Step softly through the forest at night, and you may hear them — a hush, a hum, a ghostly song on the summer breeze. The Ielele, ancient spirits of the Romanian woods, are said to gather in secret clearings, dancing in ethereal rings by moonlight. But beware: to witness their hora is to risk madness, paralysis… or worse.

These supernatural women are at once mesmerising and merciless. Known across Romania’s many regions, their legend spans mountains, hills, and plains — from Oltenia to Transylvania. They are spirits of wind and air, tied to nature and its vengeance, appearing most often on summer nights, especially around Sânziene (Midsummer).

Who Are the Ielele?

The Ielele are most often imagined as:

• Young women of unearthly beauty, with flowing hair and glowing skin.

• Clothed in white, or sometimes nude and veiled in mist or flowers.

• Dancing in rings, creating scorched fairy circles where no grass grows again.

• Invisible to most, yet some unlucky wanderers or shepherds catch a glimpse… and never recover.

In some tales, they are the spirits of women who died young, or fey beings older than time, connected to the wild and the wind. They are feared but also honoured — given offerings at crossroads, under trees, or beside springs.

Powers and Punishments

The Ielele don’t kill indiscriminately. But interrupt their dance, mock their music, or refuse their invitation, and you may face their wrath. Folklore describes their powers as:

• Driving men mad or striking them mute.

• Twisting the limbs of intruders who step into their sacred circle.

• Haunting the dreams of those who disrespect the land.

They are also known to seduce, to steal voices, or to lure men into the forest, where they vanish forever.

How to Protect Yourself

Local legends offer strange remedies:

• Wearing garlic or wormwood for protection.

• Keeping a silver coin or iron needle in your pocket.

• Avoiding crossroads and glades at night, especially during Sânziene or Joimarița (the night before Friday).

And above all, never mock them. Even speaking their name aloud in the wrong place is considered dangerous in some villages.

A Reflection of Nature’s Wildness

The Ielele are not simply evil spirits. They are keepers of balance, guardians of the wild, and embodiments of nature’s danger and seduction. In them, we see the power of the untamed — the mystery of the forest, the terror of beauty, the cost of crossing unseen boundaries.

They remind us that not all that is beautiful is safe.