Samson or Sampson's Rock is a

glacial erratic A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundre ...

boulder in

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

New Haven County New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's top 5 largest cities, New ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

that, according to

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

legend, was formed by Odziozo the

giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

. The legend says that Odziozo created it after he flung some land out to sea, creating Tuxis Island. The hole filled up to become Tuxis Pond. One rock fell from his hand and became Samson Rock. While leaving, he stepped on the rock. The rock contains a somewhat foot-shaped indent on top which the Algonquin pointed to in order to support this tale. The European settlers assigned this legend to the Biblical

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

after being told the legend in the 1600s, giving the rock its name. Samson Rock has been preserved for its legendary significance, but is relatively hard to find, tucked between two shopping centers and a parking lot. The rock which it sits has been fit with a bronze plaque commemorating the legend of the rock,The Legend of Samson Rock - Madison, CT - Urban Legends and Superstitions on Waymarking.com
/ref> and a road has been named after it. The plaque was placed by the Madison Foundation, as well as the Madison Rotary Club and Stop and Shop. A bus stop also shares the name. Sometime in late December, 2012, the plaque was vandalized. The vandal had crossed out ''Samson'' and replaced it with a heavily charged term. It has since been returned to its normal condition. The rock that Samson Rock sits on is not a glacial deposit.

References

{{Connecticut-geo-stub Landforms of New Haven County, Connecticut Madison, Connecticut

See also

References