Capcaun
Encyclopedia
A Căpcăun is a creature in Romanian folklore, depicted as an ogre
who kidnaps children or young ladies (mostly princesses). It represents evil
, as do its counterparts Zmeu
and the Balaur
. The Romanian
word appears to have meant "Dog-head" (căp being a form of cap, meaning "head", and căun a derivative of câine, "dog").
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
who kidnaps children or young ladies (mostly princesses). It represents evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, as do its counterparts Zmeu
Zmeu
The Zmeu is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. Sometimes compared to other fantastic creatures, such as the balaur or the vârcolac, the zmeu is nevertheless distinct, because it usually has clear anthropomorphic traits: it is humanoid and has legs, arms, the ability...
and the Balaur
Balaur
A balaur is a creature in Romanian folklore, similar to a European dragon. A bălaur is quite large, has fins, feet, and is polycephalous...
. The Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
word appears to have meant "Dog-head" (căp being a form of cap, meaning "head", and căun a derivative of câine, "dog").