The Piasa, roughly translated from the Illini as "Giant Bird that Devours

Man." is today known from the lore that issued from near the present

day city of Alton, Illinois, in the 1600's-1700's. In 1673, the French

explorer Father Jacques Marquette, in recording him famous journey

down the Mississippi River with Louis Jolliet, was the first to describe

this beast from his contracts with the Indians who lived along the

Mississippi River. Immortalized in a rock bluff painting nearAlton, the

monster was shown with huge wings, horns, and scales. According to Marquette's diary, the Piasa "was a large as a calf
with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like man, the body covered with green, red, and black
scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over

the head and between its legs."

There are many legends regarding its origin. One of the more popular accounts goes like this:

Many moons ago, there existed a birdlike creature of such great size, he could easily carry off a full grown deer in his
talons. His taste, however, was for human flesh. Hundreds of warriors attempted to destroy the Piasa, but failed. Whole
villages were destroyed and fear spread throughout the Illini tribe. Ouatoga, a chief whose fame extended even beyond
the Great Lakes, separated himself from his tribe, fasted in solitude for the space of a whole moon, and prayed to the
Great Spirit to protect his people from the Piasa. On the last night of his fast, the Great Spirit appeared to Ouatoga in a
dream and directed him to select twenty warriors, arm them each with a bow and poisoned arrow, and conceal them in a
designated spot. Another warrior was to stand in an open view, as a victim for the Piasa. When the chief awoke in the
morning, he told the tribe of his dream. The warriors were quickly selected and placed in ambush. Ouatoga offered
himself as the victim. Placing himself in open view, he soon saw the Piasa perched on the bluff eyeing his prey. Ouatoga
began to chant the death song of a warrior. The Piasa took to the air and swooped down upon the chief. The Piasa had
just reached his victim when every bow was sprung and every arrow sent sailing into the body of the beast. The Piasa
uttered a fearful, echoing scream and died. Ouatoga was safe, and the tribe saved.

Modern reports of Thunderbirds have been recorded from the same area of Piasa. Late in the 1990's the Piasa, through
the efforts of citizens, government, and business advocates, was repainted and restored to its former pristine state. It can
be seen on the bluff just north of Alton, Illinois on the Great River Road.

Bibliographies: Clark, Jerome. (1993). Unexplained!. Washington, D.C.:

Visible Ink Press. and

http://www.eslarp.uiuc.edu/ibex/archive/vignettes/piasa.htm

Piasa