> the scholomance (romanian: oloman [olomants], solomonrie [solomonrie]) was a fabled school of black magic in romania, especially in the region of transylvania; which was run by the devil, according to folkloric accounts. the school enrolled about ten students to become the solomonari. courses taught included the speech of animals and magic spells. one of the graduates was chosen by the devil to be the weathermaker and tasked with riding a dragon to control the weather > it is said this magical school was founded by the solomanari, originally zgriminties or hultan, shamanic priests worshipping the deity zalmoxis. they claimed power over storms, and it was said they can someone a dragon-like creature or wyvern as a mount. likely, it started as a temple for the worship of zalmoxis, the un-dying god, who was said to have died, descended into hades, and returned. zalmoxis' home was a cave beneath a sacred mountain. his priests were described by the romans as dwelling beneath the earth as well, in "underground chapels." the scholomance was also underground, apparently on the mountain, but with tunnels extending beneath a nearby lake > "they believe they are immortal in the following sense: they think they do not die and that the one who dies joins zalmoxis, a divine being; some call this same divine being gebeleizis. every four years, they send a messenger chosen by chance to zalmoxis. the mission is performed in the following way: men standing there for that purpose hold three spears; other people take the one who is sent to zalmoxis by his hands and feet and fling him in the air onto the spears. if he dies impaled, they think that the divinity is going to help them." > herodotus, histories 4:93
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