Hello!

I was going to skip X as the few fantasy creatures whose name begins with x were all new to me, but then I came across a reference to Xana and this creature really grabbed my attention.

Let’s start with the basics: xanas are water-dwelling, nymph-like beings from Asturian folklore (that I learnt is in northern Spain). They’re always female, always beautiful, and always tied to nature—especially springs, rivers, and fountains. Her voice is high and clear. Sometimes she’s seen combing her hair with a golden comb (a classic trope, honestly), or singing lullabies (another trope) so sweet they make your heart ache.

But xanas aren’t just pretty females humming by the riverbank. In Asturian folklore, they are both a symbol of nature’s gentle allure and a powerful, sometimes dangerous, magical presence. They can be benevolent—rewarding those who treat their domain with kindness—or fiercely vengeful to those who disturb their peace.

Xanas are often guardians. Of treasure, of course, but also of secrets. Some tales say xanas reward kindness, often offering precious items to those they deem pure of heart or noble in spirit. The treasure may be in the form of gold or magical items; or the reward can be more symbolic—healing, fertility, or protection, for example.

In some stories, however, zanas can be very dangerous, cursing those who disturb them.

Some other stories suggest they’re illusions—glamours designed to lead people off course.

Sometimes, the xana appears with a mysterious child in her arms. This child may be a changeling, which the xana is attempting to exchange for a human baby.

The xana is the kind of character that could sneak into a book without warning. Not quite ghost, not quite goddess, she doesn’t demand to be the centre of the story. Which, honestly, is worse. Because then you start asking questions like:

What does she want? Who’s she singing to?
Whose baby is it?
Why is she crying at midnight?

And if you’re writing epic fantasy and like me braiding mystery and magic into the world—those questions are gold. Emotional gold, which is the best kind. Because xanas aren’t just mood-setting minor characters. They represent longing. The ache of things lost. The eerie and beautiful that never change.

Readers might like characters, even minor characters, to be a little more active these days, but part of me thinks a passive, dangerous, still creature—can be far more unnerving.

So if you ever find yourself wandering near a quiet stream in the mountains of northern Spain, and hear a distant song on the wind—be careful. The xana may be near.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xana; https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Xana

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