Sound Transylvanian Superstitions and Why We Still Believe in Old Magic

On the Night of Saint Andrew, on Wolves' Night #Im4Ro

When it comes to superstitions, especially Transylvanian superstitions, even the most rational among us have whispered “touch wood” or avoided walking under a ladder. I know I have. Such old magic and weird beliefs have long offered humans a sense of control over a world that often feels cruelly unpredictable.

Superstitions are more than quirky cultural relics; they are the soul’s attempt to impose meaning on chaos. This is evident in Romania, particularly Transylvania, where the supernatural and the sacred have long shared the same threshold. While the Western world flinches at black cats and the number 13, in Transylvania we count our MANY fears differently.

17/10/202517/10/2025

Transylvanian Witches: from Popular Healers to Hunted Outcasts

In the frost-bitten winters of 15th-century Transylvania the line between savior and sorceress could be drawn by a whisper. A woman might spend her days easing childbirth pains, binding wounds, or coaxing fevered children back from death only to face the stake by nightfall, accused of witchcraft.

This was the brutal paradox faced by countless women across medieval Europe and perhaps nowhere was it more stark than in the fortified towns of Transylvania, where Saxon, Vlach, Magyar, and Jewish communities shared the safety of walls, but not always trust. Here, a woman’s skill could make her indispensable and dangerous in equal measure.

23/06/202525/06/2025

Cover Reveal: When Secrets Bloom, Historical Fiction

cover reveal When Secrets Bloom Patricia Furstenberg historical fiction Transylvania

Between oath and silence, two outcasts carry a kingdom’s oldest secret.
I’m thrilled to share that my newest historical fiction novel, Where Secrets Bloom, is now available for pre-order from Amazon worldwide for 0.99c / 0.99p!

Journey to 15th-century Transylvania, where Kate – a Saxon healer – faces accusations of witchcraft, and Moise – a young printing apprentice – finds himself entangled in a perilous weaving of secrets and shifting loyalties.

The e-book is ready for pre-order today from Amazon. Publication day: Friday 27 June!
I’ll keep you updated the moment the paperback and audiobook editions are released too.

Pre-order Amazon universal link

25/03/202525/03/2025

Romanian Heroines from Dreamland, Women Whose Stories Made History

Dreamland, Patricia Furstenberg, Inspired by Astonishing Women from Romania’s Past too

History is often told through the stories of kings, rulers or warriors, yet behind these grand narratives are countless women whose lives shaped the country in profound and often unsung ways. We saw the surprising ways in which medieval Romanian queens shaped history, what strange laws defined women’s lives and what their life entailed.

But what about the unknown women from Romania’s prehistory, the classical era, and even modern times? The commoners who might not have held thrones or led armies but played pivotal roles in preserving traditions, influencing culture and driving change? You can read about them in my book Dreamland, which honors the legacies of these remarkable women whose impact, though often quiet, echoes through the pages of Romania’s history. Yo can discover a few of them here, on Women’s History Month.

08/03/202515/03/2025

Medieval Women Haunted by Startling Laws in the Romanian Lands

In medieval Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania, the concept of the “perfect woman”, be it a daughter, a wife or a queen, was shaped by both startling secular and religious laws that dictated nearly every aspect of her life. These laws not only defined what women could own or where they could go, but they also controlled whom they could marry and under what circumstances. The image of the ideal woman presented by these laws wasn’t necessarily based on her desires or individuality but was a reflection of society’s expectations, framed by the intertwined forces of religion and politics.