Legenda babei Dochia- The legend of Old Dochia

Baba Dochia is an agrarian deity associated with Diana and

Juno in the Roman pantheon and Hera and Artemis in the Greek
pantheon. On March 1, the mythical representation begins to die to
be reborn on March 9 (Macenici-Mucenici), on the vernal equinox in
the Julian calendar. This death is symbolic , boundaries between
glacial and warm seasons, death of the old year and rebirth of the
new year. "Dochia "is a female seasonal deity , dying and reborn
annually. The hike day, with the number of sheepskin coats worn in
the back, forming the ritual renewal cycle time and her death is
the day of the vernal equinox (March 9 in the Julian calendar)
which symbolize death of the old year and rebirth of the new year
"- Ion Ghinoiu - "Holidays and customs of the Romanian"

In Romanian culture, near “Miorita” – the Myth of pastoral

existence, “Mesterul Manole” - the aestetic myth, “Zburatorul” –
the erotic myth, there is also “Traian and Dochia” the myth of our
people’s genesis.

In his book “Elements of national literature”, G. Cosbuc ( a

Romanian writer) said that “the legend of Dochia is one of the
oldest story of the world.” To sustain this theory, it is well known
that it appears in the mythology of many European nations:
Serbian, Bulgarian, Polish, Lithuanian, Albenian and Greeks, and it
is also believed that the legend has started from the myth of
Niobe, considered in the Old Greek Mythology “Mankind’s mother”
and later the Godess of Fertility.

In one of the many variants of the myth of Baba Dochia, a

history legend, Traian represents the Roman emperor who
conquered Dacia between 105 – 106 AD, and Dochia is the
daughter of the Dac king.

Followed by Traian who had fallen inlove with her, Dochia,

dressed as a shepard, together with her sheep, runs on the sacred
mountain, Ceahlau. Virgin Mary saves her turning both Dochia and
her flock in a rock which can still be seen today.
 The second variant contains many legends which introduce us
in the pastoral atmosphere of the Romanian village, with the
inevitable conflicts between the daughter-in-law and the mother-
in-law – actually suggesting the contrast between old and new,
winter – summer, hot – cold…

Many years ago, an old woman whose name was Dochia, had a
daughter-in-law whom she hated. On a freezing winter day, Dochia
gave her a very dirty coat to wash it in the river until it became as
white as snow. The young girl washed it for a long time, but as she
washed it the coat became more and more dirty. Then a man who
was called Martisor came and asked her why was she crying. She
told him everything. Then Martisor told her that she had a magic
power and gave her a red flower and a white one and asked her to
wash the coat again and then go home. When the girl got home, the
coat was as white as snow. The old Dochia couldn’t believe her
eyes. She was sure that her daughter-in-law couldn’t do the task.
Then she saw the flower in the girl’s hair.”Where did you get it
from?” the old woman asked „It’s still winter.” The old woman
thought that spring has come and she took the flock of sheep and
started to climb the mountain. On her way there was very nice
weather so she gave up some of her warm clothes. At the end of
her way it drizzle came. When she reached the top, Martisor came
to her: “Can you see now how bad it is to stay in the cold and
moisture, said he, you who have forced your daughter-in-law to
wash your coat in the river.” Then he disappeared.

The old woman remained alone on the mountain, it was so cold

that both her and her sheep were turned into rocks. Since then
red and white asymbolize the fight between good and evil, between
winter and spring. The legend explains the genesis of Babele from
Bucegi or from other places (Ceahlau, Vama Buzaului, Caraiman,
Semenic etc.).
 On other variants, Baba Dochia starts climbing the mountain
whith her son Dragobete. As a heavy rain had started and had
been going on for 9 days and nine nights, Baba Dochia gave up her
wet clothes which were very heavy. Tradition says that the
changing weather from the beginning of March come from Baba
Dochia who is shaking her coats from rain or snow. Dochia is
fighting both with the shepards who tell her that is not the right
time yet, but also with March, whom she tells bad words. Angry,
March borrows from his little brother February, a few cold days
which froze Baba Dochia.

Made by

Lorena, Ioana, Bianca, Alexandra, Bogdan