Catalan myths and legends
Encyclopedia
Catalan myths and legends are the traditional myth
s and legend
s of the Catalan
-speaking world, especially Catalonia
itself, passed down for generations as part of that region's popular culture
.
Among the figures of Catalan mythology are:
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
s and legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s of the Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
-speaking world, especially Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
itself, passed down for generations as part of that region's popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
.
Among the figures of Catalan mythology are:
- AlojaAloja (mythology)In Catalan mythology an Aloja , also known as Dona d'aigua, Goja or Paitida, is a feminine being that lives in places with fresh water...
- Catalan mythology about witchesCatalan mythology about witchesIn Catalan popular culture, there are a large number of legends about witches . In the popular imagination, a witch is a woman who, by means of a pact with the Devil, has acquired supernatural power, which she uses for her own benefit and for evil purposes...
- DipDip (Catalan myth)In Catalan myth, Dip is an evil, black, hairy dog, an emissary of the Devil, who sucks people's blood. Like other figures associated with demons in Catalan myth, he is lame in one leg. Dip is pictured on the escutcheon of Pratdip.-Sources:...
- Donyet
- DragonsEuropean dragonEuropean dragons are legendary creatures in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe.In European folklore, a dragon is a serpentine legendary creature. The Latin word draco, as in constellation Draco, comes directly from Greek δράκων,...
- DracDracDrac, from the Latin draco, is the word for dragon or devil in several languages, such as Catalan and Romanian.Drac or DRAC may also refer to:* Drac, abbreviation for the orchid genus Dracula...
(a dragon, generally male) - Víbria (specifically female)
- Drac
- Encantaria
- Follet
- Gambutzí
- Goja
- Home del sac (man of the sack)
- Home dels nassosHome dels nassosHome dels nassos is a character in Catalan myths and legends. Home dels nassos is translated as "Man of the noses". The legend says that, on New Year's Eve, this man walks the streets and has as many noses on his face as there are days left in the year...
(man of the noses) - MarracoMarracoIn Catalan mythology, a Marraco is a dragon . The word marraco comes from Basque....
- MartinetMartinetThe martinet is a punitive device traditionally used in France and other parts of Europe. The word also has other usages . It is also a term for a type of hammer in French, a diminutive of marteau , "hammer".-Object:...
- MinairóMinairóA Minairó , also called manairó, menairó, diablorí in Catalonia or zaingorriak in the Basque country, is a fantastic being of diminutive size that some people save tiny enclosed within a needle tube in some villages of the Pyrenees. They have other names in the legends around the Pyrenees’...
- NegretNegretA negret in Catalan myths and legends, especially those of Majorca, is a small, dark-skinned sprite who, if touched with a candle by a mortal, instantly turns into a trove of coins...
- Paitida
- Papu
- PesantaPesantaIn Catalan legend and popular culture, the Pesanta is an enormous dog that goes into people's houses in the night and puts itself on their chests making it difficult for them to breathe and causing them the most horrible nightmares...
- Peix Nicolau
- Tió de NadalTió de NadalThe Tió de Nadal , also known simply as Tió or Tronca and popularly called Caga tió , is a character in Catalan mythology relating to a Christmas tradition widespread in Catalonia...
- The Three Wise Men or Tres Reis Mags d'Orient
- Page Gregory
- Page Fumera
- Vella Quaresma