Tradition: Catalan folklore, Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Guita Boja, La Guita Xica, Mulaguita, La Mulassa, Mula Fera, Mula Guita
Category: Dragon, Horse

The Myth

La Guita Xica is a strange dragon with the body of a mule and the features of a dragon. She has a green, horse-like body, a very long neck, and sharp fangs. Her long neck gives her an uncanny resemblance to a great serpent rising above the crowd.

Originally, La Guita Xica was regarded as a threatening demonic creature. Her nature was connected to the mule, an animal deeply familiar in the Catalan mountains but also notorious for its stubborn and unruly temperament. This wildness became part of the creature herself, making her a dangerous and unpredictable presence.

Over time, however, La Guita Xica changed from a frightening monster into a protective spirit. She became associated with the people of Catalonia and with the Eucharistic celebrations of the Patum de Berga.

During the festivals, enormous representations of La Guita Xica are brought into the town squares. The great dragon-mule moves among the celebrations and spits fireworks, transforming the once-feared creature into a spectacular guardian of the festivities.

Her many names preserve the changing image of the creature: Mulassa, Mulaguita, Guita Boja, Mula Fera, Mula Guita, and finally La Guita Xica. What began as a monstrous mule-dragon became a beloved protective figure within Catalan tradition.

Sources

“La Guita Xica.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Guita_Xica

The Myth

The Muladona is a monstrous creature from Catalan folklore with the body of a female mule and the head of a human woman. According to legend, it was once a young woman who was cursed by her community for being irreverent and irreligious, transforming her into this unnatural form.

After her transformation, the Muladona wandered through the mountains, especially at night, where she joined trains of mules. Her presence terrified the animals, causing them to panic, stampede into ravines, and perish.

The creature has the body of a mule, but its mane resembles a woman’s hair and its face is unmistakably human despite retaining some animal features. It is always depicted with the four legs of a mule, although some traditions show its front legs connected to a human-like torso where a mule’s neck would normally be. It is also consistently portrayed with breasts, emphasizing its female nature.

To protect their animals, muleteers fed their mules small pieces of bread shaped like the Muladona, believing this charm would prevent them from being frightened. They also carefully counted the mules in their caravans, fearing that the Muladona might secretly mingle among them and bring disaster if it went unnoticed.