According to legend, the Cherufe is a beast made of fire and rock that lives in the volcanoes of Chile. Twelve feet tall and shaped like a vaguely reptilian human, the Cherufe of myth is believed to be an actual creature—one that has evolved to withstand the normally lethal temperatures of a volcano, much like the tubeworms that cluster around volcanic vents on the sea floor, basking in temperatures surpassing 750 degrees Fahrenheit (400 C).
Other people believe that while the Cherufe cryptid doesn’t actually live inside volcanoes, it does live around volcanic regions, which led to the connection to the mythological beast. In the Mapuche myths, the Cherufe was responsible for volcanic eruptions and could be placated with a virgin sacrifice.
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