Zmey - The Terrible Dragon of Slavic Mythology

Zmey is a dragon in Slavic folklore. Often portrayed with multiple heads, he is known for kidnapping princesses. His defeat usually requires cunning or heroic strength. He symbolizes the struggle between good and evil, being a central element in many tales of heroism and adventure in Slavic folklore.
See U in History
Art: Marcus Aquino
Color: Arthur Russo
#Mythology #SeeUinHistory #History #MythologyExplained

[@samuellatu3123]

King ghidorah is supposed to be a reference to Yamata no Orochi but the design is based on the zmey

[@WhiteKoneko]

One of the most intriguing dragons in mythology for sure. 🐉🐲

[@kacperciepa6717]

In our Polish language he is called ,,żmij" which resembles our other Word ,,żmija" which means the Viper while dragon in our country is called by the Word ,,smok".

[@Splicer-lb5xb]

Like in LODR!

[@milutinstankovic4638]

Zmaj is dragon and kite in Serbian language 🐉 🪁

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

I don't think Zmey/balaur is too bad when it the origin story of King Ghidorah. Plus the zmeu are anthropomorphic dragons that scalys, TTRPG and anime love so much.

[@ivareskesner2019]

It's Zmej Gorinich. Zmej just means _'snake'._ This dragon is closely tied to the rest of Slavic folklore. Including Baba Yaga, the Three Bogoturs (strongmen/knights), Koshchej the Immortal, Vaselisa Prekrasnaja (Vaselisa the beautiful, the damsel the three Bogoturs are always rescuing from Zmej Gorinich and Koschej) as well as other mythical figures. A very rich folk tapestry here indeed.

[@sorasong9708]

But who's the original Norse version?

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

@@ivareskesner2019 I seen so many ways of spelling it from zmej, zmey, zmuj, and others. Even have balaur as an evil counterpart to zmej. Some have zmej the female counter part to zmey the male.

[@AJKecsk]

@@majesticgothitelle1802 Zmeu/Smeu (singular) and Zmei/Smei (plural) are the Romanian folklore versions. Balaur is the Romanian dragon, though as far as I remember a Balaur is more like a standard fire-breathing dragon, no mischief just a big winged lizard monster. Smei, on the other hand - they always talk, usually plot and usually do evil things involving stealing (for example, stealing the sun and moon as in Greuceanu, or the king's golden apples as in Prîslea). The hero might slay a Balaur through bravery and brawn, but usually has to outwit the Smeu as well as overpower it.

[@ivareskesner2019]

@@majesticgothitelle1802 True. Several different ways of spelling it in several different languages but at the end of the day it's the same up-to-no-good shyster dragon/hydra we all love to hate and hate to love. He must appear in hundreds of different folk tales and in most of them he either kidnaps Vaselisa, takes a kingdom hostage or some other dastardly deed which requires the intervention of Aljosha Popovich, Dabrinja Nikitich and Ilja Muramec. The heroic Three Bogoturs whose job description is acomolishing heroic deeds. That's them. Heroic deed doers. It's on their resume and everything. It's what they do.

[@Lio-01]

Will you do the wyvern, drake, zilant, wyrm and lindwyrm? I wanna know their history too

[@ivareskesner2019]

It's Zmej Gorinich. Zmej just means _'snake'._ This dragon is closely tied to the rest of Slavic folklore. Including Baba Yaga, the Three Bogoturs (strongmen/knights), Koshchej the Immortal, Vaselisa Prekrasnaja (Vaselisa the beautiful, the damsel the three Bogoturs are always rescuing from Zmej Gorinich and Koschej) as well as other mythical figures. A very rich folk tapestry here indeed.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

Dragon: originated from ancient Greek meaning serpent.

[@jacktheomnithere2127]

​@@majesticgothitelle1802 *"large* serpent".

[@johno1544]

King Ghidorah

[@charliemcternan8190]

Who doesn’t like the stories of great stories of desire and hunger

[@pootisguy2440]

King Ghidorah: WHAT ! Who Are You ? Zmey: I'm You

[@user-vu1hh2yq7p]

Yay for the zmey!

[@ivareskesner2019]

And then hurray for Zmey 😉👍🏻

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video

[@christianchauhan23]

💛 all your videos mate👍

[@mayakavali]

Absolutely Awesome Video!

[@chriskasmarski5709]

cool video

[@nicholasrobson1430]

This guy is the inspiration for King Ghidorah.

[@AdamTehranchiYT]

I wonder if having three heads means that they can transform into three different people. Cool video 👏🏻

[@missbornlucky6676]

yeayy please keep doing Slavic, Celtic, Nordic, Egyptian, Yoruba, Hindu, Japanese, and Chinese mythology. and Native American too if you can

[@greyworld6242]

Interesting.

[@thegoodthebadandtheugly579]

Z’mey is not pronounced as Z’mey, but Zmey.. and it means “snake” in direct translation from Russian (or other similar Slavic languages).. Dobrinya Nikitich comes from Dobrinya meaning “good” or “goodness” and Nikitich is a typical name coming from Nikita, which is used widely in Russia but also often used by the people with Asian Russian ethnicity, coming from the East.. just for info. There’s also some very interesting versions of how different people’s heroes, like Nikitich and other, use different tricks like riddles but also lying or luring the dragon into disadvantageous situations.. I think the Slavic culture is a transition between the Germanic, the Asian (Chinese and Japanese and Korean) and wider European dragon myths..

[@amyliddle5921]

Summoning three Blue - Eyes White Dragons - *Seto Kaiba* from across the ocean shouting " Blue - Eyes Ultimate Dragon"!!

[@plamenivanov92]

The Bogatir Dobrybya Nikitich was one of the 3 best Bogatirs. Along whit Iliya Muromets and Alyosha Popovich.

