Moroi

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A Moroi (same form in plural) is a type of vampire or ghost in Romanian folklore. A female Moroi is called a Moroaică (pl. Moroaice). In some versions, a Moroi is a phantom of a dead person which leaves the grave to draw energy from the living.

Moroi are often synonymous with these other figures in Romanian folklore: Strigoi (another type of vampire), Vârcolac (werewolf or goblin), or Pricolici (werewolf).

Etymology

The etymology and origin of the Romanian term Moroi is unclear. It may be connected to Old Slavonic mora, "nightmare", from PIE *mer-, "to harm", from which comes Middle English mare ("incubus") which survives in English nightmare; Old English mare ("goblin", "incubus"); Latin morbus ("disease") and Latin mors ("a corpse").

Fiction

In fiction, based on the folklore though with a number of modifications, the name Moroi is sometimes spelled as Moroii. Fictional treatments in general make a clear and consistent distinction between a Strigoi and a Moroi (or "Moroii"), the former being an undead vampire, the latter a living vampire. However, in Romanian folklore the distinction is not always clear, and a Moroi may also refer to a phantom-like figure.

References

• Dicţionarul explicativ al limbii Române, Academia Românǎ, 1998.
• Noul dicţionar explicativ al limbii Române, Editura Litera Internaţional, 2002.