Case file · Folklore / legend
The Goat-Footed Lady (Mari of Biscay)
Pedro, Count of Barcelos, wrote around 1340 that Diego López de Haro married a beautiful goat-footed woman who vanished when he crossed himself; she is linked with Mari, the great figure of Basque belief.
1340 CE · 43.13, -2.61 · status: legend
The account
The Livro de Linhagens tale of the Dama Pé-de-Cabra is the oldest written trace of beliefs later recorded about Mari, said to live in caves of Anboto and other mountains and to ride the sky as a ball of fire. Many Basques regard Mari as part of a living heritage rather than a 'legend'.