The Religious Carol in Transylvania –Function and Symbol

In the context of Romanian folkloric tradition, the carol represents one of the oldest cultural elements. The first part of this article defines the genre and functions of the Romanian carol, and explains that its basic function is the conveyance of wishes, referring to all aspects of the social and personal life of the recipient. As far as the nature of the carol is concerned, the second part of the article reveals some characteristics of the sense and symbol of the religious carol, concluding that carols are part of those traditional texts and melodies that can be called Eucharistic chants. Their preservation and practice in different areas of the country highlight their worth, as they essentially represent liturgical echoes arising from the ethnogenesis of the Romanian nation.