Nain Rouge

For more about the French mythological being sometimes called "nain rouge", see Lutin.
Representation of Nain Rouge used to promote Detroit Beer Company "Detroit Dwarf" lager.

The Nain Rouge (French for "red dwarf") is a legendary creature of the Detroit, Michigan area whose appearance is said to presage misfortune for the white settlers of the area. There are no records that indicate the legend of the Nain Rouge existed prior to the 1880s.[1]

According to various narratives surrounding the figure, Detroit's founder Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac was told by a fortuneteller to appease the Nain Rouge, but he instead attacked it with his cane and shouted, "Get out of my way, you red imp!" As a consequence, a string of bad luck befell Cadillac; he was charged with abuse of power and reassigned to Louisiana, later returning to France where he was briefly imprisoned and eventually lost his fortune.[2][3] The Nain Rouge is also known as "the Demon of the Strait."[4][5]

The Nain Rouge legend has become part of contemporary Detroit culture. There are several alcoholic drinks named after the Nain Rouge, and the legend has been the basis for the films Devil's Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge and Eric Millikin's The Dance of the Nain Rouge. Each Spring, there is an event called the Marche du Nain Rouge where hundreds of people chase the Nain Rouge out of the city and burn them in effigy.[6]

  1. ^ DeVito, Lee. "March 16, 2016, Arts & Culture - The legend of Detroit's Nain Rouge". metrotimes.com. Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. ^ Christopher R. Fee; Jeffrey B. Webb (29 August 2016). American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore (3 Volumes). ABC-CLIO. pp. 696–. ISBN 978-1-61069-568-8.
  3. ^ Alan Naldrett (19 August 2014). Forgotten Tales of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-62585-191-8.
  4. ^ Hamlin, Marie Caroline Watson; Campbell, James V. (James Valentine) (1884). Legends of Le Détroit. Cornell University Library. Detroit : T. Nourse.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Skinner was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference DetFrPr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).