The legend of the Cocollona of Girona

There are legends that speak of dragons, witches or fairies, but in Girona there is a creature unique in all Catalan folklore: the Cocollona, a being as rare as it is fascinating, with the body of a crocodile and the wings of a butterfly.

Its story is one of the most unique in the city. It speaks not of heroes or battles, but of injustice, transformation, and hope. A legend that, even today, still floats among the waters of the Onyar River.

The novice who refused to be silent

Tradition tells that, many centuries ago, on the left bank of the Onyar River, in the Mercadal neighborhood, there was a convent of nuns. But these nuns lived far removed from the ideals of seclusion and devotion they professed.

Among them was a young novice, humble and deeply religious. She was the only one who maintained a sincere faith and did not hesitate to rebuke her companions for the disorderly life they led.

His constant reproaches ended up arousing the hatred of the community.

To silence her, the nuns imprisoned her in an underground cell near where the Monar irrigation ditch flows into the Onyar River. No one could see her. No one could help her.

The mysterious transformation

Years passed.

The constant darkness, the dampness of the dungeon, and the lack of food gradually transformed the novice's body. Little by little, her skin became covered in scales until she resembled a crocodile.

But her soul remained pure.

And, according to legend, that kindness caused a new miracle: large butterfly wings grew on his back, delicate and full of luminous colors.

Thus was born the Cocollona, an impossible creature that combined the strength of a reptile and the beauty of a butterfly.

The spirit of the Onyar River

The novice died alone, without anyone restoring her freedom.

Since then, they explain that her spirit began to appear in the waters of the Onyar River, very close to the place where she had been imprisoned, between the current Stone Bridge and the Puente de les Peixateries Velles.

There is only one moment when it is possible to see it.

The nights of the full moon, shortly before daybreak, when the fog covers the river and Girona is still asleep.

They say that the most sensitive people can distinguish the translucent figure of a large crocodile with butterfly wings swimming silently upstream and downstream.

When the first ray of sunlight appears, Cocollona disappears into the fog until the next full moon.

A legend born in Girona

Unlike many medieval legends, the story of Cocollona has a fairly recent origin. It was created in the late 1960s by a group of artists and intellectuals from Girona connected to the city's cultural scene. The character was born from a funny childhood mix-up between the words "crocodile" and "butterfly," which gave rise to the name Cocollona.

Over the years, that invented story took root so strongly that today it is part of the popular imagination of Girona, to the point that many people consider it just another traditional legend.

Girona's most beloved creature

Today, Cocollona is one of Girona's most emblematic characters. He appears in murals, puppets, cultural activities, and legend routes that run through the Barri Vell (Old Quarter), alongside other popular figures such as the Tarlà, the Banyeta, and the legend of the dog.

Perhaps this is its true charm; the Cocollona reminds us that legends don't always have to have originated a thousand years ago. Sometimes, a good story is all it takes for a city to embrace it as its own.

And so, when the full moon reflects on the tranquil waters of the Onyar, there are still those who gaze intently at the river. Just in case, amidst the mist and silence, butterfly wings appear on the scaly back of Girona's most mysterious creature.