Romanian literature

Romanian literature encompasses the entire body of written work by Romanian authors. It also includes all literature composed in the Romanian language. This tradition serves as a vital vessel for the nation's history and cultural identity. It is shaped by both local geopolitical shifts and international European movements. These movements include Humanism and the Enlightenment. The literature also exists alongside a deep tradition of folk literature. This folk tradition is a core part of Romanian folklore and remains active in modern times.

Romanian folk literature is primarily an oral tradition. It consists of several distinct forms, such as doine, which are lyric songs. Other forms include balade (ballads), hore (dance songs), and colinde (carols). It also features basme (fairy tales), snoave (anecdotes), vorbe (proverbs), and ghicitori (riddles). One of the most famous examples is the pastoral ballad titled Miorița. Authors like Petre Ispirescu have worked to preserve this heritage by transcribing these folk tales into written form.

Early written history in the region relied on Old Church Slavonic. This script was used in current Romanian territories as early as the 10th century. The oldest surviving manuscripts date back to the 12th century. Between 1385 and 1391, religious songs by Nicodim and Filotei were written in Slavonic. A notable work from the 16th century is The Teachings of Neagoe Basarab to his son Theodosie. Written between 1519 and 1521 by the Wallachian Lord Neagoe Basarab, it addresses morality and politics. This work is considered one of the oldest great works of Southeastern European literature.

The transition to writing in the Romanian language occurred through translation and printing. The Hurmuzaki Psalter, dated between 1491 and 1504, is the oldest preserved manuscript in Romanian. It is a Romanian copy of a bilingual Church Slavonic-Romanian text. The first book printed in the Romanian language was Catehismul românesc by Filip Moldoveanul in 1544. Later, in 1673, the Bishop Dosoftei published the first Romanian metrical psalter. This was the earliest collection of poems written in the language. The complete Bible was not published in Romanian until 1688 by the Greceanu Brothers.

European intellectual movements significantly altered the literary landscape. Humanism appeared in the 16th century but flourished more fully a century later. Dimitrie Cantemir was a major humanist scholar. He wrote histories of Wallachia, Moldavia, and the Ottoman Empire. He also authored the Roman à clef titled A Hieroglyphic History in 1705.

In the 18th century, the Școala Ardeleană, or Transylvanian School, emerged in Transylvania. This was a Latinist and Enlightenment movement. Scholars like Samuil Micu-Klein, Gheorghe Șincai, and Petru Maior conducted philological studies. They investigated the Romantic origins of the Romanian language. In the 1800s, nationalist ideas led to the revolutions of 1821 and 1848. Writers associated with the 1848 revolution are known as Pașoptists. Vasile Alecsandri was a prolific Pașoptist who wrote poetry, plays, and collected folklore.

The literary circle Junimea was founded in Iași in 1863 by Titu Maiorescu and others. They published the magazine Convorbiri Literare starting in 1867. This became the most important Romanian literary publication for many decades. The circle helped synchronize Romanian literature with European movements. During the 20th century, many authors gained international fame. This includes Mircea Eliade and Emil Cioran. In 2009, Herta Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.