Xana
Sign in to savethumb|170px|Xana (Lamia, John William Waterhouse, 1909). The xana (Asturian: /ˈʃana/or [ˈɕa.na]) is a character found in Asturian mythology. Always female, she is a creature of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls, or forested regions with pure water. The origin of the Asturian word xana is unclear, though some scholars see it as a derivation from the Latin name for the goddess Diana. References to where the mythological xanas lived are still common in Asturian toponyms. They also appear in Eastern Galician and Cantabrian mythology (Anjanas).
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Xaninos
- Folktales involving xanas
- In literature
- See also
- References
thumb|170px|Xana (Lamia, John William Waterhouse, 1909). The xana (Asturian: /ˈʃana/or [ˈɕa.na]) is a character found in Asturian mythology. Always female, she is a creature of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls, or forested regions with pure water. The origin of the Asturian word xana is unclear, though some scholars see it as a derivation from the Latin name for the goddess Diana. References to where the mythological xanas lived are still common in Asturian toponyms. They also appear in Eastern Galician and Cantabrian mythology (Anjanas).
==Characteristics== The xanas promise treasures and can be disenchanted. Some xanas also attack people and steal their food. They live in fountains and caves.