Sightings of mythical creatures in Rhode Island are far and few between these days, but a giant serpent that supposedly once lived in the woods of present-day Coventry is the subject of enduring local lore.
Carbuncle Hill and Carbuncle Pond both get their names from the legend, which has been repeated since at least the 1890s.
Legendary serpent supposedly guarded by glowing red gem
As the story goes, a gigantic snake or serpent once roamed the remote region near the Connecticut border. It had a giant red gem – known in olden times as a carbuncle – in the middle of its forehead. The stone glowed so brightly that it illuminated the dark woods.
Native Americans repeatedly tried to capture and kill the serpent, believing the gem had miraculous powers. They finally succeeded after an intense battle, and the carbuncle became a sacred talisman. When White settlers arrived in the area in the 1600s, they heard the story and decided they wanted it for themselves…