The Aitvaras, is said to be many things…depending on who is telling the story and whether the creature is on the inside or the outside of the house. Below are three different, yet similar accounts of the same creature. All agree that you DON’T want one in your life!

Lithuanian Myth

Lithuanian mythological creatures are rarely plain “good” or plain “evil”, most of them are able to be both depending on circumstances.
*Aitvaras (plural: aitvarai) may have been the god of water and clouds. Aitvarai may take a form of a bird, a serpent or a tornado. They bring riches to the needy people (yet may take them from the greedy). Aitvaras’s riches can be useful but rarely bring happiness; furthermore, Aitvaras may start droughts by drinking rain. Aitvaras presence at home may be unnoticed but such a home would never be poor; however, the prerequisites of “creating” an aitvaras may also be bought intentionally. For more Lithuanian creatures, click here.

According to cryptid wiki, the Aitvaras is a Lithuanian household spirit that resembles objects while indoors, but outdoors appears as a dragon about two feet long, with a serpentine body and four legs.

In some districts in Lithuania, it has wings and flies through the air trailing fire. It may hatch from the egg of a 9- to 12 year old rooter, and later…if it ever dies, it will become a spark.

An Aitvaras will lodge itself in a house, refusing to leave. Its presence brings “riches” into the household, but the wealth is usually stolen from the neighbors.

An Aitvaras can be purchased from the Devil, but the price is the buyers soul. Once bought, it is nearly impossible to get rid of. If injured, it can be healed just by touching the ground.

Fiery flying serpent and part-time rooster

 

According to godchecker.com, this creature is a shape-shifting mythical creature which cunningly disguises itself as a simple farmyard rooster while indoors. But if it goes outside — whoosh! It becomes a flaming fire-lizard.

If one turns up unexpectedly inside of your house, you are stuck with it. Sorry. Be nice to it. It may bring you good luck, but it probably won’t.

AITVARAS tend to deal in the seedier side of fortune.
After yet another police raid investigating the miraculous appearance of stolen goods in your garage, you might find it less stressful to sell the house and move far, far away.

Just take care that you aren’t followed by a flaming dragon.

Writing Inspiration-

I couldn’t find much more cultural information on this creature, so I had to use my own cultural references for inspiration. I hope that is ok with you. Please write to me with any more information you may have on this guy and I will add it to this post.

“An Aitvaras can be purchased from the Devil, but the price is the buyers soul.”

It is unclear to me why you would want to buy one of these creatures, other than for revenge of some kind, but it reminds me so much of “Devil went down to Georgia,” (but Lithuanian,) the song keeps playing in my mind. Listen to it here by the Charlie Daniels Band, for some gritty folk inspiration or here by Primus.

Lyrics

The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin’ for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
‘Cause he was way behind
And he was willin’ to make a deal
When he came upon this young man
Sawin’ on a fiddle and playin’ it hot
And the devil jumped
Up on a hickory stump
And said, “boy, let me tell you what
I guess you didn’t know it
But I’m a fiddle player too
And if you’d care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy…

Writing Prompt-

You have one thing you want in this world. You want your neighbors car. Its gorgeous, expensive, extravagant and soon to be yours. You know that it is superficial and petty but really, you don’t care because mostly, you don’t want your neighbor to have it. That’s at the crux of this prompt. Jealously.

You willingly sell your soul to the devil to get an Aitvaras, and he comes to live with you. He isn’t such a bad house guest, as long as he is fed on time. He has an insatiable appetite.

The Aitvaras starts the very next day…taking. He takes things big and small…all of which are items that he wants. You don’t care about this as long as he takes the car. What you don’t know, is that the neighbor harbors the same insane jealousy for you, and has commissioned the Aitvaras to steal your diamonds. He has always hated you for your precious stone collection. Soon there is a war, with the Aitvaras, coming and going to both of your houses and the chaos surrounding the situation is at an all time high on All Saints Day..and the ghouls and ghosts are already out and about. What happens on this night?

The papers read the next day that someone died. What happened?

If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!