Distinctives in Romanian Culture

The following customs are a part of Romanian heritage, and like many cultural traditions and customs, have been somewhat phased out. However, they are a part of Romanian history and their influence can still be felt today. I have included them here because I feel that these specific cultural tendencies and their residual influence are reflected in Mad Forest.

In Romanian village life a heavy emphasis is given to the names of places. Hills have names associated with the families that own them and fields are associated with the families that own them and the wares cultivated there. “In this manner, fields and hills acquire socially constituted identities; space is culturally personalized” (Kligman 29). This strong association of family and place translates into family life. “The basic social unit… consists of the domestic group – generally parents, children and grandparents – as well as the courtyard and garden: in short the people and property needed to make a relatively self-sufficient unit.” (30)

Sense of status – “Family prestige tends to prevail over actual wealth, although the latter can enhance the position of someone from a ‘weaker’ lineage. Generally, marriage choices are influenced by status distinctions: marriage is most often contracted between families of the same rank; marrying up or down occurs, but it is not the norm” (33-34).

Patrilineal tendencies – Romanian culture has a strong emphasis on the father’s role as the head of a household. “Girls and women are recognized as persons only in relation to men. Until a girl marries, she is known as ‘daughter of…’ … When she marries, she changes her name and her social identity, taking on the name of her husband and his family” (40). “Marriage alienates the bride from her natal family and incorporates her into the family of her husband” (41).