The Nain Rouge | Detroit's 300-Year-Old "Little" Demon.mp3
For more than 300 years, Detroit has been haunted by the legend of the Nain Rouge, a grotesque little red creature whose appearances are said to foretell disaster. From bloody battles and devastating fires to mysterious sightings in modern times, the so-called Demon of the Strait has become one of Michigan's most chilling supernatural legends. But what is this mysterious being, and why has it remained connected to Detroit's darkest moments for centuries?CREDITS:Historical References and Sources1. Marie Caroline Watson Hamlin, Legends of Le Détroit (1883). One of the foundational published collections of Detroit folklore, containing the fortune teller's warning to Cadillac, the black cat, the 1707 encounter, the creature's physical appearance, and its associations with disasters. Additional background: Model D — Beware the Nain Rouge.2. Charles Montgomery Skinner, Myths and Legends of Our Own Land (1896). Preserves another nineteenth-century version of the legend, including its association with the Stone God and David Fisher's extraordinary wheelbarrow crossing of the Detroit River. Read the historical text.3. University of Detroit Mercy, Folklore Archive (July 8, 1964). An archived account associated with William Gorman of Dearborn, Michigan, describing Le Gnomme Rouge, a helpful Red Gnome who supposedly appeared walking through Detroit and crying during the 1943 racial violence. University folklore archive.4. Detroit Historical Society, Founding of Detroit. Historical information concerning Cadillac's 1701 expedition, Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, early colonial settlement, and the development of the city. Detroit Historical Society.5. National Weather Service, Detroit/Pontiac Weather Forecast Office. Historical records concerning Michigan's severe ice storm of March 2–3, 1976, which later became associated with the reported sighting involving two Detroit Edison utility workers. Detroit weather history.6. A Bewitching Guide to Halloween — Nain Rouge. The alternative 1996 nightclub-patrons story, attributed to The Michigan Believer. Read the article.7. Project Unredacted — The Red Dwarf of Detroit. The 1996 wall-climbing report and its uncertain witness provenance. Read the article.8. Model D — March 23, 2010. Contemporary coverage establishing what happened at the first modern parade, including its costumed Nain Rouge. Read the article.9. The Horror Collection — Nain Rouge Sightings. A later compilation containing the alleged 2010 parade encounter and February 2020 riverfront sighting. Neither has an independently identified original witness report. Read the article.10. The Seigneurs of Acadie — History and Genealogy. Marie Thérèse's parents, marriage, and family genealogy. Read the historical document.11. The French Commandant's Woman — Historical Study. Her upbringing, family wealth, education, and reported aristocratic ancestry. Read the historical study.12. Detroit Historical Society — Founding of Detroit. The establishment of French Detroit and its transfer to British control. Detroit Historical Society.13. National Archives — Louisiana Purchase Treaty. Napoleon's 1803 sale of Louisiana to the United States. Read the historical documents.14. Library of Congress — A Question of Boundaries. The uncertain territorial boundaries of French Louisiana. Read the article.15. Additional Sources — The Stone God, Snake God, and Detroit Folklore. Historical and modern discussions of the Nain Rouge's supernatural origins, French folklore, and Charles Montgomery Skinner's stories.Charles Montgomery Skinner — Original 1896 Text (Project Gutenberg)The Expert Witness: Detroit's Le Nain Rouge Redux (2013)American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales — Nain RougeUniversity of Detroit Mercy — Le Gnomme Rouge Detroit Historical Society — Father Gabriel Richard#Halloween #Stories #ScaryStories