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The zmeu is encountered as the antagonist character in many Romanian myths and tales. The form it takes varies; it is often identified as a dragon however with anthropomorphic qualities such as having the ability to create and use artifacts, weapons, to ride a horse and to shapeshift. A direct physical characterization is up to guesswork, however there are references to its arms and legs.
The zmeu who is also encountered under the name of Zburătorul (the flier) desires princesses in the tale world and actual women in our world. The main difference between the two is that we usually encounter zmei as antagonists in stories and zburători in actual human houses. Zburătorul / Evening Star. I’ve introduced them here together since they are presented as versions of the same also in other places such as in Ion Ghinoiu’s Dictionar de Miologie Română. I’ve also made a separate tab for them since they have enough independence as a character to deserve one.
Zmei are often viewed as dragon or serpent like creatures particularly because in Slavic mythology they are clearly described as dragons. This is not the case for Romanian mythology.
The zmeu lives under our world and is usually accessible through a portal such as a ravine or ‘the earth’s belly button’. It is not uncommon for the zmei to have castles in our world.
He can be prevented from entering the house if the entry points are smeared with burst zmeu grease. During the day he spends his time in the hollows of trees. Supposedly witches would incinerate it to find the burst zmeu grease.
Zmeu (Zburătorul): A mythological dragon with anthropomorphic qualities such as having the ability to create and use artifacts, weapons, to ride a horse and to shapeshift. The Zmeu lives under our world, the dragon desires princesses in the tale world and actual women in our world. Weakened when tallow/grease is thrown on top of them.
The zmeu lives under our world and is usually accessible through a portal such as a ravine or ‘the earth’s belly button’. It is not uncommon for the zmei to have castles in this world.