{{Short description|Romanian outlaw and folk hero (1827–1865)}} {{Infobox criminal | name = Radu Anghel din Greci | image = Misu Popp - Haiducul Radu Anghel.jpg | caption = [[Mișu Popp]]'s posthumous depiction of Radu Anghel (1865) | birth_name = Radu | birth_date = 1827 | birth_place = [[Petrești, Dâmbovița|Greci]], [[Dâmbovița County]], [[Wallachia]] | death_date = October 1865 (aged 37–38) | death_place = [[Câmpulung]], [[United Principalities]] | death_cause = Gunshot wounds | resting_place = Câmpulung | occupation = {{hlist|''[[Hajduk]]''|[[Smallholding|smallholder]]}} | criminal_charge = [[Banditry]] | wanted_by = {{plainlist| * Wallachia * United Principalities}} | years_active = 1842–1865 | partners = {{hlist|Manole al lui Marin Ungureanu|Corporal Ioan|Prica Radului}} | reward_amount = 1,000 [[Romanian leu|lei]] (1865) | apprehended = October 1865 }} '''Radu Anghel din Greci''', also known as '''Radu Anghelu''' or '''Radu lui Anghel''' (1827 – October 1865), was a [[Wallachia]]n brigand, or ''[[hajduk]]''. As a [[Smallholding|smallholder]] in [[Dâmbovița County]], he first delved in illegal activities during his teens, thus protesting against the exploitative [[Boyars of Moldavia and Wallachia|boyardom]]. Leading a gang of outlaws, he established a presence across a zone that covered parts of Dâmbovița, [[Muscel County|Muscel]], and [[Argeș County|Argeș]]; he happened to do so at the same time as an outlaw of the exact same name, who was more narrowly focused on the village of [[Beleți-Negrești]], and with whom he was often confused. Always more feared than his namesake, the Radu Anghel of Dâmbovița was beloved by peasants, with his deeds recorded and propagated in [[Romanian folklore]]; he was regarded as a generous benefactor and a [[gentleman thief]], though he was noted for sometimes tormenting and torturing his upper-class captives. He became the object of Wallachian manhunts, continued by the [[Romanian Land Forces]] upon the establishment of the [[United Principalities]] in 1859–1860.
Radu was eventually tracked down to his hiding spot in [[Călinești, Argeș|Râncăciov]], and mortally wounded in the resulting battle. He was transported to [[Câmpulung]], where his death was witnessed by artist [[Mișu Popp]], who painted two posthumous portraits of the ''hajduk''. His associates were hunted down and killed over the following days, though some were said to have been alive, and consequently feared by the establishment, into the 1870s. In addition to serving as the inspiration for ballads and anecdotes, his criminal career was memorialized by modern storytellers such as [[N. D. Popescu-Popnedea]] and [[I. C. Vissarion]], and officially described as a work of popular emancipation under the [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romanian communist regime]]. Anghel was an indirect inspiration for films directed by [[Dinu Cocea]] in the 1960s, and more closely inspired [[George Cornea]]'s 1993 production, ''[[Doi haiduci și o crâșmăriță]]''.
==Biography== As early as 1895, Radu's reconstructed biography, penned by scholar [[Constantin Rădulescu-Codin]], noted his being born in [[Petrești, Dâmbovița|Greci]], just south of [[Găești]], in 1830.<ref>Bârlea, p. 568; Simonescu, p. 100</ref> Decades later, folklorist Mihail Robea confirmed the birth place, but corrected the year as 1827.<ref name="robea">Mihail Robea, "140 de ani de la nașterea haiducului Radu Anghel", in ''Secera și Ciocanul'', 21 January 1968, p. 3</ref> Radu was the son of local peasants Despa and Anghel Gheorghe (from whom he got his second name, a patronymic). The village population was divided between [[Freehold (law)|freeholders]] and [[Sharecropping|sharecroppers]]; both categories experienced various levels of exploitation under the old Wallachian regime, causing the boy much resentment, and leading him to perform his first acts of brigandage at the age of 15.<ref name="robea"/> Immediately after reaching his legal majority, he married a local girl named Rada, alongside whom he cultivated a small property of 38 ''[[Romanian units of measurement|stânjeni]]'' (some 76 [[square meter]]s).<ref name="robea"/> The couple had several daughters, including Oprica, better known as "Prica Radului"—who was always his favorite.<ref name="robea"/>
