The Legend of the Drac de na Coca in Palma de Mallorca

The Legend of the Drac de na Coca in Palma de Mallorca

During the 17th century, the inhabitants of Palma de Mallorca lived in constant fear of a beast that hid in the depths of the sewer network. Chroniclers of the time describe a monstrous being, with the appearance of a dragon or colossal crocodile, which they named Drac de na Coca. This animal would emerge to attack livestock and sow panic in the city, which was unable to capture it 🐉.

The Hero Who Challenged the Monster

The tension broke when the knight Bartomeu Coch decided to act. According to the chronicles, he devised a plan to lure the creature and faced it in a singular combat. The epic battle took place near the Riera torrent, in the area where the Santa Margalida convent was later built. Coch managed to defeat and kill the animal, thus ending years of terror and becoming a legendary figure for the city.

• The strategy involved luring the beast from the sewers to open ground.
• The duel is located at a specific point, the Riera torrent.
• Coch's success not only eliminated a threat but also restored security in Palma.

Today, some visitors joke that the real terror was not the dragon, but imagining a knight in armor entering the 17th-century sewers to look for it.

Physical Proof of a Legend

The story transcends oral tradition thanks to a tangible trophy. The animal's body was taxidermied and is exhibited as material proof of the feat. Today, visitors can see it at the Diocesan Museum of Mallorca, presented as the crocodile that Bartomeu Coch killed. Its presence perpetuates a fascinating debate between those who interpret the facts literally and those who see them as an urban myth, possibly originated by an exotic animal that got lost.

• The taxidermied body acts as a physical link between the legend and history.
• Its location in the museum invites us to question the boundaries between folklore and a real event.
• The narrative is passed down from generation to generation, blending historical elements with popular tradition.

A Myth That Endures

The legend of the Drac de na Coca encapsulates how a community can create and maintain a story that mixes fear, heroism, and mystery. Beyond its veracity, the tale is part of Mallorca's cultural heritage, demonstrating the power of narratives to endure centuries later. The next time someone walks through the streets of Palma, they might remember that beneath their feet there are not only sewers, but also echoes of a dragon 🏰.