The Enchanted Moorish Maidens
In northern Portugal, they say enchanted maidens guard treasure in springs and caves, and appear on summer mornings combing their hair with golden combs.
What was reported
In the folklore of northern Portugal and Galicia in Spain, the mouras encantadas are enchanted maidens who live in springs, caves, rocks and old hillforts. They are said to guard hidden treasure, and are most often seen on Midsummer morning, sitting by water and combing their long hair with a golden comb.
A person who finds one may be offered a choice between her and her treasure, or asked to break her enchantment, which usually requires a test that ends in failure.
Explanations offered
The mouras encantadas are folklore figures. Many of the places linked to them are prehistoric sites, such as Iron Age hillforts and ancient tombs, which local people explained with stories of a mysterious people of the past.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Minho, northern Portugal
- Witnesses
- Portuguese and Galician tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.