Tradition / Region: Andorran Mythology
Alternate Names: Gastó of Fontaneda
Category: Sorcerer
The Myth
Gastó is remembered as a powerful village sorcerer and healer, known for diagnosing and curing mysterious illnesses that ordinary medicine could not explain. His knowledge combined herbal remedies, ritual practices, and insight into hidden supernatural causes.
In the story of Cal Cametes, a young pregnant woman begins to waste away without any visible illness. Despite medical help, her condition worsens daily. Desperate, her husband travels across the land to seek Gastó’s aid.
The sorcerer first prescribes herbs to be taken as a drink, then additional remedies paired with prayers, and finally protective measures involving sacred symbols placed at the threshold of the home. When none of these work, Gastó realizes the illness is not natural.
He identifies the cause as the evil eye, cast by the woman’s own mother-in-law out of jealousy. To prove it, he instructs the husband to place an egg beneath his mother’s bed overnight. By morning, the egg has turned black and rotten, confirming the presence of malevolent influence.
Following Gastó’s guidance, the husband purifies the house with holy water and prayers, breaking the curse. The young woman recovers quickly and gives birth to a healthy child.
Gastó’s role in the tale is not that of a dark magician, but of a discerning practitioner who exposes hidden harm and restores balance, standing between human life and unseen destructive forces.
Sources
Valls, À., & Carol, R. (2023). Llegendes d’Andorra. In Encamp-Montellà: Anem Editors p. 56.