FOLK TRADITIONS

I propose a new Romanian series,
this time on a main theme of SF poetry: the space flight.
This investigation includes significant examples selected from
folk traditions, proto SF literature and contemporary speculative poetry.

The Romanian people were born as a union begun in the 2nd century A.C.
between the oldest inhabitants of actual Romania, the Geto-Dacians
(with an interesting civilization including “the tables of Tartaria” -
words written 5000 years B.C. in an unknown alphabet -
and a solar sanctuary in their Capital, Sarmizegetusa,
built in the last centuries B.C.), and the Roman conquerors.
In spite of a lot of invaders during their history, the Romanians
have created their own rich folk culture (including
even an original mythology of the constellations),
in which the flight is present in many tales and ballads.
The most frequent flying character met in the Romanian myths
is a magic speaking horse carrying and counseling the positive hero
for his fight against dangerous enemies, frightful monsters,
or various supernatural beings.
So, this magic horse seems to be rather a complex flying machine…
My favorite example (which I have chosen not from a folk ballad,
but from a special old tale including poetic interferences)
is the magic horse present in The Story of Harap-Alb (White Slave),
probably the most beautiful Romanian tale,
collected, retold and published in 1877
by the great Romanian narrator and teacher Ion Creanga (1837-1889).
This magic horse helps the hero Harap-Alb to pass through
many fascinating adventures and to marry a beautiful princess.
The horse also saves Harap-Alb’s life and finally kills the cunning enemy
(Spanul, the Bald-Headed Man) of the hero by capturing him,
carrying him into the sky and leaving him to fall down.
This tale is pigmented by many folk (especially proverbial) verses,
and I was particularly impressed by the following ones,
in which the magic horse shows his powers by flying with the hero…

…Till the air of the earth
And the depth of the sky,
From the clouds to the sun,
Between the moon and the stars,
Proud, shining stars.