Shortly after, Radu, seeking revenge for his own destitution and the plight of his fellow villagers, decided that he should become an outlaw. He formed a criminal group, and was referred to by his contemporaries as a "commandant"<ref name="robea"/> or "captain". According to a peasant tradition, he refused such accolades: always dressing in regular [[Romanian traditional clothing|peasant costume]], which included ''[[Opanak|opinci]]'' footwear, he told his listeners that "captains" never bonded with their troops, and only wore slippers.<ref>Bârlea, p. 575; B. Cazacu, "Termeni referitori la port și semnificația lor în cadrul relațiilor sociale", in ''Studii și Cercetări Lingvistice'', Vol. IV, 1953, p. 120</ref> Radu took his gang of ''voinici aleși'' ("selected lads") to the forested areas of Dâmbovița, but also established a presence in neighboring Muscel and Argeș. An early peak of his marauding occurred right after the [[Wallachian revolution of 1848|liberal revolution of 1848]], during the conservative restoration effected by [[List of rulers of Wallachia|Prince]] [[Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei]]. Around 1851, Radu was raiding the [[Topolog (Olt)|Topolog valley]], where he chanced upon the local [[Farm (revenue leasing)|tax farmer]], ''[[Serdar (Ottoman rank)|Serdar]]'' Nicolae Carada. The two met each other at an inn, where Anghel was traveling incognito; though aware that Carada was carrying large sums of cash "in jam jars", he decided not to attack him.<ref>Theodorian-Carada, pp. 27–30</ref> The inn was later raided by a [[Wallachian military forces|Wallachian state militia]], but soundly defeated by Anghel—upon which Știrbei decided that he preferred to ignore the ''hajduk''.<ref>Theodorian-Carada, pp. 29–30</ref>
The bandits' subsequent activity covered "the lands between [[Târgoviște]] and Câmpulung".<ref name="aliabalada">Alexandru I. Amzulescu, "Balada populară românească", in ''Revista de Etnografie și Folclor'', Vol. 41, Issues 5–6, 1996, p. 371</ref> The ''voinici'' preyed on the boyars, and targeted in particular those engaged in tax farming, also harassing the more hypocritical priests of the [[Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobruja|Wallachian Church]].<ref name="robea"/> The gang frequently changed location, and at various times could be found at the Antonoaia cabin in [[Stâlpeni|Rădești]].<ref name="btamuzeu">[[Baruțu T. Arghezi]], "Cronica măruntă. Un muzeu al haiducilor", in ''Argeș'', Vol. II, Issue 9, September 1967, p. 18</ref> It shocked public opinion with its very successful and unexpected raids on the manors of Elena Constantineasca and Dumitrache Gungunoi, upon which they distributed the spoils among the more impoverished sharecroppers.<ref name="robea"/> ''Hajduk'' Radu continued his activities as Wallachia merged into the [[United Principalities]] (1859). At this stage, a degree of confusion was introduced by the activities of another outlaw named Radu Anghel, who had migrated out of [[Tufeni]] (now in [[Olt County]]) to a hideout at Stana's Inn in [[Beleți-Negrești]], Muscel; the two are distinguished in later literature by their village of origin.<ref>Nania, pp. 225–226</ref> The authorities decided to act against the threat, first by allowing Constantineasca to initiate penal procedures. Radu of Greci was [[Trial in absentia|tried in absentia]], and sentenced to a 6-year term of [[penal labor]] (he was also ordered to pay reparations to the tune of 800 [[Ducat]]s).<ref name="robea"/> In another trial of 1861, he received a one-year jail term by a ruling of the Muscel Tribunal.<ref>Nania, p. 225</ref>
Radu of Greci made a point of defying the authorities, intensifying his raids.<ref name="robea"/> As reported by Codin: "During his final years, he had induced an immeasurable fear in all wealthy men of the mountain villages, namely in those men who had never once ceased defrauding the Romanian peasant."<ref>Bârlea, p. 568</ref> One ballad detailing Radu's exploits has it that he single-handedly tortured the priest Marin of [[Călinești, Argeș|Râncăciov]] until his victim's family agreed to pay hand out a necklace of coins, as ransom. He then returned the item upon being told by the Marin's daughter that it represented her entire [[dowry]].<ref>Bârlea, pp. 569–570, 572–573</ref> The state responded by organizing a posse under a [[Romanian Land Forces]] officer named Negoescu, and also by offering 1,000 [[Romanian leu|lei]] for his killing or capture.<ref name="robea"/> The manhunt soon became entangled with parallel efforts at tax resistance by the Muscel gentry. In mid-1863, [[Scarlat Turnavitu]] of [[Leordeni|Budișteni]] was investigated by the authorities after having satirized tax collectors, modifying their letters to the public to read like threats from Radu Anghel.<ref>"Imposite ilegale înaintea justiției", in ''[[Românul|Suplimentul la Romanulŭ]]'', July 28, 1863, pp. 1–2</ref>
