High above the Carpathian peaks, when dark clouds gather and thunder rolls, some Romanians whisper not of weather fronts — but of Solomonarii.

These ancient sorcerers of the skies, known throughout Romanian folklore, are said to command the elements themselves. They ride dragons through the clouds, wield lightning, summon storms, and whisper to the wind. Half-magician, half-meteorologist, the Solomonar is one of the most powerful — and secretive — figures in Romania’s mythic canon.

Who Are the Solomonarii?

The Solomonarii (singular: Solomonar) are believed to be:

• Powerful, learned men, trained in a secret mountain school known as Școala de la Sarmizegetusa or Școala din Munții Rarău.

• Dragon-riders, said to tame and ride zmei or balauri — massive serpentine creatures tied to the skies.

• Weather mages, able to bring hail, drought, or torrential storms depending on their will — or the behaviour of the villagers below.

• Wanderers in disguise, who often travel the world in rags, begging for alms — punishing those who turn them away.

They were not mere witches or evil spirits, but guardians of cosmic knowledge, deeply feared and respected for their control over nature’s rawest forces.

Origins and Name

The name "Solomonar" is often linked to King Solomon, known in biblical tradition for his wisdom and magical command over spirits. Some folklorists believe the Solomonarii are echoes of Dacian high priests or Zalmoxian weather shamans, absorbed into Christianised myth.

Their lore may be a fusion of:

• Pagan weather rituals

• Monastic secrecy

• Dragon myths

• And ancient fears of drought, flood, and hailstorms devastating crops.

The School of the Solomonari

According to legend, only a select few are chosen to become Solomonari. They must:

• Leave home in childhood

• Study for 7 or 9 or 12 years in the hidden mountain school

• Learn secret languages, spells, and dragon-taming

• Undergo painful trials (including isolation, blindness, or starvation)

• And never return to normal life again

Once trained, the sorcerer becomes something other. Not entirely human. Not entirely divine.

Friend or Foe?

While Solomonarii are not considered purely evil, they are dangerous, unpredictable, and not to be crossed.

Many old peasants believed that:

• A Solomonar could punish entire villages with hail if insulted or mistreated.

• They could steal rain from one region and send it to another.

• If angered, they might call down fire from the sky.

Offerings were sometimes left out to appease them — or to beg for mercy during dry spells.

Modern Echoes

Today, the Solomonarii linger in Romanian rural memory as powerful symbols of:

• The sacred forces of nature

• The price of forbidden knowledge

• And the thin line between wisdom and destruction

They remind us that weather was once more than forecast — it was fate, faith, and fear all rolled into one.