Le Nain Rouge

**Spaulding** · February-11-10, 01:20 PM

Does the Lutin, named Le Nain Rouge who has terrorized Detroit since the time of Cadillac have any Native American connections and what have Detroiters done in the past to banish him from our shores?

**n7hn** · February-11-10, 01:58 PM

Lutins are supposed to not like salt, and avoid it. Lutin is a pretty broad term tho, including trolls,sprites,fairies,dwarves and so on, to me those are all different creatures. I havent heard of any deterrants to Le Nain Rouge........

**gazhekwe** · February-11-10, 01:59 PM

Very interesting question. It was posted here on the old forum by an elder that the Nain Rouge [[Red Dwarf), so called by the French, was actually the native son of Mishipichu, the water spirit lynx-serpent. This is a very powerful spirit, much respected and feared. He can drown people and make big waves that make it hard to travel or fish. The local people were members of the Three Fires Confederacy, also Wyandots, Sauk and Hurons.

They had placed a large stone in honor of Michipichu at one end of Belle Isle, I believe it was the end facing Lake Erie but I could be wrong. At any rate, they would have ceremonies there from time to time to honor Michipichu and keep him happy. The Jesuits unfortunately mistook this practice for idol worship, which it was not. Two of the priests broke up the stone and took it out into the river and sank it in many places so it could never be rebuilt.

It is said that Michipichu was very angry about this and nothing will appease him. From time to time, he visits trouble on Detroit, and his son, the Red Dwarf, appears in the city to foreshadow the trouble.

**gazhekwe** · February-11-10, 02:04 PM

Perhaps we could create a memorial art sculpture of Michipichu on the River Walk somewhere to tell the story.

**Detroitnerd** · February-11-10, 02:13 PM

I'd like to see a monument honoring Michipichu. Heck, I'm willing to try anything if it'll help Detroit shake the troubles that hound it.

Reminds me of the story of L'arbre Croche, up in or around Emmett County. The whole area was called by the French L'arbre Croche, to the Ottawas "Wau-gaw-naw-ke-ze," or in English "Crooked Tree." They based the name on a large, crooked tree that could be seen for miles around, a living landmark that probably was already guiding the way when Christopher Columbus was a little baby.

I believe later missionaries thought of this as pagan worship, and felled the tree, replacing it with a huge cross, which, also, later fell down. Very sad. John C. Wright borrowed the name for his book of poetry, "The Crooked Tree," so at least it survives in that sense.

**n7hn** · February-11-10, 02:22 PM

all this french, has me wanting fries.....or french toast

**gazhekwe** · February-11-10, 03:11 PM

Yes, the Catholic interpretation of any form of communication with or honoring nature was idolatry. Sad indeed.

**Pam** · February-11-10, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Spaulding

Does the Lutin, named Le Nain Rouge who has terrorized Detroit since the time of Cadillac have any Native American connections and what have Detroiters done in the past to banish him from our shores?

I don't know, but he used to post here.

lilpup · February-11-10, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Spaulding

Does the Lutin, named Le Nain Rouge who has terrorized Detroit since the time of Cadillac have any Native American connections and what have Detroiters done in the past to banish him from our shores?

a sucker for flattery but not to be crossed - word for the next witness

**Jimaz** · February-11-10, 03:37 PM

The Nain Rouge, a Detroit Ghost Story tells of many of the sightings.

**HazenPingree** · February-11-10, 06:33 PM

Le Nain Rouge on Le Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/nain.rouge1?ref=profile

**ruxy17** · February-11-10, 08:08 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-KfhwW-TIs

wacky le nain rouge puppet show.

**sumas** · February-12-10, 07:10 AM

Le Nain Rouge exists. Just hope I do not see him in my lifetime.

**Gannon** · February-12-10, 08:32 AM

I'd like to have a talk with him.

As for the sightings, it seems the ones reported seem to lead into calamity, so I wonder if nobody reports seeing him if and when they do...can the curse be short-circuited?!

There has been a bunch of talk about him...I'd rather not banish anyone, but find a way to be good neighbors first. He just might be misunderstood, lonely, and pissed at us for fearing him and his daddy.

Cheers

**Spaulding** · February-12-10, 09:13 AM

There is a facebook fan page that has a lot of information.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marche...4917741?ref=ts

**DetroitScooter** · February-12-10, 10:54 AM

I saw the Nain Rouge just the other day...

**detroitbred** · February-12-10, 11:26 AM

Now THAT is funny!!!!

**sumas** · February-13-10, 04:12 AM

Gave me a good laugh too!

**Lowell** · February-13-10, 10:14 AM

Per Gazhekwe's post above Europeans' first act upon arrival / transit of the Straits of Detroit included an act of destruction of native culture. One could easily see how this could carry a curse.

"As the priests and their companions were paddling up the Detroit River, they beheld on the shore a stone idol that the Indians worshipped in order to assure themselves a safe journey across Lake Erie. Since that Lake had been anything but kind to the Sulpicians, and because the idol was an object of heathen worship, Galinee demolished it with a consecrated axe, and the party carried the pieces of stone out into the middle of the river in their canoes to sink them. So far as know this was the occasion of the first visit of white men to the land of the Detroit area."

RenÃ© BrÃ©hant de GalinÃ©e [[1645 – 1678) was a member of the Society of Saint-Sulpice [[Sulpician Order) at Montreal and an explorer and missionary to the Native Americans. [From Dunbar's History of the Wolverine State]

I have long wonder where the location of the 'idol' was so I am curious to know where you, Gazhekwe, found that interesting source citing Belle Isle.

**gazhekwe** · February-13-10, 12:32 PM

It was posted on the old board by someone. I didn't recognize the ID but suspect it was a known member of our community.. Also, somewhere I found a reference to another nearby island being dedicated to the Great Spirit, I think it twas Peche Island. I think I posted the story that came from in Paging Gazhekwe, or maybe in the old board talking about the Fox War. One of the chiefs spent time there during the time of the Fox War.

As we've discussed before, the idea of worship in the Catholic sense doesn't describe the purpose of the stone or the ceremonies that were done. Certainly there was prayerful communication, but worship implies a much deeper and subordinate relationship. In our case, we are showing respect to spirits that have impact on us, so they know we respect what they can do both for and against us. Of course we hope to gain their good will. I would equate it more with the Saint thing, like putting a St. Christoper statue in the car, not worship of false gods. There is only one Creator, Giche Manido.

Who gets put in the car now that St. Christopher is debunked?

**Spaulding** · February-16-10, 10:03 AM

Gazhekwe,
You said "It is said that Michipichu was very angry about this and nothing will appease him. From time to time, he visits trouble on Detroit, and his son, the Red Dwarf, appears in the city to foreshadow the trouble. "

So does Le Nain Rouge cause the trouble, or is he just around when his father causes the trouble?

Do you know of any accounts of trying to keep him from coming or to appease him?

**gazhekwe** · February-16-10, 10:24 AM

Le Nain Rouge shows up when his father is causing trouble.

I have not heard of native efforts to appease Mishipichu. That would be unlikely as Christianity pretty much rubbed out the old ways. Practicing caused so much trouble with the settlers it went pretty well underground. Then in the 1830s, most of the people who lived around here were deported to Kansas or Oklahoma, or they moved up north or to Canada.