La Cocollona

The Cocollona is a mythical creature from Girona, Spain. The legend originated in the 1980s. There was a girl, the child of a widower, who was taken to a monastery in Santa Clara. Her father had to leave and left her with the nuns. She grew up poor but didn’t care about this and instead just missed her dad. She had a secret door out of the Convent she used to sneak out on moonlit nights. Since the nuns were corrupt with the seven deadly sins, they became jealous of the girls’ happy retreat. They tried to follow her, but found the door had no lock or key. They became enraged and sold the girl out to the head nun. The head nun determined the door was either the product of a miracle or a pact with the devil. The nuns claimed they saw her dancing with a demon, and the head nun decided the latter was true. The girl was locked in the basement to wait for death. She didn’t die, though, even after months, and instead began to transform. Her skin turned to hardened scales comparable to a carp to protect her from the cold and damp air. Her body stretched, her back widened and became like a mountain range, her limbs shortened, and her nails grew and became stronger. She began to lose her hair, and her head sank in on itself while her mouth lengthened and widened. She slept after this transformation, and God reached down to touch her back, giving her large, beautiful wings like a butterfly of many colors. Its outstretched wings are said to reflect moonlight and the first rays of sunlight. She waited for the river to flood and fill the basement to give her a means of escape. A massive flood came and caused many to drown and be swept away. La Cocollona saved many by allowing people to grab her body and pull themselves from the water. After the tragedy was over, many people tried to find her. Some believe it melted, while others think she went out to sea to find others to help. Some say that on moonlit nights, she can be seen gliding on the surface of the water. She is often seen between the Pedra Bridge and the Old Peixateries Bridge.

Citations:

Guàrdia, David. La Cocollona: Una figura simbòlica del riu Onyar. Spain, EDITORIAL EFADÓS SL, 2010.