is described as "long and thin, almost like a monkey, three ft long, large teeth, weighing maybe 30lbs with slate-grey fur..." with “orange and red" eyes 😬

i also do not wish to be percieved

"often they are described as faeries or zâne in Romanian, with great seductive power over men, with magic skills, and attributes similar to nymphs, naiads, and dryads." we love women with hobbies

the original florida man

"the lake monster has been mostly described as being a serpentine creature with smooth dark skin with a large body thicker than a telephone pole and being up to 50 ft in length." very cute and we love them

"most optical analysis to date have concluded that the images are insects moving across the frame as the photo is being captured." knowing what they are doesn't make them any less cool to look at

really gives me green and red koopa energy: it's the same creature but this time, with wings

"the hodag was said to be born from the ashes of cremated oxen, as the incarnation of the accumulation of abuse the animals had suffered at the hands of their masters." that's cool as hell

i hope you guys liked this post and if you want to contribute with some of your local cryptids, please feel free to add them. i love learning about new creatures

The iele appear sometimes with bodies, at other times only as immaterial spirits. They are young and beautiful, voluptuous immortals, their frenzy causing delirium in onlookers, and with bad tempers, but not being necessarily evil. They come in groups of three or seven. This version is mostly found in Oltenia, were three Iele are considered the daughters of Alexander the Great, called Catrina, Zalina and Marina.

The iele are also believed to be agents of revenge for God or of the Devil, having the right to avenge in the name of their employers. When they are called upon to act, they hound their victims into the center of their dance, until they die in a furor of madness or torment. In this hypostasis, the Iele are similar to the Ancient Greek Erinyes and the Roman Furies.

"Kitten!" Nana's head whips up from where she'd been staring down the Cloud Officer Ottavio and she beams.

"Coronis!" She skips across the hall and down the stairs, hovering happily out of his reach before coming in and grabbing at his sleeve and tugging it gently in the different direction where she knows that Hotaru is pinging around the walls under Rulsalka's direction. "Hotaru and I wanted to show you something, come on."

Ottavio watches as Nana Sato scatters mooks around her wake, the fierce Sun Coronis....tame and soft under her fingers. There's something extra there, and he's feeling the itch of want and irritation. What kind of Quality let an unNamed girl bring him to heel?

Unthinkable.

-----

Nana thinks that it's a stupid idea when Coronis tells her he's got another mission and she would like for Coronis to stay and give his attention to her, her and Hotaru. It's a wall of warmth that she likes to have at her back, Hotaru at her side and vibrating to be out and attacking. Coronis watches her and sighs, reaching down to ruffle her hair.

"Okay, come and pack. you're going to drive yourself up the wall Kitten, you need to sharpen your claws against someone other than the Cloud squad." She brightens and then leaps up the stairs, reaching out for Hotaru and dragging her behind. Hotaru went out with Rulsalka lots, but Nana hasn't been out of the Varia Compound and yes, she did want what Coronis had promised her, the power and respect and drive of a job completed and the respect but she craved to not be boxed in by walls and rules in an equal ferocity that surprised her when they finally stepped out of the front gates.

-----

Tyr ignored Coronis when the Sun appeared in his office. He ignored him until the sounds of wine in a glass reached him and he raised a hand, expecting the deposited weight and sipping. "What do you want from me now Coronis?"

The red-head scoffed, dropping into the armchair to the side of Tyr's desk, swishing his own drink. "I don't need anything from you!" When Tyr lifted his gaze to tip the glass towards him Coronis wilted and shrugged. "I have....other contacts I need to talk to, and I can't take Kitten or Zap with me. And Kitten..." he hesitates again and Tyr would very much like Coronis to fucking stop with the mincing his words- "Have you noticed that Kitten can look very sharp and her flames look too dark for regular Sky Flames?"

Tyr nearly choked on his sip of wine and has to splutter away from his paperwork. "Fucking excuse me?!" He wasn't sure that he was more flabbergasted that Coronis has seen the girl's elusive Flames or that he was implying that she was a Wrath Flame user. "There's not been anyone with those except for Ricardo, and I know you aren't suggesting that she's another bastard Vongola running around. The Famiglia and wider Families wouldn't accept another after the mess that Nono made with Xanxus and Iemitsu."

Coronis, (the bastard, may he rot in hell forever) shrugged, swallowing another mouthful of wine and weighed them out in the air. The hand holding his wine glass, "Xanthus, scowling child who throws around the bloody orange Flames." The other hand, empty but his fingers curled as if holding a smaller hand in it, "Nana, known as Kitten, who has an empty smile, and will only use her flame if Hotaru is injured and will not see the flames being used. The barest edge of red. Both come with unexpected and unexplained provenance at a time when the Underworld struggles with Skies." He shrugs, dropping his hands.

"The math is not difficult, but baiting Kitten into unsheathing her Flame around me is nearly impossible. I hoped that I could ask you to train her, teach her to use the Wrath Flames so that she would not burn herself to a crisp when she loses something that she cannot make herself forget."

The iele are Romanian mythological creatures, similar to nymphs or fae that dance in the forest and meadows. They can only be seen during the night and are only in groups of 3, 5, 7 or 9. It is said that where iele has danced, the grass will be burned in a circle. During midsummer their presence is stronger, because the veil between worlds is weaker during that time. Iele can be dangerous. according to myth, they will punish anyone who sees them dance by mutilation or turning them mute and if you hear someone call your name at night, you shouldn’t look or answer because it might be the iele wanting to take you away. 

Source (plus my romanian friend)