By 1865, the local government of Muscel took charge of the Anghel affair, mandating [[Prefect (Romania)|Subprefect]] C. Ianulescu of [[Nucșoara]] and [[Sublieutenant]] Ioan Palada with locating and liquidating Anghel and "any of [his] presumed hosts or accomplices".<ref name="trprincip320">"Principatele române unite", in ''[[Telegraful Român]]'', Issue 80/1865, p. 320</ref> The peasants continued to shield Radu from all repercussions,<ref name="robea"/> but, as Codin notes, he was finally betrayed by an unnamed party.<ref>Bârlea, p. 569</ref> The clues provided led the authorities to his hiding place at Râncăciov. According to folkloric tradition, he was lodging with a local known as Corporal Ioan, and could only be safely approached because his comrades were inebriated.<ref>Bârlea, pp. 570–572</ref> A shootout ensued on Cârstienilor Hill.<ref name="robea"/><ref name="vtmgtablou">V. Tamaș, M. Gîlcă, "Istoria unui tablou", in ''Secera și Ciocanul'', 10 March 1968, p. 2</ref> While some accounts suggest that he died there,<ref name="robea"/><ref>Bârlea, pp. 569, 570, 572</ref> others offer contrasting detail—namely, that he was gravely wounded, then transported in shackles by Palada to Câmpulung, where he eventually bled out.<ref name="vtmgtablou"/> The news was covered enthusiastically in the conservative newspaper ''Trompetta Carpaților'': <blockquote>We congratulate the administration for no longer allowing humanitarian lawyers to exhibit their skills, in their effort of proving that Radu Anghel is a decent man, useful to society as a whole; for never giving courtrooms an opportunity to find a balance between appearances and legal textualism; for never allowing prison wardens a chance to let such a monster escape.<ref name="trprincip320"/></blockquote>
==Legacy== Anghel's death was witnessed by painter [[Mișu Popp]], who was working on the restoration of Saint Nicholas Church. He was inspired to paint a full-scale portrait of the deceased, which he was allowed to display at the local city hall; Popp's canvass was much appreciated by the public, and was put on display at the [[Exposition Universelle (1867)|Exposition Universelle of 1867]] (it is presently at the [[National Museum of Art of Romania]], while a smaller version was purchased by the [[Brukenthal National Museum]]).<ref name="vtmgtablou"/> According to art historian [[Dan Grigorescu]], Popp selected his subject matter to fit in with the [[Romantic art|Romantic trend]], and specifically with the elevation of outlaws in novels by [[Walter Scott]], but its execution, like in all other works by the same painter, was strictly [[Academic art|academic]].<ref>[[Dan Grigorescu]], "Curente în arta plastică romanească. Tot despre romantism", in ''[[Contemporanul]]'', Issue 11/1966, p. 7</ref>
Radu Anghel was probably buried at the Holy Trinity Church in downtown Câmpulung. The building disappeared, but his attributed grave, marked with a commemorative inscription, was maintained as the central feature of a small municipal park.<ref>T. Iosif, "Cronica măruntă. O dată uitată", in ''Argeș'', Vol. II, Issue 10, October 1967, p. 18</ref> He was survived by his family, including his father and daughters (Anghel Gheorghe died in 1866, leaving his fortune to Prica).<ref name="robea"/> Ianulescu and Palada reported the manhunt as complete when, in mid-October 1865, a platoon of ''[[Dorobanți (military unit)|Dorobanți]]'' located his companion Manole al lui Marin Ungureanu in [[Călinești, Argeș|Gorganu]], shooting him summarily and leaving his body to decompose on the spot.<ref name="trprincip320"/> Anghel of Tufeni had also been captured, but only sentenced to a seven-months jail term.<ref>Nania, p. 225</ref> The "[[Republic of Ploiești]]" incident of 1870, which saw a roundup of [[Liberalism and radicalism in Romania|Romanian left-liberals]], also touched Argeș and Muscel. Identified as head of the local liberal rebels, [[Ion Brătianu]] was kept in custody at Câmpulung; his wife [[Pia Brătianu|Pia]] expressed worries that the authorities had released Anghel of Greci's remaining accomplices, and were using them to stage extrajudicial killings.<ref>"Bucurescĭ 22 Augustŭ / 3 Răpciune 1870", in ''[[Românul|Romanulu]]'', 23 August 1870, pp. 727–728</ref>
