Zână (plural
zâne;
zînă and
zîne,
d̦ână and
d̦âne in
old spellings) is the
Romanian equivalent of the Greek
Charites. They are the opposite of monsters like
Muma Pădurii. 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.