The Cassiopeia’s Gathering: a tree among the stars

Aeons ago, an event took place right here in the lands of Ortegal, long after the legendary clash between Hercules and Geryon, the three-headed giant who instilled fear in the first inhabitants of Ortegal.

In those remote times, the universe was ruled by the ancient forgotten gods, divine and supernatural beings who watched over every aspect of human life from Olympus. Their power knew no bounds; they were immortal, could change shape and size, manipulate time and space, and control the natural elements at their will.

Cantís do Cadro - JayLorenzo - Cariño

At the time, Hercules had entrusted the lands of Ortegal and the city of Crunia - today known as A Coruña - to Cepheus, a mortal king of great power and pride, to personally protect his territory. Cepheus was married to Queen Cassiopeia, and they had a daughter named Andromeda.

The newly appointed "Protectors of Ortegal" were fascinated by the beauty of these lands from the moment they set foot on it and so, they took every single opportunity to visit Ortegal to contemplate its sublime landscapes.

However, their arrogance and haughtiness soon became evident, and their reputation as "petulant and insolent" quickly spread from north to south throughout the villages.

Cepheus used to mock the gods, claiming their power was illusory and publicly challenging them for demonstrations. For her part, Cassiopeia, always preoccupied with her beauty, boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids themselves, which she did not want to be seen by the gods.

Fernando Rodríguez - Pena Furada - Loiba

However, their arrogance and haughtiness soon became evident, and their fame as "petulant and insolent" quickly spread from north to south throughout the villages.

Cepheus used to mock the gods, claiming their power was illusory and publicly challenging them to demonstrate it. Cassiopeia, by her side, always preoccupied with her beauty, boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids themselves, which was considered a great offence.

On a dark and moonless night, the most powerful 'meigas' of Ortegal gathered in the 'Pena Furada', on the coast of what today is Loiba. Led by Xuruxa, the wisest and most powerful meiga, they invoked Poseidon, the god of the oceans, to inform him about the detestable behaviour of the Protectors of Ortegal. The Furious Poseidon summoned a monstrous leviathan from the ocean depths and ordered it to pursue Cepheus and Cassiopeia to devour them. It emerged from the ocean on the east side of Mount Mazanteu, going about two leagues inland to hunt its prey. On its pursuit left an indescribable trail of destruction, reducing everything in its path to dust and ashes - the traces of that devastation are still visible today, giving rise to what we know today as the 'Ortigueira marshland'.

Unaware of Poseidon's wrath, Cepheus and Cassiopeia were enjoying the waterfall at the 'Pozo do Inferno' when the leviathan, called 'Xumelmur', began its devastating attack. Despite the destruction it left in its wake, Cepheus and Cassiopeia managed to escape from the leviathan.

After the unexpected fiasco, Poseidon desperately turned to Zeus for help in punishing the unworthy mortals. Zeus descended to Ortegal in the guise of a young Ortegan girl so that he could investigate without being recognised and discover the whereabouts of Cepheus and Cassiopeia.

JayLorenzo - Cantís do Cadro - Cariño

Three days later, Zeus discovered the couple hiding in a tiny abandoned hut in 'Cantís do Cadro', near the 'Herbeira Watch Post', sheltering from the leviathan 2,000 feet above the ocean. Right there, after showing himself in his usual appearance, Zeus turned Cepheus into a tree and banished Cassiopeia from this world, sending her with his powerful thunderbolt to the constellations of the northern skies, only visible during mild nights.

Since then, Cassiopeia and Cepheus meet secretly some nights on the peaks of Ortegal. They whisper to each other through the waves and caress each other through the wind. There, among the trees and the shadows, they remain eternally united and since then, watching us as we pass by, unseen.

This legend is told among the inhabitants of Ortegal as a reminder of the wrath of the gods.