The Piasa Bird mural north of Alton, Illinois on the Great River Road is a modern depiction of a prehistoric Native American petroglyph engraved upon the bluffs.
The Piasa Bird mural, originally created by Native Americans living near the Mississippi River north of present day Alton, Illinois, depicted a legendary creature that attacked travelers. Father Jacques Marquette, a French colonial explorer, discovered the Piasa Bird mural painted on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in 1673. Marquette described the creature as being as large as a calf with horns upon its head, red eyes, a beard like that of a tiger, a man’s face, a body covered in scales, and a long tail. In 1836, John Russell of Bluffdale, Illinois wrote an article about the mural, becoming the first to call it the Piasa Bird, named so from the Miami-Illinois word payiihsa. Payiihsa was translated to mean "the bird that devours men" or "the bird of the evil spirit."
Legend of the Piasa Bird
According to the Native American legend of the Piasa Bird, the Illini tribes living in the Mississippi River valley of central Illinois were terrorized by the Piasa for many years. Whole villages were destroyed by the Piasa as the Illini attempted to kill the bird, without success. Finally, after many years, Chief Ouatoga, a famed warrior, fasted in the wilderness for a full month, praying to the Great Spirit for guidance in killing the Piasa. At the end of the month, the Great Spirit appeared to Ouatoga in a dream and directed him to gather twenty warriors from his tribe armed with poison tipped arrows. The warriors were to hide in a secluded location while one stood in a clearing as bait to attract the Piasa. Ouatoga followed the Great Spirit’s direction and assembled his warriors, using himself as the bait. Ouatoga noticed the Piasa nearby and chanted a warrior’s death song to attract the beast’s notice. The Piasa swept down from the bluff towards its prey, but was struck down by the poisoned arrows as it neared Ouatoga. Releasing a hideous scream, the Piasa died from its wounds. To commemorate the event, Ouatoga had the Piasa’s image engraved upon the bluffs overlooking the river. A custom arose for travelers on the river to shoot an arrow toward the petroglyph as they passed.
The Piasa Bird Today
In 1924, Herbert Forcade of Alton researched the Piasa legend and painted a replica mural of the engraved Piasa observed by Marquette centuries before on the bluffs north of Alton, Illinois. During the 1960’s, however, this mural was destroyed by road construction along the river and replaced by a metal replica hung on the bluff just north of Alton along the Great River Road. In 1995, the metal replica was removed and a 48 by 22 foot replica was painted on the bluff’s surface in 1998 by the American Legends Society. Visitors to the Alton area can view the Piasa Bird as they travel north on the Great River Road. A rest stop has been constructed at the base of the bluff with parking and restrooms available.
