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Piasa
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Legend
of the Piasa
The
Legend of the Piasa
Piasa
Bird Legend is pure fiction
Great
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eslarp
- University of Illinois
Southwestern
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Haunted
Alton
Legend
of the Piasa Bird
The Last Flight
of the Piasa
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"THE PIASA; AN INDIAN TRADITION
OF ILLINOIS"
No part of the United States, not even
the highlands of the Hudson, can vie in wild and romantic
scenery with the bluffs of Illinois. On one side of the
river, often at the water's edge, a perpendicular wall of
rock rises to the height of some hundred feet. Generally
on the opposite shore is a level bottom or prairie of
several miles in width, extending to a similar bluff that
runs parallel with the river. One of these ranges
commences at Alton and extends, with a few intervals, for
many miles along the left bank of the Illinois. In
descending the river to Alton the traveler will observe
between that town and the mouth of the Illinois a narrow
ravine, through which a small stream discharges its
waters into the Mississippi. The stream is the Piasa. Its
name is Indian, and signifies in the lllini, "the bird
that devours men." Near the mouth of that stream, on the
smooth and perpendicular face of the bluff, at an
elevation, which no human art can reach, is cut the
figure of an enormous bird, with its wings extended. The
bird which this figure represents was called by these
Indians the Piasa, and from this is derived the name of
the stream. The tradition of the Piasa is still current
among all the tribes of the Upper Mississippi, and those
who have inhabited the valley of the Illinois, and is
briefly this: 'Many thousand moons before the arrival of
the pale-faces, when the great Magalonyx and Mastodon,
whose bones are now dug up, were still living in the land
of the green prairies, there existed a bird of such
dimensions that he could easily carry off in his talons a
full grown deer. Having obtained a taste of human flesh
from that time he would prey upon nothing else. He was
artful as he was powerful, and would dart suddenly and
unexpectedly upon an Indian, bear him off into one of the
caves of the bluff and devour him. Hundreds of warriors
attempted for years to destroy him, but without success.
Whole villages were nearly depopulated, and consternation
spread through all the tribes of the lllini. At length,
Ouatogo, a chief whose fame extended even beyond the
great lakes, separating himself from the rest of his
tribe, fasted in solitude for the space of the whole moon
and prayed to the Great Spirit, the Master of Life, that
he would protect his children from the Piasa. On the last
night of his fast the Great Spirit appeared to Ouatogo in
a dream, and directed him to select twenty of his
warriors, each armed with a bow and poisoned arrow, and
conceal them in a designated spot. Near the place of
their concealment another warrior was to stand in open
view as a victim for the Piasa, which they must shoot the
instant that he pounced upon his prey. When the chief
awoke the next morning he thanked the Great Spirit, and
returning to his tribe told them the dream. The warriors
were quickly selected and placed in ambush as directed.
Ouatogo offered himself as the victim. He was willing to
die for his tribe. Placing himself in open view of the
bluff he soon saw the Piasa perched on the cliff, eyeing
his prey. Ouatogo drew up his manly form to its utmost,
his feet firmly upon the earth he began to chant the
death song of an Indian warrior. A moment after the Piasa
arose into the air and swift as the thunderbolt darted
down upon the chief. Scarcely had he reached his victim
when every bow was sprung and every arrow sent to the
feather into his body. The Piasa uttered a wild, fearful
scream, that resounded far over the opposite side of the
river, and expired. Ouatogo was safe. Not an arrow, not
even the talons of the bird had touched him. The Master
of Life, in admiration of the generous deed of Ouatogo,
had held over him an invisible shield. In memory of this
event the image of the Piasa was engraved on the face of
the bluff.'
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