Cherufe

The Cherufe is a large anthropophagous mythical creature found in the Mapuche mythology of the indigenous people of south-central Chile.

Legend:

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).The only way to abate the Cherufe's appetite for destruction was to satiate the beast's taste for human flesh by throwing a sacrificial victim into the bowels of its volcanic home. Much like the European dragon, the Cherufe's preferred delicacy came in the form of maidens.

According to South American Mythology, the Cherufe was immobilized by the daughters of the sun god, who utilized magical swords, which were capable of freezing the creature

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 sacrifice.

Cryptozoology:

Cryptozoological investigators also consider the possibility that the legends of the Cherufe may be based, albeit loosely, on sightings of an actual biological entity, which would have to be capable not only of surviving, but flourishing, in the incredible heat of molten rock. This might be similar to animals who thrive in the tremendous heat found in the mineral-rich exhaust of hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.