This is the 9292nd most frequent French word.
croyait
"Believed" (imperfect tense of "croire").
Here, 'croyait' is used to imply ongoing belief or assumption at a particular point in the past.
Il croyait que la réunion était à 15 heures.
He believed that the meeting was at 3 PM.
In this sentence, 'croyait' indicates faith or trust in stories being narrated during her youth.
Elle croyait aux légendes que sa grand-mère lui racontait.
She believed in the legends her grandmother told her.
Here, 'croyais' expresses an expectation or anticipation about someone's action in the past.