Transylvania and Beyond

I am busy reading this lovely bock byDervla Murphy entitled Transylvania and beyond.. Excellent, excellent book.

I'll review it in the new year, since I am half way through it, but it is becoming a must recommend book about Transylvania.

Controversy Still?

Okay Yes I understand, this map isn't correct, except it is from before World War I. There is a reason for this, some time ago I wrote about Romania and Transylvania and made mention that Transylvania, for much of the 20th Century was a part of Romania.

Then I got an email, and I published a hub about it.

I got a email in a similar vein from a different email address, so I'll let you read the original email and my response on the hub.

Is there really controversy still?

The Transylvania Matter

Soon, come the beginning of January I'll have a wonderful new guest blogger come and visit us here, but I should tell you that she is intelligent and a published author.

So, get ready, Things about Transylvania, as Petra Vlad will be gracing us here soon.

A new year and a new beginning to this blog. Don't worry it won't change all that much just it will be more interactive.

Transylvania and Saxons

They probably didn't come from Saxony, but they were called Saxons.

Can you tell me where they might have come from in what is now Germany?

Goals For the New Year and Transylvania

Here are my Top Five To do For this Blog about Transylvania:

1) Encourage Comments

2) Post often

3) Get more pictures

4) Have guest bloggers

5) Make this a fun place to go to.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to you and your families.

A Transylvanian Christmas

I love Christmas, and in Transylvania, it is, for the Saxon, population as least, a big event, filled with family and singing and food.

My family still talk about it every year how the entire family would get together and sing and share gifts of toys (wooden mostly) or food. it was a time of extended family and cousins and all the other wonders the holidays held.

I wonder what it is like there now.

What is it like for the Romanian population or the Hungarian?

Oh Transylvania--- Or better yet Alba Iluia

The ancient almost seems alive this time of year, and I wonder why Transylvania won't make this into more of a tourist attraction.

History is vital to The people of the land. It would be great to know that people will learn about it.

I mean from history you can learn about the land, you can learn about the people, and are not doomed to repeat it. I found out that the last election in Romania were very interesting, but that is all.

Anyone heard more about it?

Which is Where?

Which highlighted part on this map is Transylvania?

Which is Moldovia and Wallachia?

Are there others?

Demise of Transylvania?

I'll be hitting some "hot topic issues" come January from legends to royalty to politics to just about everything. Some will deal with the past and some with culture and some a debate on the demise of Transylvania.

I'm hoping to have a few more volunteers for a guest blog or three come January as well.

You're probably wondering demise of Transylvania?

Demise of Transylvania?

What you? You think demise of Transylvania?

No, I don't but I wanted to point out how much we look at life in terms of the past and not the future, especially when it comes to an area such as Transylvania.

Tours and Transylvania

I recently was looking into a trip to Transylvania, and as I read it, I began to wonder, why does every tour need to go to Bran Castle?

Is it for the money?

It is possible since upon finding out that the descendants of Queen Maria of Romania are making it into a tourist attraction for Dracula lovers makes me wonder what's important...

The money or the history?

Why This For a Queen of Romania?

I've been reading chapters of my life by Queen Marie of Romania, and I'm really enjoying it. so my question is this what do these two pictures relate?

More to the point why do I mention her so often, what did she do in Transylvania?

The Demise of Transylvania and Culture?

Someone asked me yesterday that since there are now more Romanians in Transylvania is this the demise of Transylvania's Culture?

Okay Two things:

1) in Transylvania there was always a large population of Romanians, in many parts they were the majority of the city or town.

2) Define The culture... which one? what era?



If we're referring to say the German population, I suppose then yes there is a demise of the German culture in Transylvania, but I would disagree for the Romanian Hungarian cultures due to their larger population bases in Transylvania.

What are your feelings?

Why Mama Regina for Queen Maria?

This is a picture of the Crowning of Queen Maria and King Ferdinand of Romania. They became King and Queen upon the Death of King Carol I in 1914. Carol I didn't rule over Transylvania as King, but a smaller part of what is now Romania.

But here is the question: Many Romanians called Queen Maria Mama Regina why? And what did they call her husband?

Romania and Transylvania

I recently had the privilege of getting an email from the Romanian Consulate in regards to my book.

It was cool. In it, I asked them about Transylvania and what the area is a part of. One of the most interesting responses as that Traditionally they regard Transylvania as being a part of Romania, and the Banat and other smaller territories fall under the region.

I asked why in another email.

The reply?

It is easier for most of the other countries outside of Europe to think in bigger territory than smaller. I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to tell others of all the smaller areas in Romania instead of just the "three main ones" (Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania.)

Transylvania on TV

I spent the last few days thinking about a new program which has hit our local airways. Transylvania on TV. That is the program title, which is a part of the Romanian hour.

The biggest thing thus far, is Dracula, and the Countess of the Blood. They've shown a bit of the rolling countryside, which comes right before they show a castle.

All of this is elegant but since my Romanian is not the finest, I have a hard time following what it says. The commentator loves to speak of "Tepes family" which at first took me by surprise, I wondered weren't they princes of Wallachia.

Turns out Transylvania was the natural hiding place for many a prince, castles and fortress, and people who could defend them.

Still looking at this older map, you can see why it was so important a place to hide and gain support, either from Poland or Austria or Hungary or the Ottoman Empire...

So if you were a noble prince who needed to leave Wallachia where would you go?