The Nain Rouge of Detroit
Detroit's founder is said to have been cursed by a small red creature, and the city now chases it out every spring with a parade.
What was reported
The Nain Rouge, 'red dwarf', is a legend of Detroit: a small red creature with glowing eyes, said to appear before disasters. The story says that Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded Detroit in 1701, struck at the creature with his cane, and his fortunes collapsed soon after.
Sightings were later said to have come before disasters in the city's history, including the great fire of 1805.
Explanations offered
The legend draws on folklore brought by early French settlers and was written up in the 19th century, especially in Marie Hamlin's Legends of Le Détroit (1884). Since 2010, Detroiters have held the Marche du Nain Rouge each spring, a costumed parade to banish him for another year.
- When
- Legend from the 1700s; parade since 2010
- Where
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Witnesses
- Detroit tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.