Called also Iransuge and Sugaar (male serpent). Your figure is that of a terrible serpent.
According to some legends has seven heads; according to other, only it has one. When it crosses the air seems an arch flame you. It has residence in San Michael of Aralar.
In one deep hole of San Michael of Aralar were fed of human beings, as reports the following legend:
"About the Church of San Michael, in the side of the mountain, there is a very deep hole in the one which was living a great dragon (great serpent), that was tending to eat horses and jackasss. Sometimes was bringing men to his cave; a times was swallowing them, other was drowning them with his breath, and in some cases was returning them insane.
Happened a day that a woman was going to the church of San Michael riding on a beast. The dragon brought it to his lair, but the achievement woman to escape heals. Attended shouting to the shrine.
The clergymen were presented to the abbot to request to him that them let the relics of the altar of San Michael. Obtained the permit, threw of that blest water.
In all the day do not enter the dragon to his cave. Went, however, by the next mountains during a month and middle.
Many were tending to hear its yells, some saw it. But, thanks to God and to San Michael, to nobody made damage in those contours."
Count that the Church of San Michael of Aralar is found on a deep cave.
In some time was tending to live in this lair the Iransuge (dragon), and to be felt hungry was decreasing to the peoples and was causing countless deaths between the men. Therefore, the people of the surroundings determined to send to the dragon a person each day, the one which left to luck.
Once key this in a young person, a girl, and such be put near the mouth of the cave waiting to the dragon.
In that time was reflecting by the mountains the gentleman Teodosio de Goñi, making penance until have of breaking the iron footwear and a great chain that was dragging pending of the waist. The devil was appeared to Teodosio in figure of a noble gentleman, and said to him that for to break the footwear and the chain, was accurate that rubbed them with its own feces.
Worked according to the advice of the devil and remained broken the footwear, but deposits the chain.
But, not being possible to the poor gentleman, being barefooted, to go as well as before,not remained to him hope of power to break ever the chain.
Once happening about the cave of the dragon, saw to the already mentioned young and asked to her:
"What are you doing here?"
The youth counted to him the event such as was and, then, the gentleman, after sending to his house to the girl, he waits to the dragon.
In this leaves of the interior of the cave the dragon, bites the chain and swallowing it, is going it being approached Goñi.
In that situation, directed this a yell San Michael:
"San Michael , help me!".
Say that in the sky was heard a voice:
"San Michael, they call you of the world".
"Sir, I will not go without you".
Jesus answers the angel San Michael, and he decreased to the mountain of Aralar, carrying to God on his head, and with his sharpened sword cut to the dragon the neck and at the same time the chain of the gentleman Goñi.
Thus it fulfilled totally his penance.
Of then date the construction of the church of San Michael on that cave.
In the previous legend is made mention of the gentleman Goñi, that was fulfilling a penance and it was saved by the angel San Michael. We go to happen to report his legend or history:
"Refer the tradition, that a day, over there by the year 707 of the era Christian, era in which the turbulences of the war were destroying Iberian soil, occupied by godos and assaulted by muslims, a noble gentleman of Navarra, Sir Teodosio de Goñi, was returning to its tower, to rest near his loved wife Constanza of Butrón and Biandra, of the projects and dangers of the war.
Was Riding Teodosio de Goñi by the path of Errotabide, that of the valley of Ollo leads to that of Goñi, wishful by descrying the almenas of his stout tower and in her to loved and sweet wife, when of unexpected, and in a place known for the name of Bidermiñ, it is I approached to him a untruthful hermit that, by the austerity of its clothes and its mock aspect of holiness, was appearing be sent by the sky, the one which with simulated tests of sincerity and friendship, spoke to him to the ear of an abominable perfidy, perpetrated by his wife with one of their servants.
Goaded by the pain and the ire that produced to him the devilish and perfidious coincidence of the untruthful hermit, blind the reason by the jealousy and the feeling of his spotted honor, without be stopped to muse the impossibility of the fact that his wife would be capable of such villainy, spurs his horse and is launched swift toward the valley of Goñi, decided to clean with blood the stain that was tarnishing his illustrious surname.
He being sheltered in the darkness of the night penetrates in the tower and being directed to the conjugal room proves that two bodies rest in the bed. Gone crazy, unsheathe the sword and sinks it in those bodies, cause of the cruel misfortune.
Upon leaving of the room, the amazement lets it nailed in soil. His wife Lady Constanza was attending toward him, it fills with emotion by his unexpected return, implicating to him in his narrow and sweet arm. The supposed guilty were its own collected parents with subsidiary affected by Lady Constanza.
Tormented his soul by the weight of his ominous patricide, attends hasty to the shrine to confess his horrid deadly to the abbot Juan de Bergara, and this sends to him to Pamplona to be prostrateed before the Bishop San Martian, that at the same time advises to him march to Rome, to receive from the Pope the absolution of his sin.
After hearing the Holy Father his confession, ordered to him that is limited to the body a chain of iron, and loaded with a cross, do penance in solitary place until the iron chain is detached of the waist, something which would be sign of the fact that God to him there is forgiven.
Upon returning to Navarra and in fulfillment from the imposed penance, is internal in the unevennesss of the Saw of Aralar, where stayed long seven years, until a day the divine mercy tended toward him his generous hand causing that brokes the iron chain that was imprisoning his waist."
To perpetuate the report of the prodigious fact, Teodosio de Goñi ordered is erected in the place, a hermitage devoted to the Archangel San Michael.