Return of Le Nain Rouge-Detroit Mi, 2023

On the Sunday following the Vernal Equinox, Detroiters celebrate liberation from the Nain Rouge, French for “red dwarf.” A mystical creature originating in Normandy, France, the Nain is a lutin or hobgoblin, also described as an elf, brownie, gnome, imp, leprechaun, pixie, puck or sprite. Originating from French folklore, the Nain was once Detroit’s protector, but became feared as “a harbinger of doom.” Cadillac, founder of Detroit, wanted to appease the Nain Rouge, but instead attacked it, and subsequently lost his fortune and posting. Historical sightings of the Nain foreshadowed terrible events including: July 30, 1763, before the Battle of Bloody Run, where 58 British soldiers were killed by Chief Pontiac’s tribe; in the days before the 1805 fire, which destroyed most of Detroit; the day before the 1967 Detroit riot/uprising; and before a huge snow/ice storm in March 1976. In 2010, a community-based movement organized a costumed parade called “Marché du Nain Rouge” in the Midtown/Cass Corridor neighborhood; it currently draws thousands of Detroiters. At the parade’s conclusion, an effigy of the Nain is destroyed, thus banishing the “evil” spirit from the city for another year. Parade participants and spectators are encouraged to wear costumes. In the following year, when the Nain returns, he won’t recognize those who ousted him from the city limits, thus be unable to exact vengeance.

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Amazing!