Zburător
Zburător is a Romanian word, relevant to mythology. In translation it means "the one who flies". He is sometimes called zmeu, another dragon-like creature, with more human-like aspects.
The "zburător" or "sburător" can also refer to a demon that takes the shape of a young handsome man, visiting women in their sleep: incubus.
Dimitrie Cantemir wrote about the myth concerning it in Descriptio Moldaviae (1714–1716). The "zburator" appears as "a ghost, a young, handsome man who comes in the middle of the night at women, especially recently married ones and does indecent things with them, although he cannot be seen by other people, not even by the ones who waylay him".
Later references to this myth appear in the romantic poem by Ion Heliade Rădulescu Zburătorul.
The myth reappears in the late romantic literature, in poems such as Călin (file de poveste) (Călin (story pages)) and Luceafărul (The Evening Star) (1884) by Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu.
References
- Dracones, Enciclopedia Dacica (in Romanian)