Zana Do’s & Don’ts

So many lists, so little time. That’s the OCD talking. Over here things to do, and over there … more things to do or not do, online everywhere you look. See, I already have us confused and turned around. Let me do an about face and get to the heart of the matter. Do this, don’t do that, stay here, don’t go there and we’re back to the start. This is a story about play-on-words, hidden places, maybe “human” faces, traces of folklore, and extremely awesome destinations.

Let’s jet through the digital ether, over puffy-fluffy white clouds, passed mountains of yore, and royal blue skies for the origins of a mythical home, mystical name, magical song, and magnificent spellbound books from so long ago, ancient history for sure.

Xanadu is a word that refers to an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place (Not listed on Airbnb). The word is derived from the name of an ancient city in what is now the Inner Mongolia region of China, called Shang-tu. The name became popularized after Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” was published in 1816, which describes the city as a “stately pleasure-dome”.

Zanadu or Shengdu was believed to be mythical until the ruins were discovered (168 miles) north of Beijing and near Dolonnuur city, at the end of the 20th Century. Xanadu is now believed to have been the capital of Kublai Khan’s Empire, which was founded sometime in the 13th century. (Props languagehumanities.org, poetry, and ancient empires of extreme grandeur)

As we all grow up, we are learning that probabilities of being mythical versus factual are on a steady rise and the “numbers” are climbing. Where’s that chart /graph when you need one?

Speaking of supernatural; Zanna or in its original Romanian spelling Zână is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites. “These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and reside mostly in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and of the Germanic Elf. They give life to fetuses in utero and bestow upon them great gifts like the art of dancing, beauty, kindness, and luck.” Oh, don’t get me started about elf’s; that’s another day writing about the hearing impaired, wickedness, cookies, more magic, and green everything.

“In folk tales, it is told not to upset “them” because they also have the power to do bad things or put a curse on the wrongdoer. They also act like guardian angels, especially for children who enter the woods.” (Beyond superstitious and lit sources supernatural.fandom.com, Stevie Wonder, The seven wonders of the world, and all wondrous worlds)

“The word “Zanna” has a similar structure to words like Arabic “Jann”, which later the Arabic word Djinn is derived from, whose primary meaning is “to hide”. Some Arabic authors interpret the word to mean, literally, “beings that are concealed from the senses”, it may be referenced to Zanna’s ability in invisibility.” Out of all the superpowers one can possess, this ability seems to be the most accessible and some people won’t even see you, if you’re standing right in front of them.

Word to the wise, keep your head up and third eye open at all times. “Zanna, also known as Imaginary Friends, are a type of creature that act as guides and guardian angels to children in need of them. They do so under the guise of being a child’s imaginary friend for as long as the child needs them, but once the child no longer needs them, the Zanna leaves and moves on to another child.”

My brother had an imaginary friend that I never “saw” but went along with my day as if she/he were right there. You don’t want to get on his bad side.

“In the past, experts believed having an imaginary friend indicated an issue or a mental health condition. According to current research, this thinking has been discredited. While most people associate young preschool-aged children with having imaginary companions, it’s actually normal for older children to have them, too. Older research found 28 percent of children ages 5 to 12 had imaginary friends. Girls are more likely than boys to have imaginary friends. Imagination can be an important part of a child’s play and development. Having an imaginary friend can help a child explore relationships and work their creativity.”

“When it comes to a vivid imagination, parents may question whether their child is in fact experiencing hallucinations or psychosis. Having an imaginary friend isn’t the same as experiencing these symptoms, which are often associated with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia doesn’t typically show symptoms until a person is between 16 and 30 years old. Childhood-onset schizophrenia is rare and difficult to diagnose.” (Kudos and special shout-out to source healthline.com)

When thinking about baby names, Zanna as a girls’ name is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Zanna is “lily” (another popular up and coming name). Diminutive of Susanna. Lily my fav flower, but I say this for every flower that has ever bloomed in my presence.

Now if we’re talking about the song Xanadu, it was written for the movie musical of the same name, starring Olivia Newton-John alongside Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. Olivia Newton-John plays an immortal, Greek muse who inspires artists Sonny Malone (Beck) to team up with the old-fashioned Danny McGuire (Kelly) to build a roller-skating disco. Da club is then called “Xanadu,” which is more or less associated with a utopia.

The soundtrack, which contained all songs by Olivia Newton-John and The Electric Light Orchestra, was a success. The first single, “Magic,” went to No. 1 in the U.S. The roller-disco ball era was made at a time when disco, roller-skating, and fantasy all were quickly heading toward antiquity. It was the dawn of the ’80s and people were starting to get a hankering or substantial bite-size taste for sci-fi, heavy metal, and hard-core drama.