Anghel inspired an 1883 [[story paper]] by [[N. D. Popescu-Popnedea]], published by H. Steinberg of [[Bucharest]].<ref>"Buletin bibliografic", in ''[[Românul|Romanulu]]'', 14 April 1883, p. 339</ref> The deceased ''hajduk'' was perceived as a peasant hero well into the 20th century, and lionized as such by several eponymous folk ballads—one of these was sung at all weddings in [[Rociu]], causing the older guests to sob collectively;<ref>Bârlea, p. 569</ref> another one mentioned his daughter Prica, admired for her own adoption of the ''hajduk'' lifestyle, and depicted as riding a steed festooned in gold and silver.<ref>Simonescu, p. 100</ref> However, several such poems conflate Radu's activities with those of his contemporary in Beleți-Negrești—including a locally famous song about Radu's passage through Bradului Forest.<ref>Nania, pp. 225–226</ref> Apocryphal stories also began circulating, with some rendered in writing by Codin during the early decades of the [[Romanian Kingdom]]. At [[Mioarele|Suslănești]], they recorded an anecdote about the friendly interaction between a local peasant, Simon (who was coincidentally the ancestor of Codin's colleague, [[Dan Simonescu]]), and Anghel, during which the brigand decided not to raid Simon's home.<ref>Simonescu, p. 102</ref> At [[Vulturești, Argeș|Huluba]], the Anghel myth intertwined with worship of [[Alexandru Ioan Cuza]], who was reigning ''[[Domnitor]]'' of the United Principalities at the time of Anghel's killing. According to this account, Cuza had magnanimously spared the ''hajduk'', since he agreed with his goal of peasant emancipation.<ref>V. Adăscăliței, "Imaginea lui Cuza-Vodă în folclor", in ''Iașul Literar'', Vol. X, Issue 1, January 1959, pp. 83–86</ref> Accounts of his death were embellished, with one variant suggesting that he could only be killed by a soldier who knew his secret (namely, that he could only be harmed by a coin fragment, shot out of a regular rifle), and that his chopped-off head was brought before Cuza—who rejected the gift, and mourned for the brigand.<ref>Bârlea, pp. 570–571, 572–574</ref>
In a 1912 piece, journalist A. Camb expressed concern that "the most disgusting bandits", Anghel included, had been elevated as [[folk hero]]es, and were being seen as heralds of [[Romanian nationalism]] (under the assumption that their boyar victims were foreigners).<ref>A. Camb, "Siguranța publică: Tâlharii sunt oameni simpatici. — Ca la Paris. — Să fie achitat Pantelimon! — Recrutarea unor specialiști în materie. — Dac'am lua măsuri acum", in ''Minerva'', 27 September 1912, p. 2</ref> As scholarly and literary interest was being revived, some authors focused on finding witnesses to his brigandage. Codin spoke to Anghel's ''[[Lăutari|Lăutar]]'', Marin Colțatu of [[Bradu|Geamăna]] (said to have been aged 102 in 1913);<ref>Simonescu, p. 102</ref> one of the posse members still lived into advanced old age at [[Rucăr]], but was booed by generations of children whenever he stepped out of his home.<ref name="mmurmele">Mircea Mohor, "'69 pe platouri. Pe urmele haiducilor", in ''Cinema'', Vol. VII, Issue 12, December 1969, p. 5</ref> Rucăr also conserved the shortest version of the Anghel ballad, which omits most topographical elements. As noted by scholar [[Ovidiu Bârlea]], this is because that portion of Muscel was rarely a target for his terror: "[his] deeds awakened no interest whatsoever, as far as listeners were concerned".<ref>Bârlea, pp. 572–573</ref> In 1920, [[I. C. Vissarion]] included Radu as a background character in his novel, ''Petre Pârcălabul''.<ref>Pompiliu Pîrvescu, "Recenzii. I. C. Vissarion, ''Petre Părcălabul'' {{sic}} (roman)", in ''[[Viața Romînească]]'', Vol. XIII, Issue 3, March 1921, pp. 430–431</ref> As late as 1924, scholar [[Nicolae Iorga]] was arguing that Anghel's biography had been included in internationally famous novels of [[Panait Istrati]].<ref>"O generație hrănită cu haiduci", in ''[[Luceafărul (magazine)|Almanah Luceafărul]]'', 1984, p. 88</ref>
