From Lorelei to Ialomița: Carmen Sylva’s Romanian Reimagining of a Germanic Myth
From Lorelei to Ialomița: Carmen Sylva’s Romanian Reimagining of a Germanic Myth

Author(s): Maria-Luiza Dumitru Oancea
Subject(s): Cultural history, Customs / Folklore, Social history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 19th Century
Published by: Addleton Academic Publishers
Keywords: Carmen Sylva; Poveștile Peleșului; Romanian folklore; Ialomița River; Rhine mythology; Heinrich Heine; Greek mythology; comparative mythology; literary adaptation; cultural synthesis;
Summary/Abstract: In the enchanting volume Poveștile Peleșului (The Stories of Peleșului) by Queen Elisabeth of Romania (alias Carmen Sylva), we encounter a captivating legend of the Ialomița River. This tale not only reflects Romanian folk beliefs about the river's legendary origins but also reinterprets the well-known Germanic myth of the Rhine, particularly Heinrich Heine’s poem Lorelei, through a Romanian lens. Moreover, the author weaves in elements of ancient Greek mythology, creating a narrative that blends European enchantment with psychological depth.

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