It was also Olivia Newton-John that got Gene Kelly to dust off his dancing shoes one last time. “I had already decided about a year and a half before I did Xanadu that I was through with dancing,” he explained in a 1985 interview. “In fact, I wasn’t going to dance in Xanadu, but several journalists told me that Olivia Newton-John kept saying how sad she was that she wouldn’t get the chance to dance with me. So, I finally said, ‘All right, throw in a number.’ But I’m through with dancing.”

Hopefully, I will never have to hang my dancing shoes (if you call that dancing), but we must do-si-do onwards and upwards. It’s cold where we are headed so bundle up for the next jaunt through snowcapped mountains and airborne rumors of yeti’s wailing and echoing from beyond.

“The story of Zana supposed Ape Woman of the Caucasus Mountains is one often revisited and reexamined by historians, explorers, and scientists alike (and now us). A leading geneticist believes that the wild woman who lived in 19th century Russia may have belonged to a subspecies of modern humans.”

“Zana was named by Russian researchers after her discovery and capture in the Ochamchir region of Abkhazia, south of Russia in the 1850’s. She was said to have been living in the wilderness, naked, but covered in a thick auburn fur, and appearing to be a cross between a human and primate.”

“According to International Business Times, Bryan Sykes, former Professor of Human Genetics at University of Oxford has analyzed the DNA of Zana’s descendants and has discovered West African genes, but surprisingly, her DNA did not match any known modern African group.”

“Said to resemble cryptid legends from around the world, the hairy humanoid reportedly towered over her captors at six feet and six inches tall, and was described as incredibly muscular, powerful and “wild”. Zana was eventually sold to a local nobleman and resided at his estate until her death. She was “tamed” and forced into relationships with local men, and witnesses said she gave birth to several children who were “human” in appearance.” (Hairy high-five and sheen thanks to the luster of ancient-origins.net, Paul Mitchell, Tea Tree, detanglers, super-cuts, and hair conditioner.) Shedding a tear for forced barbaric slavery, animal abuse, and the uphill battle for women’s rights everywhere!

According to Wikipedia, oral traditions (word of mouth with silver tongues), and spooky campfire stories with scrumptious smores, “Zana is thought to have been a goddess in Illyrian times, the equivalent of the Ancient Greek Artemis and Roman Diana, and perhaps Thracian Bendis. As such she would have been the personification of the Moon and the lady of the forests, protector of animals, guardian of springs and streams, protector of women, as well as distributor of sovereignty.”

“Innumerable Albanian folk poems, myths and legends that are dedicated to Zana and her friends have been handed down to modern times. In Albanian folklore the original Zana is escorted by three wild goats with golden horns. In Northern Albania and Kosovo every mountain is said to have its own Zana, who appeared as a fair maiden found bathing naked in mountain streams. (Private eyes only) The Zana is believed to be extremely courageous, a formidable opponent, who can bestow her protection on warriors.”

“Ai ishte trim si Zana, meaning, “He was as brave as a Zana”, used to refer to very courageous individuals. The Zana is believed to have the power to petrify humans with a glance.” Where have I heard this DeJa’Vu before? I’m positive my mother has this ability, shh, don’t rat me out!

“The Zana symbolize the vital energy of human beings. They idealize feminine energy, wild beauty, eternal youth and the joy of nature. The Zana appears as warlike nymphs capable of offering simple mortals a part of their own psychophysical and divine power, giving humans strength comparable to that of the Drangue. In the Albanian epic cycle Kângë Kreshnikësh, by breastfeeding the young Muji (one of the two heroic brothers and main characters of the songs) the Zana empower him with superhuman strength.”

“In northern Albania, the Zana are represented, as a group of three mythological goddesses who congregate in the night to decide a baby’s destiny at birth and distribute their favors. Three types of Fates are believed to exist among the inhabitants of the Duka Gjini highlands: e Bardha (the White One) distributes good luck and provides humans well, Vardha (the Yellow One) distributes bad luck and castes evil spells, and e Zeza (the Black One) decides death.”

“A Zana appears, for example, in a somber, but prophetic Albanian folktale The Lover’s Grave. She appears to a young army captain, Bedri, who prostrates himself at her feet and must be reassured that she means him no harm. On the contrary, she warns Bedri to beware a wooden beam and a doe, and that he is not safe when he is “at the root”. Bedri goes on to meet a beautiful woman, with whom he elopes, pursued by soldiers who know from his pronunciation of the word for “wooden beam” that he comes from an area with which they are at war. Bedri learns that his beloved’s name is Dre, meaning doe, and the soldiers capture and kill the couple outside the town of Nderendje; the name of which means “at the root”.”

We’ll we’ve reached the root of this story and concluded; the journey continues (never-ending) …

Do have a wonderful rest of your September! Do remember tales of old as true. Do sing the blues, disco, pop, rap, rock, and jazz. Don’t forget to like, share, and support your local ghost writer in a Beyond Sirius Way! Thank you for visiting the ancient forests and mountains of folklore and mythology with me. Please do return for more harry and marvelous stories to harp on.