The Cocollona is a

folkloric Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

creature from

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan language, Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter River, Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in ...

Appearance

The cocollona is a river monster of Gironian mythology. According to legend, she was once a nun who, due to her lack of faith, was punished and imprisoned in the dungeon of the city's monastery, and could only leave to go to the river that runs through the city—the

Onyar The Onyar is a Spanish river in Girona, Catalonia that begins at the Guilleries massif at the apex of the Catalan Transversal Range and the Pre-Coastal Range. It joins the Ter at the city of Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Span ...

. After many years, due to her undernourishment and isolation, she grew scales until she fully metamorphosed into a crocodile-like creature. In spite of this punishment, she was still somewhat saintly, which manifested as a pair of butterfly wings. Some time after her death, her ghost began to haunt the Onyar river, usually near the old bridges where she was sometimes spotted by fishermen. Nowadays her translucent form can only be spotted under the light of the full moon, and only by those who are particularly attuned to such things.

Origin

The origin of this legend is uncertain to the point that it may not have its historical origin. It is believed that figure was created by the Cocollona own tour guides in an effort to add a new creature beasts of mythology Girona.

External links

Pedres de Girona
Catalan mythology Catalan legendary creatures