Samson or Sampson's Rock is a
glacial erratic boulder in
Madison in
New Haven County,
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
that, according to
Algonquin legend, was formed by
Odziozo the
giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''wiktionary:gigas, gigas'', cognate wiktionary:giga-, giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''gia ...
. 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 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.
See also
* Tuxis Island
* Tuxis Pond
*Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec.
The cities of Burlington, Ve ...
* Odziozo
* Samson
* Rock Dunder
References
{{Connecticut-geo-stub
Landforms of New Haven County, Connecticut
Madison, Connecticut
Legendary footprints