Piasa

The Piasa is a legendary giant bird that some people believe might have once really existed in the area of Alton, Illinois. When French explorer Jacques Marquette visited this region in 1673, the Native Americans there told him of the bird, whose name in the language of the Illini tribe means “Giant Bird That Eats People.” In subsequent writings about his experiences, Marquette described the beast— which is also depicted in an Illini rock painting—as being about the size of a calf, with horns; a long tail; red eyes; a scale-covered red, green, and black body; and a humanlike face. The Piasa was supposedly strong enough to carry off a man in its talons, and legends tell of it doing this and eating its prey. There is no evidence, other than Illini stories, that such a creature existed. Still, some people say that together with stories about another giant bird, the thunderbird, which also was supposedly sighted in the same area, it is reasonable to assume that some kind of giant bird once dwelled in the area.

SEE ALSO:

• Giant Birds

SOURCE:

The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning