The Red Dwarf Of Detroit

Thursday thirteen - 23rd Edition

In honor of Halloween I thought I'd talk about some spooky Michigan folklore. This tale is about the Red Dwarf of Detroit. Hope you enjoy this scary yet interesting tale.


1. Among all the impish offspring of the Stone God, wizards and witches, that made Detroit feared by the early settlers, none were more dreaded than the Nain Rouge (Red Dwarf), or Demon of the Strait, for it appeared only when there was to be trouble

2. The infamous Red Dwarf (Nain Rouge) of Detroit was reputed to be the foul offspring of the Stone God.

3. It was a shambling, red-faced creature, with a cold, glittering eye and teeth protruding from a grinning mouth.

4. Cadillac, founder of Detroit, encountered the Nain Rouge while sitting on the bank of the Detroit River. The Red Dwarf had jumped down right in front of the French Colonial governor, startling him nearly out of his wits, and thrust a long stick at him as if it were a sword. Harried by the imp's whacks, Cadillac drew his own sword and parried, beating the creature back with the flat of his blade until it ran away, cackling madly. From that moment, Cadillac's fortunes took a down-turn, and he was eventually recalled to France, losing his trade monopoly and all his privileges.

5. The Red Dwarf was next seen during Pontiac's Rebellion, a period in which the Native American tribes had banded together against the British following the French and Indian War.

6. The united tribes had attacked a number of settlements, and laid siege to Fort Detroit. The British had attempted to end the siege with a sneak attack on Pontiac's encampment, but their plan was betrayed to the rebel leader.

7. Pontiac defeated the British in the Battle of Blood Run, which took place at a creek two miles north of the fort.

8. Several survivors of the battle claimed to have seen the Red Dwarf running along the shores of the lake shortly before the battle began.

9. The imp was spotted once again in 1805, racing through the streets of Detroit just before the city burned to the ground.

10. And during the War of 1812, when the forces of British General Brock began bombarding the American forces within Fort Detroit, General Hull acceded to a demand for unconditional surrender after he saw the Red Dwarf leering at him through the fog.

11. To this day, the creature continues to be the herald of misfortune for Detroit.

12. The Red Dwarf dashed down 12th street, doing back flips and cartwheels on the night of the police raid that sparked the race riots of 1967.

13. And it was observed by Detroit Edison linemen taking a lunch break in 1976. The Nain Rouge climbed up a utility pole right in front of their eyes. When they yelled at it, believing it was a child, the Red Dwarf dropped to the ground, leered rudely at them, and scampered away. The next day, an ice storm left 400,000 Detroit residents without electricity.

Do you have an interesting folklore about your state?