(In reference to southeastern Mississippian cultural mythology) "Both the Above or Celestial World and the watery Below or Beneath Worlds are equally essential sources of sacred power. For example, abominable and anomalous below world creatures, known variously as Uktenas, Piasa, Underwater Panthers, Horned Underwater Serpents, and the great Serpent, were dangerous but useful sources of sacred objects, aid, and knowledge."--------2007, David H, Dye, "Ritual, Medicine, And The War Trophy Iconographic Theme In The Mississippian Southeast," Ancient Objects And Sacred Realms, Interpretations Of Mississippian Iconography, p. 156.
    "The "pizha" or "pissi" is better translated "panther" than as an alien "tiger," but neither word catches the real meaning of the creature. It had the body of a panther and four legs, but there was more, including a human head (sometimes), an impossibly long tail, and horns."------2007, George E. Lankford, "The Great Serpent In Eastern North America," Ancient Objects And Sacred Realms, Interpretations Of Mississippian Iconography, p. 111.
     "It has been suggested that these four-legged animals with extremely long tails, either straight or curled into a spiral, may instead be representations of the previously mentioned mythological creature known as the Piasa, uktena, "underwater spirit," or "water spirit."----2000, Carol Diaz-Granados and James R. Duncan, "The Petroglyphs And Pictographs Of Missouri," p. 154.
    "Piasa is not just a theme in the sense we are using the word here. It represents a deep substratum of meaning, capable of endless combinations and variations, impossible of exact definition or complete exemplification (illustrating by example)"---------1975, Philip Phillips, James A. Brown, "A Protean Manifestation: The Piasa," Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings, From The Craig Mound At Spiro, Oklahoma, p. 140.
    "A minimal definition of the Piasa as manifested at Spiro (Oklahoma) is offered on condition that it not be taken too seriously: a composite animal that may include cat, snake, bird, deer, fish, raccoon, and human elements, in that general order of numerical (but not necessarily conceptual) importance"---------1975, Philip Phillips, James A. Brown, "A Protean Manifestation: The Piasa," Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings, From The Craig Mound At Spiro, Oklahoma, p. 140.
    "That an individual artist can visualize the Piasa so differently gives an idea of what we may expect where different artists (and different cultures) are involved"---------1975, Philip Phillips, James A. Brown, "A Protean Manifestation: The Piasa," Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings, From The Craig Mound At Spiro, Oklahoma, p. 141.
    "Pictograph has come to mean an image painted on rock, rather than pecked or grooved."--------1998, Sabra Moore, "Petroglyphs, Ancient Language/sacred Art," p. 62.

 
MARQUETTE'S PIASA
LEGEND, HISTORY & MYTHOLOGY
LATE STONE AGE PICTOGRAPH
MADISON COUNTY, ILLINOIS

     Everything written about the Piasa "monster" begins with the French explorer Marquette. He was the first European to record, as he says, "two painted monsters which at first made us afraid." Ever since that time, the Piasa images he recorded have been a popular subject among authors, artists and archaeologists. If the images had never appeared on the bluffs at Alton, the subject would still exist but relegated to archaeological studies of local/regional iconography and the general public would have little interest. But Marquette's Piasa is no different than any other legend. Eventually the facts blend with fiction and author/historians spend a lot of time struggling to separate the two. That's what makes the Piasa such an interesting phenomenon.

    The use of Piasa style iconography began sometime during the late prehistoric period, either in the Mississippian or the earlier Woodland periods, more than 800 years before Marquette. Father Jacques Pere Marquette is the first European explorer to describe them. His 1673 journey down the Mississippi River observed the paintings on a high bluff near the future river town of Alton, Illinois. His dramatic account of the Piasa images is-as-follows; "While skirting some rocks, which by their height and length inspired awe, we saw upon one of them two painted monsters which at first made us afraid, and upon which the boldest savages dare not long rest their eyes. They are as large as a calf; they have horns on their heads like those of a deer, a horrible look, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face somewhat like a man's, a body covered with scales, and so long a tail that it winds around the body, passing above the head and going back between the legs, ending in a fish's tail. Red, green and black are the three colors composing the picture. Moreover, these two monsters are so well painted that we cannot believe that any savage is their author, for good painters in France would find it difficult to paint so well, and besides, they are so high up on the rock that it is difficult to reach the place conveniently to paint them." He goes on to say, "Here is approximately the shape of these monsters, as we have faithfully copied it." But he later reports that the drawing was lost when the canoe overturned.

