The WOLF 🐺 Dragon 🐉
Discover the land of wolves 🐺 A story never told
The battle banner of the GETÆ Geto-DACIANS, the wolf with the body of a snake / dragon, was one of the most feared military symbol of the ancient world. It had the shape of a wolf’s head with an open mouth, which continued with a dragon’s body, made of textile material that swelled in the wind and formed a horizontal serpentine flag. Through an ingenious interior system, under the action of air currents, the Getic banner produced a loud hiss, which had the effect of encouraging its own fighters and panicking the enemies. It also induced nervousness in the enemy’s horses, who had never heard such a sound.
As for the Romans, they called us „Geto-Dacians,” meaning wolves. Although this term, „Dac” or „Dav,” holds multiple meanings. Translated, Dacia could mean „the land of the wise” or „the land of mountains.” In Sanskrit, “da” signifies mountain or protection, while “ksa” means earth, field, lightning, peasant, or destruction. All these meanings reflect historical and linguistic realities in this context; however, when we speak of the „GETO-Dacians” and „Dacia,” we refer to a history only two millennia old, whereas the multi-millennial identity of this people encompasses much more.
Long before the war with the Romans, there is a story that in the wild mountains that sheltered the Great God of the GETÆ, there lived a priest who, though not old, had hair and a beard as white as snow. His faith, courage, and resilience were known not only to people and to the god Zamolxis himself but also to the beasts of the forest, with whom he communicated and lived in harmony.
At the urging of the Great God, the priest joyfully embraced his transformation for the eternal glory of the Free GETÆ, becoming the Great White Wolf and thus the leader of all wolf packs across the Great Getic Empire, both in battle and in peace. He, the Great White Wolf, was to guard the freedom of the GETÆ and their lands, awaiting the moments when Zamolxis would call upon him to summon the packs of wolves with his battle cry and gather the land’s lords to drive out, through combat, any enemies coveting their territory.
The Getic Empire is known as the only people who, from the beginning, worshiped and listened to a single supreme deity, the Great Priest Zamolxis, making the Christianization mission of the Apostle St. Andrew in the “Land of the Wolves”—often guided by the Great White Wolf himself—without any obstacles.
Besides customs and daily occupations, the GETÆ community maintained, even after Christianization, the laws of Zamolxis as fundamental principles. Among the hermits of the Carpathian Mountains, a legend circulates that the last great priest of Zamolxis met Jesus and later the Apostle St. Andrew. They speak of a “mystery” surrounding the conversion of the GETÆ to Christianity, preserved with reverence over time and passed from hermit to hermit as an expression of the enduring faith of these lands.
The Gate of 🐺
TRANSYLVANIA
Discover STRAJA 🐉 The Land of Geto-Dacians Legends The Land of Wolves 🐺 STRAJA RESORT 🐺 inside the gate of Transylvania near Lupeni in the Jiu Valley region is a breathtaking, historically rich, and naturally wild area, blending Transylvania rich folklore with its rugged mountainous terrain.
The “Gate” refers to the idea of passing from the southern region of Romania into the mysterious, forested, and mountainous landscape of Transylvania. The Getic roots of the Momârlani, the traditional attire of the locals, and aspects of their daily life—from working in the yard and in the fields to herding and haymaking—overlaid with ancestral customs and traditional dishes, transform the region into a well-preserved ecosystem over which time has yet to pass.
The Wolves’ Land known for its wild and remote landscapes, this area is often referred to as “The Wolves’ Land” due to its association with wolves and other wildlife that inhabit the dense forests and high mountains. Wolves are a symbol of the wilderness here, contributing to the region’s mystique. The land is deeply intertwined with Romanian legends, including those about the Geto-Dacians, who revered wolves as sacred animals.
The entire Jiu Valley, from Petrila to Uricani, takes the shape of a dragon through the winding paths of the East and West Jiu rivers. The dragon shape of the Jiu Valley is a small-scale reproduction of the dragon shape of the Carpathian Mountains (a dragon within a dragon), with its tail in the Balkans, its head in Bohemia, and its body (heart – center) in the territory of Romania, the heart of OLD EUROPE.
🐺 Discover the Land of Wolves 🐺 Travel to the Heart of Old EUROPE, explore Romania and discover the Gate of Transylvania, Jiu Valley and the Straja Resort with 👑 KING Travel Romania 🤴 Don’t forget to share your 🐺 after-trip reflections 🐺