Anguila peluda
Legendary creature in Canary Islands mythology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Anguila peluda (in English: Hairy Eel) is a cryptozoological figure belonging to Canarian culture and folklore, specifically from the Anaga massif region, Tenerife.
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name | Anguila gigante |
| Sub grouping | Lake monster |
| Origin | |
| First attested | Unknown. Before the 20th century. |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Anaga, Tenerife |
According to popular legends, it was a monstrous eel of great size that inhabited a pool at Punta de Anaga, and that terrified the local people. This legend ended up giving its name to the pool itself, the Charco de la Anguila in the Palmital ravine.[1]
The historian from La Laguna, Manuel de Ossuna y Van Den Heede, wrote in his work «Anaga y sus antigüedades» (1897):[2]
"...Among the residents of Punta de Anaga, there is a common tradition that many years ago an eel of enormous size lived in the Barranco de los Infiernos, a gorge located in a remote place in the same jurisdiction..."
The «barranco de los Infiernos» to which the author refers is the current ravine of Palmital. According to popular legends, the creature was a monstrous being; with a head covered in hair and a threatening malice in its gaze. The locals, mostly peasants, thought it was a demon in disguise, and that it had to be exorcised. After this, the creature died or disappeared.[2]