Many cultures have some form of dragon in their folklore. In Russian and Slavic legends, this creature is known as a Zmey (also spelled Zmei or Zmaj). The breed in general are gigantic reptiles living in dense forests and rugged mountains. They are green, to better blend with their habitat, and have between three and nine heads! Each of these can blow fire from their noses and smoke from their ears. As if that isn’t bad enough, Zmey also can fly, and when they do they are big enough to block out the sun.
Different cultures have different ideas about Zmey, of course. In Serbian lore, Zmey have the heads of rams and are guardians who fend off the evil Azjada who would destroy people’s crops. Bulgarian lore tells that only male Zmey are the benevolent protectors while females are the malevolent destroyers. Sounds like they have a dramatic home life!
The Serbian lore continues that Zmey may be gifted with superior strength and intellect, but they all have one major weakness — women. Several legends relate to Zmey who are captivated by human women. At times when crops failed, villagers believed that the Zmey were neglecting their duties and chasing skirts instead of chasing Azjada. In that case, the priests would go from house to house saying prayers to force the Zmey back into their usual haunts. Indeed, more than one historic leader in the region played on this folklore by claiming that they were the sons of Zmey disguised as men.
Come back Saturday for one of these Serbian dragon legends.
Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.
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