    Some parts of Marquette's short description seem mysterious. His comment that the "painted monsters" with "a horrible look made them afraid" seems odd and suggests a superstitious response rather than just a purely scientific observation. The paintings were small from his perspective, as he says, "as large as a calf." If the paintings were high on the bluff and the size of a calf, about four or five feet, it would seem that they shouldn't be very intimidating. Today's painting of the Piasa is nearly 50 long! Another comment that is curious is, "good painters in France would find it difficult to paint so well." It's an odd comment because no one else was ever nearly so taken by the quality of the painting. In fact, a man named Douay, who visited the locality on his journey from Texas, described Marquette's Piasa in 1687 and considered the original description as exaggerated saying; "This frightful monster is a horse painted on a rock with matachia (an old term for paint) and some other wild beasts made by the Indians" and in 1687 Henri Joutel described them as, "two scurvy figures painted in red." Also, in 1699 St. Cosme, a Missionary priest reported the images as, "some figures that were almost effaced (erased)." There are no reports of the Alton Piasa from the 1700's. But the most obvious part of the description that's been difficult to understand, is the fact that he didn't describe any wings. Even though he doesn't mention wings, all the Piasa images drawn by later historical and modern artists have large wings. In fact, Marquette's Piasa is referred to as the Piasa bird. It would be interesting to know how far away from the rock paintings he was during his observation and if he had a spy glass to view them up close. Marquette is reported to be a good draftsman by Agnes Repplier who wrote his biography. The only explanation for wings may be from a man named Spencer Russell who claimed to have seen the wings when the rock was wet. But it's interesting to note that Spencer was the son of John Russell and both had written fictional stories about the Piasa. John Russell's 1836 article is still today's "Piasa Legend" story.

    Marquette described the original size of the two Piasa paintings as the size of a calf. Compared to today's modern renderings of the Piasa, Marquette's would be very small in comparison. In fact, today's Piasa could hold the original one in its mouth. For a comparison in size, the Piasa that was painted on metal plate and once bolted to the limestone wall measured 39 feet across. The present day painting of the Piasa is even larger. It measures 48 feet long and 22 feet high!

    It's interesting to note that Agnes Repplier, who wrote a biography of Marquette, mentions that the historian Fredrick Parkman, "was infinitely amused by the proposal of some enthusiasts in his day (mid-1800's) to repaint the figures as described by Pere Marquette. The difficulty of the task, rather than its utter and complete inexpedience, induced them to abandon the design." When the historian passed away in 1867 she wrote, "the rock once defied by the Indians bore a huge and harmless advertisement of "Plantation Bitters." Repplier also mentions that Marquette's original Piasa was "regarded by the pious missionary as a symbol of deadly sin."

    The Alton Piasa has been repainted many times. The paint does not last and as a result, several different images of the Piasa have been repainted on the bluff over the years. The earliest painting is reported to have been done in 1924 by Herbert Forcade who was eighteen years old at the time and a Boy Scout. J. H. Mawdsley, a Shurtleff college student, repainted the image in 1935 with funds from John McAdams and restored it in 1938 with red and green colors that replaced his earlier use of yellow. The next Piasa was painted in 1952 by Jack Buese and Eldon Grove. In 1963 the Piasa was painted by Ben DeMond on the rock at Norman's Landing. The next painting, in 1983, was financed by the Alton/Godfrey Rotary Club and was painted on a very large piece of metal plate that was bolted to the rock at Norman's Landing. The present day Paisa was created in 1998 by artist Dave Stevens from Godfrey, Illinois.

    Marquette did make a drawing of the Piasa but it was reported to be lost when the canoe overturned. The first recorded "small" artists painting or drawing of the Piasa was done in 1876 by Timothy Fellows Ladd from Whitehall, Illinois. He is the first person, 203 years after Marquette, to attempt an illustration of the Piasa image!

    Marquette's Piasa paintings are categorized as pictographs, as opposed to petroglyphs. Pictographs are defined as images that are painted on rock. Petroglyphs are images and inscriptions that are cut into the rock. The Alton Piasa pictographs are the first examples ever recorded in the region around the states of Illinois and Missouri. The state of Missouri is reported to have more pictographs and petroglyphs than any other state in the Eastern Woodlands.

    The colors of the two Piasa images, as described by Marquette, were red, black and green. The paint was made from natural earth pigments. The color red was made from iron oxide. The color black from charcoal and green from copper minerals. A liquid binder would have been added to help the paint adhere to the rock. Some examples of binders would be plant juices, eggs, animal fat or water. The paint could be applied with fingers or simple plant fiber brushes.

