Editing Mircea Eliade (section)

===Adolescence and literary debut===
After completing his primary education at the school on Mântuleasa Street,<ref name="Biografie in Handoca"/> Eliade attended the [[Spiru Haret National College]] in the same class as [[Arșavir Acterian]], [[Haig Acterian]], and [[Petre Viforeanu]] (and several years the senior of [[Nicolae Steinhardt]], who eventually became a close friend of Eliade's).<ref name="Steinhardt, in Handoca">Steinhardt, in Handoca</ref> Among his other colleagues was future philosopher [[Constantin Noica]]<ref name="smihai"/> and Noica's friend, future art historian [[Barbu Brezianu]].<ref>Veronica Marinescu, [http://www.curierulnational.ro/Specializat/2004-03-13/%E2%80%9CAm+luat+din+intamplarile+vietii+tot+ce+este+mai+frumos%E2%80%9D,+spune+cercetatorul+operei+brancusiene " 'Am luat din întâmplările vieții tot ce este mai frumos', spune cercetătorul operei brâncușiene" (" 'I Took the Best Out of Life's Occurrences', Says Researcher of Brâncuși's Work")] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526190816/http://www.curierulnational.ro/Specializat/2004-03-13/%E2%80%9CAm+luat+din+intamplarile+vietii+tot+ce+este+mai+frumos%E2%80%9D,+spune+cercetatorul+operei+brancusiene|date=2018-05-26}}, interview with [[Barbu Brezianu]], in ''[[Curierul Național]]'', March 13, 2004; retrieved February 22, 2008 {{in lang|ro}}</ref>

As a child, Eliade was fascinated with the natural world, which formed the setting of his very first literary attempts,<ref name="smihai"/> as well as with [[Romanian folklore]] and the Christian faith as expressed by peasants.<ref name="vilasanjpaseo"/> Growing up, he aimed to find and record what he believed was the common source of all religious traditions.<ref name="vilasanjpaseo"/> The young Eliade's interest in physical exercise and adventure led him to pursue [[mountaineering]] and sailing,<ref name="vilasanjpaseo"/> and he also joined the [[Cercetașii României|Romanian Boy Scouts]].<ref>Maria Vlădescu, "100 de ani de cercetaşi" ("100 Years of Scouting"), in ''[[Evenimentul Zilei]]'', August 2, 2007</ref>

With a group of friends, he designed and sailed a boat on the [[Danube]], from [[Tulcea]] to the [[Black Sea]].<ref>Constantin Roman, ''Continental Drift: Colliding Continents, Converging Cultures'', [[CRC Press]], [[Institute of Physics Publishing]], Bristol and Philadelphia, 2000, p. 60 {{ISBN|0-7503-0686-6}}</ref> In parallel, Eliade grew estranged from the educational environment, becoming disenchanted with the discipline required and obsessed with the idea that he was uglier and less virile than his colleagues.<ref name="smihai"/> To cultivate his willpower, he would force himself to swallow insects<ref name="smihai"/> and only slept four to five hours a night.<ref name="ihincep"/> At one point, Eliade was failing four subjects, among which was the study of the [[Romanian language]].<ref name="smihai"/>

Instead, he became interested in [[natural science]] and [[chemistry]], as well as the [[occult]],<ref name="smihai"/> and wrote short pieces on [[Entomology|entomological]] subjects.<ref name="ihincep"/> Despite his father's concern that he was in danger of losing his already weak eyesight, Eliade read passionately.<ref name="smihai"/> One of his favorite authors was [[Honoré de Balzac]], whose work he studied carefully.<ref name="smihai"/><ref name="ihincep"/> Eliade also became acquainted with the [[Modernism|modernist]] short stories of [[Giovanni Papini]] and [[social anthropology]] studies by [[James George Frazer]].<ref name="ihincep"/>

His interest in the two writers led him to learn Italian and English in private, and he also began studying [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]].<ref name="Biografie in Handoca"/><ref name="ihincep"/> At the time, Eliade became acquainted with [[Saadi (poet)|Saadi]]'s poems and the ancient [[Mesopotamia]]n ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]''.<ref name="ihincep"/> He was also interested in philosophy—studying, among others, [[Socrates]], [[Vasile Conta]], and the [[Stoicism|Stoics]] [[Marcus Aurelius]] and [[Epictetus]], and read works of history—the two Romanian historians who influenced him from early on were [[Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu]] and [[Nicolae Iorga]].<ref name="ihincep"/> His first published work was the 1921 ''Inamicul viermelui de mătase'' ("The Silkworm's Enemy"),<ref name="Biografie in Handoca"/> followed by ''Cum am găsit piatra filosofală'' ("How I Found the [[Philosopher's stone|Philosophers' Stone]]").<ref name="ihincep"/> Four years later, Eliade completed work on his debut volume, the autobiographical ''[[Romanul Adolescentului Miop|Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent]]''.<ref name="ihincep"/>