The legend of Aurena's spring

This legend takes place in Artabro Gulf, on Ancos mountain near the city of Neda, which was called Libunca by Roman historians. From the summit, the view is awesome, and, you can see a unique scenery, Ferrol's bay shape and its narrow entrance. Among the many legends about this mountain, where there was a ‘castro’ (a kind of Celtic fort), several ancient springs, nowadays dry, were located in its slope. Formerly, this place was a swamp, where the accumulated water was turned into a pond, which would not dry on hot days. Around, moss and ferns and colorful wild flowers grew wild. Although there was never a tube to drink comfortably, people stopped to ease their thirst off and relax because of the beauty of the place. It was told that, if you approached quietly, you could see the silhouette of a girl living just under the water. People said she was delighted and steeped in sadness. As she had long, beautiful golden hair, she was called Aureana. On Saint John’s Day, at the shortest nights of the year, Aureana left the waters at dawn, and she climbed up to the top of Ancos Mount. There, with her beautiful hair drying in the breeze, she looked at the entrance of the estuary and she cried. She waited for that boat, sunk a long time ago, to be back with her boyfriend.

There is another version of the legend: Once upon a time there was a man which had three daughters: Laureana, Aureana and Ana. When he became a widower he married to another woman who was a witch and, besides she abused her young stepdaughters. The witch decided to get rid of them and, with a spell, she became the three daughters in three pieces of cheese. One day the witch cut a piece of one of the cheeses; suddenly a thunder stroke a tree just in front of the house, turning the three pieces of cheese into three horses. In this way, the three girls, converted in horses, could flee from the witch. However, only two horses could run away trotting fast, the third one was lame: She was the piece of cheese cut by the witch and it couldn't walk. The lame horse had to stay in the place, and it turned into a fountain. This is why a prisoner of one of the sisters, Aureana, still remains in those waters. On Saint John’s, she leaves the fountain and walks out looking like a beautiful young girl with golden hair or, sometimes, like a golden hen with her chicks.