[@aleksa1098]

It's Zmaj,not Zmey,otherwise decent video

[@ssandraaj]

It is Zmej in some Slavic languages

[@aleksa1098]

@@ssandraaj In some,yes,in most of them it's Zmaj

[@ivareskesner2019]

Depends which language. The full name is Zmej Gorinich. Zmej just means _'snake'_ in Russian. This dragon is closely tied to the rest of Slavic folklore. Including Baba Yaga, the Three Bogoturs (strongmen/knights), Koshchej the Immortal, Vaselisa Prekrasnaja (Vaselisa the beautiful, the damsel the three Bogoturs are always rescuing from Zmej Gorinich and Koschej) as well as other mythical figures. A very rich folk tapestry here indeed.

[@ivareskesner2019]

​@@ssandraajIn Russian it is

[@ivareskesner2019]

​@@aleksa1098No. Russia's population is bar far larger than all the others combined and in Russian it's _'Zmej'._ Ipso Facto - it's mostly _'Zmej'._

[@ivanfriscic5801]

Yes it's Zmej in Slovenia and Gorinich is in like Zmaj in Hungary❤❤❤❤❤

[@ivanfriscic5801]

First don't Zmey is Zmaj and thay mey have two,three or seven head and four wings in Croatia and Slovenia Zmajcek is protector of Zagreb and Ljubljana hy from Ivan from Croatia ❤❤❤❤

[@ssandraaj]

It is Zmej in some Slavic languages

[@melanimatejak6821]

Zmajcek is protector of Ljubljana, but not Zagreb. Dragons don't feature in any of the Zagreb legends.

[@truthspreader1996]

Never did see a story go well when people start to mate with beasts.......

[@vginsprdsobepr9698]

In human form, they can have children with human woman whom give birth to powerful half breeds. Their children are usually born with dragon features like wings, horns, and tails. They have long periods of deep sleep and can take on powerful elemental forms to protect their homes and loved ones.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

Are you thinking of zduhac or zmeu. Zduhac is always male with limbs, tail, horns, and wings of a dragon with a head and Corso of a man. Then zmeu an offspring of a dragon with is an anthropomorphic dragon.

[@LacertaZilla2024]

Could this dragon be the inspiration to king Ghidorah

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

It can control weather and some depictions have it being a 3 headed wyvern. Pretty close to King Ghidorah

[@LacertaZilla2024]

@@majesticgothitelle1802 that’s totally cool

[@MysticChronicles712]

In Russian Legends and Poem of Kiev, dragon-slayer Dobrynya appears. Their summon Noble Phantasm is based on her.

[@srstriker6420]

How much do you know about the Mayan god of mischief?

[@jacobmacdonald9503]

King ghidorah

[@barbiquearea]

So this is where the inspiration for House Targaryen's sigel came from.

[@willardorensantiago4775]

We have already Fate Grand Order is Dobrynya Nkitich not genderbend her design is her wife Nastasia and his riding dragon was a husband Dobrynya a hero with dragon slayer by Zmei Gorynych in stroy part of Russian Legends and Poem of Kiev and that’s why using reference summon Noble Phantasm in game.

[@truthspreader1996]

Yikes😖

[@bakhanyisilezulu9154]

The are basically if King Ghidorah married and had kids with a female hydra. I think King Ghidorah must have a pretty good family life if you ask me.

[@melanimatejak6821]

😂

[@ritanman9578]

It pronounces Zmaj Also isnt a word Zmaj just a slavic translation for a dragon? Still decent video

[@mamc1986]

Nothing bad happened in the movie “I Am Dragon”. 🐉

[@DariusKetchum2010]

Huh, Ghidorah traded one of their tails for a pair of arms.

[@mathewanderson7552]

Secondest = 2ndest

[@nathanielabraham2075]

Oh yeah... Zmey Gorynych + Yamata no Orochi = King Ghidorah.

[@Imantyk]

Змей Горыныч

[@Solqueen86]

Here comes the FGO players

[@NezukoSatoru]

DRAGONS ARE INDEED ONE OF THE MESMERISING CREATURES❤

[@madambutterfly1997]

hail hydra

[@JaKorsarz]

Zmey is not a dragon! It's more like a winged serpent! In Slavic mythology, Zmeys and Dragons are two different families, mortal enemies and opposites! Dragons are connected to the earth elemental and darkness, Zmey are connected to the air elemental and light. Zmey have an even number of heads, dragons have an odd number of heads. Dragons are heavily armored and massive, Zmeys are light and agile. Dragons have 1 or 2 pairs of small bat wings, Zmey have 3 to 5 pairs of feather wings!

[@melanimatejak6821]

Interesting. However, definition of a dragon is pretty broad and depends on local traditions. Basically any shape resembling reptile can be called a dragon. In Greek mytologhy, for instance, most dragons are simply huge scally serpents.

[@melanimatejak6821]

And yes, the same region can have different types of dragons, of which some are good (benevolent toward people) and some are evil.

[@melanimatejak6821]

There are even some fish-like dragons.

[@sorasong9708]

I'm actually part Croatian and I prefer the Norse mythology to its Slavic ripoff.

[@melanimatejak6821]

Slavic mytology didn't steal for Nordic one. They appear somewhat similar simply because both are based on ancient legends of Euroasia. The same is true for countless other mythologies of Europe and Asia.

[@lol0ajo]

1st

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

Last

[@nikolagnjatovic1132]

Zmaj ili aždaja su često glavni negativci u slovenskim bajkama.

[@dafuqgusdafrey60]

Fun fact: the great hero Dobrynya nikitich has arrived in FGO, a famous mobile game which turn out to be a female cat ear girl, the twist is it's Dobrynya's wife and the 3 heads dragon also friendly AF