Piasa Bird at Piasa Park - Alton IL
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nomadwillie
N 38° 53.887 W 090° 11.946
15S E 742902 N 4309201
Located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River just outside Alton is a large dragon like bird that used to capture a Indian tribe member daily.
Waymark Code: WMPGVF
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/30/2015
Views: 4
Some have also claimed that the word "Piasa" was never a part of the language of the Illinois Indians but this does not seem to be the case either. In 1883, the Bureau of Ethnology described the word as an Illinois Indian name denoting "a bird that devours men". Even among the Sauk Indians, relatives of the Illinois, the name was known and the famous Black Hawk's father was himself called Pyesa.
Who created the original painting? No one will ever know for sure, but it must have existed for some time as part of the culture of the local Native Americans. It was said that on a flat ledge below the painting were hundreds of arrowheads and spear points. It is believed that the Indians who passed the Piasa on the river would "attack" the creature by firing an arrow at it. It apparently became a custom when floating past the future site of Alton. The Piasa Bird is considered one of the most enduring legends of the region - a tall tale, an Indian myth that is sufficient to entertain children. But what if it isn't? What if there is more to the "legend" than meets the eye?
The legend of the Piasa Bird dates back to long before the white man came to region. It has been traced to a band of Illiniwek Indians who lived along the Mississippi in the vicinity north of present-day Alton. This tribe, led by a chief named Owatoga, hunted and fished the valley and the river and lived a contented life until the "great beast" came.
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