''Zburător'' or ''sburător'' (

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

word meaning 'flyer') is a supernatural being in Romanian folklore, described as a "roving spirit who makes love to maidens by night".

General description

The zburător is also likened to an

incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

, and described as a malevolent demon active in a "oniric-erotic" manner, i.e., visiting women in their dreams in the guise of a handsome young man. The zburător is otherwise referred to as a ''

zmeu The ''Zmeu'' (plural: ''zmei'', feminine: ''zmeoaică'' / ''zmeoaice'') is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Though referred by some sources as a dragon, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has c ...

'' (another dragon-like creature) in some regions, though perhaps perceived to have more human-like aspects than the zmeu.

History of lore

Dimitrie Cantemir, writing about the myth concerning it in '' Descriptio Moldaviae'' (1714–1716). stated that the "zburator" meant "flyer" ( la, ), and according to the beliefs of the Moldavan it was "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". A literary reworking of the myth later appeared in the romantic poem by

Ion Heliade Rădulescu Ion Heliade Rădulescu or Ion Heliade (also known as ''Eliade'' or ''Eliade Rădulescu''; ; January 6, 1802 – April 27, 1872) was a Wallachian, later Romanian academic, Romanticism, Romantic and Classicism, Classicist poet, essayist, mem ...

''Zburătorul'' ('The Flyer/Flying Incubus', 1843), and the "incubus" with flowing black hair visiting a young girl and inducing her erotic awakening. 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 Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...

. The zburător (sburător ) myth became one of the four fundamental myths in Romanian folk poetry according to the framework of

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...

(1941).

Explanatory notes

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * Romanian mythology Romanian legendary creatures {{legendary-creature-stub