Queen Lupa and the dragon of Pico Sacro: the legend leading to Compostela
A dragon, two fierce bulls and a queen who promised to help. Discover Lupa's complete legend, its ending and the real Galician places connected with the transfer of Saint James's body.
They were sent to find help. A dragon was waiting for them on the mountain.
This is the turning point in the legend of Queen Lupa, one of the great stories associated with the transfer of Saint James's body to Galicia. Across two episodes, Lúa has followed the queen's deceptions and the return of people who seemed unlikely to survive. Here is the complete story, its ending and the real places connected with it.
Before the dragon: a body in need of a resting place
Jacobean tradition tells how Saint James's disciples brought his body from Palestine to Galicia. The story links their arrival with Iria and the area around Padrón. They needed somewhere to bury him and approached a powerful lady known as Queen Lupa or Luparia.
Teodoro and Atanasio are among the disciples named in the tradition. Saint James has already died at this point: they are the ones facing the trials. This is not an adventure in which the apostle personally fights a dragon.
The Cathedral of Santiago explains the tradition of the Translation and the obstacles Lupa placed in the way of those seeking her help.
Lupa's offer concealed several traps
Lupa first sent them to seek permission from a ruler in Duio, near present-day Fisterra. Instead of receiving help, they were imprisoned. The story recounts their miraculous release and the collapse of a bridge during the pursuit that followed their escape.
When they returned, Lupa seemed to agree to their request. She offered animals to transport the body and told them where to find them. Her promise concealed another threat: a dragon lived on that mountain, and the supposedly tame oxen were fierce bulls.
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