ă lu ș ari ▁are ▁unknown , ▁although ▁the ▁first ▁written ▁att est ations ▁are ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁musical ▁not ations ▁of ▁Io an ▁C ă ian u . ▁El ia de ▁noted ▁that ▁" Al though ▁the ▁o ath ▁taken ▁is ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁God , ▁the ▁myth ico - rit ual ▁scenario ▁en act ed ▁by ▁the ▁cal us ari ▁has ▁nothing ▁in ▁common ▁with ▁Christian ity " ▁and ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁at ▁least , ▁there ▁was ▁cler ical ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁group , ▁with ▁its ▁members ▁being ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁taking ▁commun ion ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁some ▁regions . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁Roman ian ▁historian ▁of ▁religion ▁Mir ce a ▁El ia de ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁C ă lu ș ari ▁origin ated ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁word ▁for ▁horse , ▁cal , ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁cab all us . ▁ ▁The ▁generally ▁accepted ▁deriv ation ▁of ▁C ă lu ș ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁old ▁Latin ▁double ▁form ▁" col lus ium , ▁coll us ii ", ▁meaning ▁both ▁" a ▁dance ▁group " ▁and ▁" a ▁secret ▁society ", ▁however ▁other ▁deriv ations ▁have ▁been ▁proposed . ▁The ▁Roman ian ▁word ▁că lu ș ▁also ▁means ▁" a ▁small ▁piece ▁of ▁wood ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁mouth ▁to ▁prevent ▁talking ", ▁and ▁deriv ation ▁from ▁this ▁word ▁has ▁some ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁m ute ▁figure ▁in ▁some ▁groups , ▁and ▁the