Zburator

                     Zburător is a Romanian word, relevant to mythology. In translation it means "the one who flies". It usually refers to the Dacian heraldic symbol and also their fighting flag nameddracone which was a flying, wolf-headed dragon. Sometimes it also means zmeu, another dragon-like creature, but with more human-like aspects.

Zashiki-warashi
座敷童、座敷童子　（ざしきわらし）
Tatami Room Child
other names: Zashiki-bokko 座敷ぼっこ, Kura-bokko 蔵ぼっこ, Kura-warashi 蔵童 (warehouse child), Kometsuki-warashi 米搗き童 (rice-polishing child), Usutsuki-warashi 臼搗き童 (mill-stone pounding child), Karako-warashi 唐子童 (child in Chinese clothes), Notabariko のたばりこ, Chōpirako ちょうぴらこ



A household spirit resembling a child of either gender from about three to twelve years of age. The name zashiki-warashicomes from the interior of Iwate Prefecture, but similar legends are found all over Japan. It is often said that when this being dwells in a house, its family will be prosperous, but when it leaves, the house will fall into ruin, and also that the zashiki-warashi is never seen, save for just as it is about to leave. Its presence however, is often marked by the mischief it does to sleeping people, such as moving pillows about and pulling on bedding.

There are different kinds of zashiki-warashiwhich vary in pleasantness, with thechōpirako variety said to be pretty and white in color, and the notabariko or usu-tsuki-warashi sort said to crawl out from beneath the dirt floor and creep about, making noises like pounding a mill-stone and causing unpleasant feelings. The latter sort seems to be connected to old infanticidal customs called mabiki (thinning-out), which often ended in burying unwanted infants somewhere in the house, such as under a dirt floor or a mill-stone.1

Zână

                   Zână (plural Zâne) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites. They are the opposite of monsters like Muma Padurii. These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and reside mostly in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and of the Germanic Elf.

They give life to fetuses in utero and bestow upon them great gifts like the art of dancing, beauty, kindness, and luck. In folk tales, it is told not to upset them because they also have the power to do bad things or put a curse on the wrongdoer. They also act like guardian angels, especially for children who enter the woods, or for other good people.[citation needed]

Zână means "beauty". She is the one who has all the beauty, and is the one that gives it away.

Zână is also used in current Romanian slang to refer to an attractive girl, though it is not necessarily the kindest way to do so.

Rephaite - Zamzumim

          Rephaite (pron.: /ˈrɛfi.aɪt/; Heb. plural רפאים, Rephaim) is a Northwest Semitic term that occurs in the Hebrew Bible as well as other, non-Jewish ancient texts from the region. It can refer either to a mythical race of giants, or to dead ancestors who are residents of the Netherworld.

             

            Race of giants

In the Hebrew Bible, "Rephaim" can describe an ancient race of giants in Iron Age Israel, or the places where these individuals were thought to have lived: see Gen. 14:5, 15:20; Deut. 2:10-1,20, 3:11,13; Josh. 12:4, 13:12, 15:8, 17:15, 18:16; 2Sam. 5:11,22, 23:13; 1Chr. 11:15, 14:9, 20:4. In the biblical narrative, the Israelites are instructed to exterminate the previous inhabitants of the "promised land," i.e. "Canaan," which include various named peoples, including some unusually tall/large individuals. See the passages listed above in the book of Joshua, and also Deut. 3:11, which implies that Og, the King of Bashan, was one of the last survivors of the Rephaim, and that his bed was 9 cubits long in ordinary cubit. (An ordinary cubit is the length of a man's forearm according to the New American Standard Bible, or approx. 18 inches, which differs from a royal cubit. This makes the bed over 13 feet long.). C.f. the reference to Nephilim and the "sons of God" in Gen. 6:1-3. Anak was a Rephaite (Deuteronomy 2:11).

The area of Moab at Ar, (the region East of the Jordan) before the time of Moses, was also considered the land of the Rephaites. Deuteronomy 2:18-21 refers to the fact thatAmmonites called them "Zamzummim", which is related to the Hebrew word זמזם, which literally translates into "Buzzers", or "the people whose speech sounds like buzzing." In Arabic the word زمزم (zamzama) translates as "to rumble, roll (thunder); murmur". As per Deut 2:11, the Moabites referred to them as the Emim.

