Balaur

Balaur is a creature in Romanian folklore, similar to a dragon.

Balaur as a toy

Etymology

Balaur seems to derive from Proto-Indo-European language words *bel-, "strong", or *bhel-, "to swell". It is considered to be a pre-Roman conquest word from the Romanian substratum.

Description

A balaur is quite large, has fins, feet, and is polycephalous (it usually has three, sometimes seven, or even twelve serpent heads).

Stories

Balaur appears in many Romanian fairy tales. He represents Evil and must be defeated by Fat-Frumos in order to release the Princess

See also

• Zmeu