Moroi
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A moroi (sometimes moroii in modern fiction; pl. moroi) 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 associated with other figures in Romanian folklore, such as strigoi (another type of vampire), vârcolac (werewolf), or pricolici (werewolf). Moroi are also known as mortal vampires, whereas strigoi are immortal vampires.
They are also sometimes referred to in modern myth as the live-born offspring of two strigoi. It may signify an infant who died before being baptized. The origins of the term "moroi" are unclear, but it is thought by the Romanian Academy to have possibly originated from the Old Slavonic word mora ("nightmare"). It also resembles the word mort (dead).
Moroi can also be forms of demons which possess a living body, usually the body of a bear. Moroi can be put under the control of a strigoi.
Fantasy fiction
The concept of "moroi" and "strigoi" have been fictionalized in novels, somewhat less often than traditional vampires.
- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. In the Academy series the Moroi are known as mortal vampires with a normal lifespan and death. They tend to have magical powers, avoid too much sunlight, and drink the blood of humans and human hybrids.
- In the novel A Matter of Taste in the book series The Dracula Sequence by Fred Saberhagen the character Constantia calls Dracula (who is very much the same Dracula of Stoker's story with all of his powers) a Moroi.
- In The Last Apprentice series written by Joseph Delaney. In the 10th book in the series, the protagonist's master is placed under the control of a "Strogoi" and "Strigoica".
- Vampire: The Requiem role playing game features them as a vampire bloodline that is the amalgam of the basic Gangrel and Nosferatu vampire clans in the Ordo Dracul covenant supplement sourcebook.