Zaltys

         Žaltys (literally: grass snake) is a household spirit in the Lithuanian mythology. As sacred animal of the sun goddess Saulė,[1] it is a guardian of the home and a symbol offertility.[2] People used to keep it as a pet by the stove or other special area of the house,[1] believing that it would bring good harvest and wealth.[2] Killing žaltys was said to bring great misfortunes upon the household.[1] If žaltys was found in the field, people gave it milk attempting to befriend the creature and make it a sacred houseld pet.[3]

Zahhak

                    Zahhak (meaning ‘he who has 10,000 horses’) is a character from ancient Persian mythology. In the Avesta, he is described as a monster with three mouths, six eyes, and three heads. In other texts he is described as a man with a snake growing from each shoulder that could not be removed and which fed on human brains. Zahhak ruled Persia for 1000 years after deposing the fruitily-named King Jam and had a gang of demons – or daevas – to help him. He was eventually defeated by a nine year old called Fredon who hit him three times with a mace and then stabbed him three times with a sword. From out of the wounds crept all manner of crawling and slithering things. The god Ormazd ordered that Zahhak be chained up on a high mountain somewhere to avoid pest infestation. It is said that at the end of the world, Zahhak will be freed for just long enough to be slain by a resurrected hero called Kirsasp. Hardly seems worth undoing the padlocks.

           Zahhāk in Arabia

          Persian painting, depicting Zahhak ascending on the royal throne.

              According to Ferdowsi, Zahhāk (Arabic transliteration: Ḍaḥḥāk or Ḍuḥḥāk) was born as the son of an Arab ruler named Merdās. Because of his Arab origins, he is sometimes called Zahhāk-e Tāzi, "the Arabian Zahhāk." He was handsome and clever, but had no stability of character and was easily influenced by evil counsellors. Ahriman therefore chose him as the tool for his plans for world domination.

When Zahhāk was a young man, Ahriman first appeared to him as a glib, flattering companion, and by degrees convinced him that he ought to kill his own father and take over his territories. He taught him to dig a deep pit covered over with leaves in a place where Merdās was accustomed to walk; Merdās fell in and was killed. Zahhāk thus became both patricidal and king at the same time.

Ahriman now took another guise, and presented himself to Zahhāk as a marvellous cook. After he had presented Zahhāk with many days of sumptuous feasts, Zahhāk was willing to give Ahriman whatever he wanted. Ahriman merely asked to kiss Zahhāk on his two shoulders. Zahhāk permitted this; but when Ahriman had touched his lips to Zahhāk's shoulders, he immediately vanished. At once, two black snakes grew out of Zahhāk's shoulders. They could not be surgically removed, for as soon as one snake-head had been cut off, another took its place.

Ahriman now appeared to Zahhāk in the form of a skilled physician. He counselled Zahhāk that the only remedy was to let the snakes remain on his shoulders, and sate their hunger by supplying them with human brains for food every day otherwise the snakes will feed on his own.

From a psychological point of view the snakes on Zahhak's shoulders could represent his lust for killing or a form of sadism which if left unsatisfied would torment Zahhak. Also when Zahhak is defeated by Fereydun, he cannot think of a better fitting punishment than to simply bound him in cave where the snakes (not being fed) will eat Zahhak's own brain symbolizing his inner agony and unsatisfied homicidal lust.

This story is Ferdowsi's way of reconciling the descriptions of Dahāg as a three-headed dragon monster and those stories which treat him as a human king. According to Ferdowsi, Zahhāk is originally human, but through the magic of Ahriman he becomes a monster; he does, in fact, have three heads, the two snake heads and one human head; and the snakes remind us of his original character as a dragon.

The characterization of Zahhāk as an Arab in part reflects the earlier association of Dahāg with the Semitic peoples of Iraq, but probably also reflects the continued resentment of many Iranians at the 7th century Arab conquest of Persia.

Unlike the figure of Zahhak in Iranian Mythology, the word 'zahhak'='dahhak' in Arabic means to laugh and to smile.

Leyak

           In the folklore of Bali, theLeyak (in Indonesian, people called it 'Leak' (le-ak)—the Y is not written or spoken) is a mythological figure in the form of flying head with entrails (heart,lung, liver, etc.) still attached. Leyak is said to fly trying to find a pregnantwoman in order to suck her baby's blood or a newborn child.[1] There are three legendary Leyak, two females and one male.
[edit]Description

           Leyaks are humans who are practicing black magic and have cannibalistic behavior. Their mistress is the "queen of Leyak", a widow-witch named Rangda, who plays a prominent role in public rituals.[1] Her mask is kept in the village death temple and during her temple festivals, she is paraded. Besides leyaks, demons are said to be the followers of Rangda.

          Leyak are said to haunt graveyards, feed on corpses, have power to change themselves into animals, such as pigs, and fly. In normal Leyak form, they are said to have an unusually long tongue and large fangs. In daylight they appear as an ordinary human, but at night their head and entrails break loose from their body and fly. Leyak statues (a head with a very long tongue and sharp fangs) are sometimes hung on a wall for house decoration.

In practice, Balinese people sometimes attribute certain illness or deaths to leyaks.[1] A balian (Balinese traditional healer) will conduct aseance to identify with witchcraft who is responsible for the death. During the seance, the spirit of the dead will directly or indirectly point to his/her attacker. However, vengeance by the victim's relatives or family is usually counseled against, and people are advised to leave any action to the spirits themselves. Hence, the suspicions and fears of the family and relatives are confirmed, but revenge upon the witch is discouraged by the healers.