The modern inhabitants of Europe inherited from the Celtic tribes a considerable number of superstitions and a whole legion of mythical creatures. Belief in most otherworldly entities, as a rule, unfriendly to humans, is rooted in ideas about the world order adopted in the most ancient, long-extinct, human communities. Over time, the names of demonic characters may slightly transform, taking into account the linguistic characteristics of a particular locality, but their activities, in most cases, remain unchanged over the centuries. One of these creatures are the aguan (in Latin transcription - aguane), who came to modern European (mainly Italian) folklore from the beliefs of the ancient Celts. How much their current name corresponds to that used in the Celtic tribes is no longer possible to establish. Another name for these creatures,which appeared, apparently, in later times - vivene.
In all likelihood, the aguan are a product of nature itself and have nothing to do with the numerous Celtic gods, both good and evil. Their main occupation is the protection of streams and small rivers that give life to forests and fields. In modern legends, the foothills of the Alps covered with meadows are indicated as the habitat of the aguan, along which the purest streams flow in abundance. Each stream is guarded by an aguane - a tall, beautiful girl with long flowing hair. These virgins are kind to casual travelers who find themselves near the source, but only until a person, accidentally or deliberately, muddies the water in the protected aguan brook. Before crossing the stream or quenching your thirst, you must politely ask permission from the virgin; but even after that one must try not to lift silt or sand from the bottom of the stream.
The fate of the loser who tries to ignore these rules is rather deplorable. The angry aguane will carry him under the water and tear him to pieces. Since, despite their attractive appearance, the virgins of the brooks remain creatures, in many ways, demonic, they have supernatural strength, so attempts to overcome them physically will not lead to anything. The same terrible death awaits the rapist who finds himself in the field of vision of the aguan; these creatures do not forgive actions directed against the beautiful half of humanity.
In winter, aguanas dress in furs and often descend from the mountains to human settlements, where they help women with housekeeping and caring for small children. They can also be found in crowded places, such as hotels or taverns, discussing local news with those present. Apparently, far from the streams, aguan lose their magical abilities and become indistinguishable from ordinary people not only in appearance, but also in their demeanor.
There is another, much darker, description of the Alpine maidens. According to him, the aguane appears before a person in the form of an ugly old woman with feet turned in the opposite direction or goat's hooves instead of legs; in this case, politeness in communication will not help, and the only salvation from inevitable death can only be a rapid flight.