The well in the Romanian value system: findings based on the descriptions of XIXth century foreign travelers (historiographical and ethnocultural aspects)

Abstract

While passing through or staying for a longer period in Moldova and Muntenia, foreign travelers of the 19th century left behind historically and ethnoculturally significant works for their descendants. When carrying out various diplomatic, religious, scientific, traveling and research missions, H. F. Desprez, Ü. Sándor, W. von Kotzebue, L. I. Pfeiffer, J. D. F. Neigebaur, J. H. A. Ubicini, R. Walsh, and N. K. Giers described numerous aspects of the cultural landscape and everyday life marked by secular traditions. An integral part of the cultural landscape of the principalities were wells, which were found in large numbers on the sides of roads, at the crossroads of trade routes, in villages and cities. For foreign travelers, the well symbolized the hospitality of the locals, offering travelers a place to rest where they could quench their thirst. The price of well water sometimes exceeded the price of wine, and during fires in cities, well water offered people the salvation they desired, saving their lives and wealth. In traditional Romanian beliefs, the well’s watershed symbolized the trials that people went through. Traditionally, Romanians kept their wells in good condition, thus ”to the greater praise of the country”.