“… the victim’s blood was spilt over the engraving of the serpent…”

On a small rock, near the cistern, stands a petroglyph in the shape of a serpent called the “Serpent of Troña”. It is carved into a sacrificial stone with a central groove whose function was to channel the victim’s blood onto the engraving of the serpent. The serpent is said to represent fertility, although other theories suggest that it is no more than a symbol, offering peace and calm to all those living there.

Other people say that different rites and sacrifices of children took place in ancient times to bring good harvests and keep evil at bay. The voices of those who used to live in the castro are said to be heard at night still. EVP are recorded there and some people even carry out satanic rituals there. The stone still has a certain reddish tone…

According to the legend, in the castro lived a serpent which would slink into the village to steal  pets to eat, and to talk to the goats, to which he would say:

— Dáme do teu leite, que eu che darei o meu peite! [Give me some of your milk and I will give you my comb!].

The villagers, out of fear and to prevent the robberies, agreed to take it in turns to deliver an animal to the serpent every day. One day, tired of this, they decided to kill it. They made a rope from balls of wool with a big knot at one end, gave it to the serpent and when it took the bait, pulled on the rope and stoned it to death. It was then buried in the atrium of the chapel and a stone cross placed on top.

“… a woman can be seen seated, combing her hair with golden combs…”

The legend also says that underneath the chapel is a cemetery of mouros and mouras from which an underground path led to the River Tea, in Portovilares, and that the path took them to see the horses they kept there.

Mention has also been made of another tunnel from the castro to the River Tea, at a place called “Caldeira do Inferno” [Pot from hell], at the exit to which is treasure in the shape of a golden harrow.

Another legend has it that in front of the chapel appears first a woman, then a serpent. Sometimes, a woman can be seen sitting on a rock, combing her hair with golden combs.

In the castro, treasure is said to have appeared, such as a golden beam, leading from the castro to Portela do Vilar, a large golden harrow or a golden loom hidden underneath the altar of Dulce Nombre de Jesús chapel.