Carbunclo
Also known as: Carbunco, Carbuncle
A small, armored creature with a glowing gemstone embedded in its head, spotted in the Andes at twilight.
Pre-colonial Mapuche tradition; Spanish colonial records from 1500s
Southern Andes, Chile/Argentina
1-2 ft long
Elusive, non-aggressive
Folklore
The Lore
The Carbunclo is a cryptid from Chilean and Argentine Patagonian folklore, described as a small, low-slung animal with tough armored skin and a luminous stone or mirror-like gem set into its forehead. It appears at dusk or dawn in remote mountain passes. Witnesses describe being drawn to its light only for the creature to vanish. Mapuche and colonial Spanish accounts both reference it, and several expeditions into the southern Andes have searched for it without success. Its gem is said to bring fortune to anyone who captures it, though no one ever has.
Media Appearances
- Final Fantasy series (inspired the Carbuncle summon)
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