Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

Illinois: Piasa Bird

In folklore around the state of Illinois, it seems that there is a creature that the Native Americans wrote about that already represents the state. That creature is none other than the Piasa, also known as the Piasa Bird.

So what is the Piasa? And why do I suddenly have a new favorite creature?

Well, the Piasa is apparently a dragon of sorts. In some depictions, this creature has wings similar to a bird and the body itself is as much dragon-like as it is bird-like. This is why it makes sense that is sometimes referred to as the Piasa Bird.

Considering this creature is from the Illinois region, it just makes sense that he would remain as their monster representative. And the fact that he is a dragon makes him a favorite for me because I am all about dragons! Seriously, they are one of the best mythical creatures out there, with their long and fabled history, and the fact that there are just as many good stories as there are bad.

The fact that North America has its own dragon lore is amazing and we can’t just kick a dragon out of his home for some other mythical monster. That would be awful. So the Piasa stays and gets to show off his wings for all of us to fawn over.

And honestly, it is always fun when the local creatures are so cool. Because then it just makes sense to leave them repping their home turf (or something like that).