The Wraith
After the Christianization of our ancestors the Dacians by the Holy Apostle Andrew and other direct or indirect apprentices of Christ, the heathen foundation of the old faiths and rituals was not eliminated, but transformed. The heathen traditions accompany even today Christian holidays giving them a little diversity. A good example is the night of Saint Andrew. It’s a good night for spells and charms. During this night one must also take necessary precautions to counterattack the evil done by the unholy spirits that arrive to frighten the living. The demons and spirits who weren’t able to find their rest (wraiths) come with enhanced powers and cause people trouble. They affect the earth’s and animal’s fertility and the boys and girls gather to guard the garlic.
CeThe most feared during this night is the wraith. This is a dead person who didn’t find his rest and who is condemned to roam the world at night. These wraiths either didn’t make it to the world beyond or didn’t want to leave after visiting their relatives on certain holidays. These last ones are the “dead wraiths”, highly feared because they can take the lives of their relatives and bring disease and suffering.
There are also living wraiths, especially old women, who during the night of Saint Andrew oil their feet and come out through the chimney to fight the dead wraiths. People can recognize them the next day by the scratches and claw marks on their faces. But living wraiths can be evil too. If they don’t find something to fight with they go to people’s houses and scare them. People can protect themselves with the help of garlic. They rub the garlic against the doors and windows and stuff it into the chimney to prevent the wraiths from entering the house.