Moldavian Folklore: Zburatorul

Zburător is a Romanian and Moldavian mythology character. In translation it means “the one who flies”. He is sometimes called zmeu, which is another dragon-like creature, with more human-like aspects and features.

The “zburător” or “sburător” can also refer to a demon that takes the shape of a young handsome man, visiting women in their sleep and resemble the characteristics of an incubus.

In Descriptio Moldaviae (1714–1716) Dimitrie Cantemir mentioned this strange creature. It is written that “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 and in late romantic literature, in poems such as Călin (story pages) and Luceafărul (1884) by famous Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu.