Azhdakha

Azhdaha is a legendary creature in Bashkir folklore,dragon with many heads. 

 Description 
Azhdakha (Azdaha) is a character from many fairy tales of the Bashkirs, also the epic Ural Batyr. This creature can have from 3 to 12 heads. Fire comes out of his mouths.Khisamitdinova F.G. Mythological dictionary of the Bashkir language. - Moscow: Nauka, 2010. - 452 p. –  (ba)

At first, Azhdakha looks like a snake. 100 year old snake becomes AzhdahaRudenko S.I. Bashkirs. Historical and ethnographic essays. USSR Academy of Sciences, Bashkir Branch, Institute of History, Language and Literature. - Moscow - Leningrad: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1955. - 394 p., 5 sheets. map: ill.  P. 316—317 (ru) It has four legs and several heads. Azdaha often has wings and can fly. At the age of 500 years to 1000 years, it turns into a Yukha. Yukha can turn into a beautiful girl. She can marry a man to have children.

Azhdakha lives in rivers, lakes, swamps, sometimes in a well. It does not let people to take water. Azhdakha takes beautiful girls to her place yearly.

In many fairy tales, a brave and strong young man defeats Azhdakha. He cuts off the monster's heads.
The hero marries the girl he saved. 

In Bashkir fairy tales, Azhdakha is always a negative character. People are afraid to meet this terrible creature. Azhdakha comes to place with dark clouds together. Black clouds take Azhdakha away to the mountain Kaftau. Sometimes the summer can be hot and dry because of the breath of Azhdaha. 

Azhdakha bones are useful in the fight against the evil eye.

 References 

Other websites
  Folklore of Bashkortostan People: Encyclopedia / Scientific. Collegium: F. A. Nadrshina (chap. Ed.), S. I. Apsatarova, L. A. Afanasyeva, V. Ya. Babenko, F. G. Galieva, M. Kh. Idelbaev, I.E. Karpukhin, T. G. Minnihmetova, I. G. Petrov, R. R. Sadikov, U. G. Saitov (ed.), R. A. Sultangareeva, I.K. Fazlutdinov, G. R. Khusainova;. - Per. in English. Yaz.: LLC "Center for Intercultural Cooperation". -Ufa:  "Bashkir Encyclopedia", 2020.- .
 The regional encyclopedic portal "Bashkortostan" 
 Khisamitdinova F. G. Mythological dictionary of the Bashkir language. - M., Nauka, 2010. - 456 p.  

Category:Bashkir folklore
Category:Dragons
Category:Legendary creatures