Zanna
Zanna | |
---|---|
Powers and Abilities | Invisibility, teleportation, telepathic link to other zanna |
Vulnerabilities | Special knife etched with sigils |
Appearance | Varying |
Episode(s) | 11.08 Just My Imagination |
In Romanian lore zanna are creatures who guide and protect lost children. Zanna intentionally appear as figments of the child's imagination, allowing the child to move on with confidence once guidance is no longer necessary.
Characteristics
Zannas are creatures in Romanian folklore, and appear to children as "imaginary friends." The purpose of the zannas is to protect children and give them guidance, once they feel the child is a good place and see their guidance is no longer needed they will move on to another child and begin the cycle again.
Zannas appear in many shapes, sizes and configurations. Some may appear simply human, others as mermaids and half-man, half-unicorn hybrids.
Powers and abilities
- Empathy – Zanna can sense the emotions of children, they use this ability to give the children under their care confidence.
- Invisibility – Zanna are only visible to the children they are trying to help. They can be viewed by others if they chose to allow a human to see them.
- Teleportation – Zanna are able to teleport anywhere they wish.
- Telepathy – All zanna are telepathically link to each other
Weaknesses
- Spells – Certain spells can allow a human to see zannas well into adulthood.
- Special dagger – A special dagger, etched with sigils has the ability to kill any zannas.
Episodes
11.08 Just My Imagination
Sully is the zanna for Reese and her sister Audrey While playing tag with Audrey, a car hits and kill Audrey. After Audrey's death, Sully stopped interacting with Reese, which caused Reese to resent him, leading to years of therapy. When Reese got older, she became obsessed with folklore and while studying abroad in Romania she learns that Sully is a zanna. She then sought out a witch, who sold her a spell that would allow her to see the zanna, as well as a knife capable of killing them -- despite the witch's protests that the zanna were good.
On her return to America, Reese begins killing zanna. She eventually confronts Sully and explains the pain he caused her. Dean talks her down, convincing her that revenge wont take away her grief.
Zână in Lore
In Romanian folklore, zânăs are seen as the polar opposite of monsters in fairy tales. Zânăs live in the woods, and will act as a guardian angel to any children who enter. They are believed to give life to fetuses in utero and give gifts such as luck and beauty to the child. While they are typically seen as benevolent creatures, if angered they have the ability to place a curse on the person that wronged them.