''Lăutar'' Alexandru Cercel of [[Boțești, Argeș|Boțești]] complained that, by 1947, very few of his audience enjoyed his "mournful" songs about brigands, and that they simply laughed off his attempts to sing about Radu Anghel.<ref>Daniela Șontică, "Restituire. Un ediție și un CD cu adevărat de colecție. Alexandru Cercel, rapsodul muscelean", in ''[[Jurnalul Național]]'', 15 June 2007, p. 27</ref> All ''hajduks'' were revived culturally under the [[Socialist Republic of Romania|communist regime]] (1948–1989)—in 1958, the [[Union of Communist Youth|Union of Working Youth]] sponsored work on Anghel's tomb;<ref>Nicolae Lupu, "Din activitatea organizațiilor U. T. M. din raionul Muscel", in ''Secera și Ciocanul'', 14 June 1958, p. 3</ref> in 1964, Ion Bănuță included ample and positive references to Anghel in his communist-inspired poetic cycle, ''Scrisoare către anul 2000''.<ref>Lucian Dumbravă, "Cronica literară. ''Scrisoare către anul 2000''", in ''Iașul Literar'', Vol. XV, Issue 3, March 1964, pp. 53–54</ref> In 1967, writer [[Baruțu T. Arghezi]] proposed that Antonoaia cabin be turned into a commemorative museum.<ref name="btamuzeu"/> Two years later, [[Dinu Cocea]] was working on his loose adaptations of ''hajduk'' narratives, with the twin productions ''[[Haiducii lui Șaptecai]]'' and ''[[Săptămîna nebunilor]]'', with a titular character called "Anghel" (played by [[Florin Piersic]]). Both were filmed in Muscel area, selected specifically as an homage to Radu.<ref name="mmurmele"/> A decade later, [[President of Romania|President]] [[Nicolae Ceaușescu]] personally advised Cocea that he should work on films about Anghel, [[Iancu Jianu]], and other "well-known ''hajduks'', men who have had a real-life existence and who have entered folk consciousness."<ref>"Panoramic românesc: 1980! Începem un nou deceniu! La multe filme bune și foarte bune! ''Jianu zapciul'' și ''Jianu haiducul''. Un haiduc care a existat aevea", in ''Cinema'', Vol. XVII, Issue 12, December 1979, p. 5</ref>
In 1981, industrial worker Vasile Neagu, who believed that a beech tree in [[Râu Alb]] marked a spot tied to Radu Anghel, campaigned to have the location declared a nature preserve.<ref>Petre Popa, "Faptul divers. Fagul de la Rîul Alb", in ''[[Scînteia]]'', 4 December 1981, p. 2</ref> As reported by the poet and local historian Ion Nania, Radu Anghel was the sole subject of a 710-page manuscript by Iacov Cârciumărescu of [[Topoloveni]]. Nania also contends that the work, though outstanding for its thoroughness, was never granted permission for print by the [[Censorship in Communist Romania|communist censors]], owing to Cârciumărescu's political file.<ref>Nania, p. 226</ref> Another scientific monograph was produced in 1950 by Bârlea for the Romanian Folklore Institute, but was still unpublished by 1996.<ref name="aliabalada"/> The Anghel legend still had echoes after the [[Romanian Revolution of 1989]]. In 1993, [[George Cornea]] directed the film ''[[Doi haiduci și o crâșmăriță]]'', in which Radu Anghel ([[Răzvan Ionescu]]) and his innkeeper companion Stana ([[Manuela Hărăbor]]) take their revenge on a villainous young boyar.<ref>Gabriel Grigore, Alexandru Știrbu, "Primul film românesc al anului 1993. ''Doi haiduci și o crîșmăriță''", in ''[[Evenimentul Zilei]]'', 11 January 1993, p. 6</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist|30em}}
==References== *[[Ovidiu Bârlea]], "Procesul de creație al baladei populare române", in ''[[Revista Fundațiilor Regale]]'', Vol. VIII, Issue 6, June 1941, pp. 558–586. *Ion Nania, "Un han cu vâlvă dat uitării: Hanul Stanii", in ''Argessis. Studii și Comunicări. Seria Istorie'', Vol. VII, 1995, pp. 221–227. *[[Dan Simonescu]], "Din istoria folclorului și folcloristicii. Folcloristul C. Rădulescu-Codin", in ''Revista de Folclor'', Vol. II, Issue 4, 1957, pp. 91–121. *Mariu Theodorian-Carada, ''Efemeridele. Insemnări & amintiri. Întâiul volum''. Bucharest: Tipografia Capitalei, 1930.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anghel, Radu}} [[Category:1827 births]] [[Category:1865 deaths]] [[Category:Hajduks from the Principality of Wallachia]] [[Category:19th-century military personnel of the Principality of Wallachia]] [[Category:People from the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia]] [[Category:19th-century Romanian farmers]] [[Category:People from Dâmbovița County]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Romania]] [[Category:People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Romania]] [[Category:Deaths in police custody in Romania]] [[Category:Romanian mythology]]