Slavic dragon
The Slavic dragon is the equivalent of the classic European dragon in Slavic mythology. His name is there Smei ( Duden romanization ) or Zmej ( Змей ) in Russian and Bulgarian, Zmij in Old Church Slavonic and Ukrainian, Żmij in Old Polish and Zmaj ( Змај ) in Serbian, Croatian and Slovene. In the current Polish language and in the White Russian, the word Smok ( Смок ) is further used, which denotes the Bulgarian snakes, and in Romania one knows a similar creature called Zmeu.
Etymology
Most of the above names are the male forms of the Slavic term for " snake " (Russian змея, Bulg змия, serb and Croat. Zmija, żmija Pol. ), and so the old Slavic mythology sees inhabiting the air and fire spouting male dragon ( Żmij ) as a counterpart of living under the ground, but the water controlling female dragon ( żmija ) - a flourishing of vegetation and harvest is therefore only in harmony and reconciliation between the two possible today of living common image in caves, nevertheless fire-breathing dragon, however, the obvious attempt to bridge the (apparent) contradiction of both symbols.
The creature in East Slavic area
Russia and the Ukraine know the dragon as Smei / Smij Gorynytsch ( Змей Горыныч ). He has three heads and green, goes on his two hind legs, rather has small front legs and can spit fire. According to an epic Zmei Gorynytsch of Dobrynja Nikititch was defeated and killed.
Other Russian dragons as the Tugarin Smejewitsch have Turkic names - perhaps based on the Mongols. So is St. Georg (a symbol of Christianity ), killing the dragon as a symbol of Satan, depicted on the coat of arms of Moscow. Some prehistoric structures, especially the snake Wall near Kiev, were taken as symbols of foreign nations with the dragon in conjunction.
The creature in the South Slavic area
In Slovenia, the Dragon Zmaj is called, though an older word unclear origin, Pozoj, can be used. Dragons are usually located in Slovenia in malicious range, and they are usually displayed together with St. George.
There are tales of pre-Christian times, the act of dragons, which were similar to overcome, such as the Polish Wawel Dragon was defeated with the help of a sulfur- filled lamb. Dragons are not always friendly towards people hostile. How about protecting the Ljubljanski Zmaj ( Ljubljana Dragon ) to Ljubljana and it is depicted on the coat of arms.
In Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, the dragon ( Zmaj, Zmej or Lamja ) is many-headed ( with three, seven or nine heads ) and spits fire. In Serbia and Bosnia it is called Aždaja ( Аждаја ) or Ala ( Ала ). The Romanian word for dragon, Zmeu was acquired from Bulgarian in all likelihood.