     Authors have been writing stories, descriptions and accounts about the Alton Piasa for hundreds of years. Most of them are just stories with little evidence. The one Piasa story that has stood the test of time and is today's "Legend Of The Piasa"  was written by John Russell in 1836. The original article was titled "The Piasa, An Indian Tradition Of Illinois," and published in the Illinois Monthly Magazine out of Vandalia. The story portrays the Piasa as a flying monster that ate members of a local Indian tribe. It ends with the the chief using himself as bait. As the monster comes to eat him twenty archers kill the Piasa leaving the hero chief unharmed. John Russell lived north of Eldred in Bluffdale, Illinois and was a teacher at the Alton Seminary. He never intended that his story should be believed as a factual historical account.

    Archaeologists now have a much better understanding of Marquette's Piasa. Many similar images are known from engravings on shell cups and ceramic pots. The best source comes from the engraved shells that were dug from Craig Mound on the Spiro Mounds site. Other examples have also been found at Moundville in Alabama. Style is a cultural phenomenon. So it's not surprising that other Piasa images are being found on culturally related late prehistoric artifacts.

    Piasa figures are described as belonging to a super-theme of different animal combinations. A total of six different animal and human elements have been reported on shell engravings from Spiro that occur in different associated combinations. Theoretically, they can represent a Piasa image in endless variations. The animals that have been observed on Spiro artifacts that form Piasa-like "creatures," include cat, snake, bird, deer, fish, raccoon, plus the human element. Archaeologists report that there seems to be a minimum of three or four of these figures present when representing a Piasa themed figure. One of which must include a cat.

    Archaeologists refer to the Piasa as a protean manifestation. In-other-words referring to Proteus, the God who could change his shape. The word Piasa originates from the Algonkian-speaking Illinois who are assumed to have occupied the area in late prehistoric times. But Piasa related mythology and iconography has been referred to by many different names which relates to the Proteus idea. They are believed to generally represent the same mythological being in the form of the great serpent (not the feathered serpent). "Some" of the terms used by various historians and native groups are the great serpent, horned water serpent, underwater panther, boss of the underworld, fabulous animal, the great panther, the great tiger, a sea tiger, true tiger, a huge brown cat, and mishebeshu.

    All the animal and animal/human images that fall under the great-serpent super theme are considered under-world beings in the form of creatures, spirits, denizens, and supernaturals. Not all of them have wings but it's believed that the wings serve to allow these underworld beings to rise a little above the surface into the celestial above-world. But not very high and the occasion may relate to an astronomical event, such as, when a constellation rises above the horizon. The above and below-ground spirit-beings were thought to have great powers that tribal priests could sometimes acquire in the form of aid.

    In today's modern world, Marquette's Piasa seems to become more popular with each passing year. Culminating recently with the very picturesque Piasa Park. Even the paintings on the limestone wall have grown in size and artistic quality as the years go by. So it's a good bet that the Piasa phenomenon, in legend, mystery and science is here to stay.

"REFERENCES"

1882, W. R. Brink & Company, "History Of Madison County, Illinois," pp. 374-375.
1887, McAdams, W. M., "Records Of Ancient Races In The Mississippi Valley."
1887, Armstrong, Hon. P. A., "The Piasa Or The Devil Among The Indians."
1912, Hodge, Fredrick Webb, "Piasa," Handbook Of North American Indians North Of Mexico, Smithsonian pub., p. 241.
1929, Repplier, Agnes, "Pere Marquette," pp. 95-96.
1960, Perino, Gregory, "The Piasa Design In Arkansas." Central States Archaeological journal, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 146-149.
1975, Phillips, Philip, Brown, James A., "A Protean Manifestation: The Piasa," Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings, From The Craig Mound At Spiro, Oklahoma, pp. 140-143.
1985, Fecht, Bill, "New Thoughts On The Piasa Bird Legend," Central States Archaeological journal, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 175-179.
1990, Sparks, Everett L., "In Search Of The Piasa."
1994, Intaglio Company brochure, "The First Limited Edition Piasa Egg Collection."
1998, Moore, Sabra, "Petroglyphs, Ancient Language/Sacred Art" p. 62.
2000, Diaz-Granados, Carol & Duncan, James R., "The Petroglyphs And Pictographs Of Missouri," p. 154 & notes.
2007, Dye, David H, "Ritual, Medicine, And The War Trophy Iconographic Theme In The Mississippian Southeast," Ancient Objects And Sacred Realms, Interpretations Of Mississippian Iconography, p. 156.
2007, Lankford, George E., "The Great Serpent In Eastern North America," Ancient Objects And Sacred Realms, Interpretations Of Mississippian Iconography, p. 111.
2011, Taylor, Troy, "Monsters Of Illinois."
Alton Museum Of History And Art
Personal Communication, Kent Patterson

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