In a pretty little village in inland Galicia, in the borough of Chantada, there were two little school girls who helped their parents and played as often as they could. One of their favourite toys was a multicoloured shawl, a present from a relative called Manolo when he came back from the African colonies as a soldier of The King.
One day in spring they went to the vineyards with their parents to collect some barrels left in the bodega, before the dam of Belesar covered the walls of vineyards that their ancestors had looked after so affectionately for many years. River Miño, angry by having its bed cut off, started to grow and grow relentlessly. Maria and Mercedes, who had left their shawls hanging on a stake, could not believe their eyes as they saw the growing river swallowing the shawls until they completely disappeared. The girls began to cry in disbelief. They too had to run up the mountain to avoid being gulped by the river.
Worn out, they sat down sobbing at the riverside. Suddenly, as if by magic, two XACIAS came out of the waters with the shawls wrapped around their fingers. They told the girls they were also sad and hurt because the dam had disrupted their peace and made their homes in the deepest wells of the river vanish forever.
The girls were very happy and took back their shawls. As a recompense, they offered the XACIAS a house in the village of Pesqueiras where they use to go and play, so they could live in whenever they wished. This is the way they were moving between the river, Castro Candad, the Swallow Stream, the forests near the Romanesque Church of Pesqueiras (in the very heart of Riberia Sacra). They also lived in this house during long, frosty and harsh winters and, ever since then, Casa das Xacias has a scent of fairy tales. Nowadays it opens to the public as a house of Rural Tourism so if ever the Xacias come back for a good sleep you might have the chance to meet them.
