Romanian Cosmogony II-The Solomanar

Sometimes good, sometimes a bit wicked, the Solomonar is considered the great sorcerer of storms and winds, master of all lakes, tall mountains and deep caves, and the creator of frost, mist, and hail. Tall, red-haired, with bulging eyes, dressed in a white long coat, he is always described carrying his Magic Book, the source of all his powers. Also, people who claim to have seen him say that along with his book, he also carries a piece of wood for calling the winds and an iron axe which he uses to create hail.

Romanian mythology says that only a baby boy born with a distinctive sign over his face and body can become such a wizard. Taken away by an old Solomonar, the boy is trained for 20 years at the Solomonar’s School, found somewhere at the End of the Earth, in a deep cave. There, he studies the languages of all the beings from Earth, all the magic spells ever created, and then, after many hard tests, he is left alone, to a rock table, to write down all of his knowledge in his own book.

They are generally considered good wizards and often presented as false beggars, testing the kindness of people. If people refuse to help them while they are in disguise, they bring hail and strong storms to ruin the crops. But if they are helped, they offer gifts to the rivers and please the water fairies. In various regions of the country, the Solomonars are divided into two categories: good and evil. It is said that the evil ones bring raging storms and floods, but these maleficent creatures also have an enemy – a former Solomonar who became a Master of Stones.

Some people believe that Solomonars are successors of the Dacian High Priests known as Kapnobatai, but received their name after King Solomon, famous for his wisdom and great knowledge. Others claim that they are descendants of St. Elijah and that this is the reason why they master the storms and the thunders so well. Whatever their exact origins are, the Solomonars are not considered gone and in fact, they are well respected and have a special place among the magical beings of Romanian folklore. Some people claim to even have seen them, especially in the region of Bukovina.