The Piasa Bird
- Sep 4, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 15, 2020
Prounounced as the Pia-a-saw, the Piasa bird is a painted mural overlooking the Missisippi River in modern day Alton, Illinois. The name originates from the Illini word piasa, meaning "bird which devours men".
It's alleged the Piasa hails from Illini legend, being a terrible monster with an appetite for human flesh. Entire villages were razed by the monster, and little could be done to fight back until a great chief known as Ouatoga decided to take action. He separated himself from his tribe, fasted for a month, praying to the Great Spirit to aid in the defeat of the Piasa. On the final night of the fast, the Great Spirit reveal themself to Outoga, and instructed him to select 20 warriors, arm them all with a bow and poisoned tipped arrows, and have them lay under cover while a single warrior stood in clear view.
Ouatoga did as he was told, he himself choosing to serve as the bait for the Piasa bird. The beast was perched up atop the bluff, scanning the horizon for prey- until it spotted the chief. It swooped down as it had done so many times to so many people before, sharp claws nearly closing in on the chief before it was pierced by a volley of arrows. It let out a terrible screech that echoed down the river before it fell dead. Ouatoga had saved the tribe, and they were finally free from the terror of the Piasa bird.
In 1673, Father Jacques Marquette was the first westerner to recorded the bird during his journey down the Misssissippi, where he found a mural painted high along the limestone bluffs. In his diary, Marquette recorded that the bird "was as large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a 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 the legs."
The current mural is a recreation, and is regularly restored to try and match the account given by Maquette.
Altonweb's record of the Piasa bird.
An excellent version of the Piasa bird legend can be found here!
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