Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

North Dakota: Miniwashitu

Did you know that in the state of North Dakota there is a folktale of a Missouri River Monster known as the Miniwashitu? It is said that if you ever saw the Miniwashitu in person, it was a guarantee that you would lose your mind and die not long after. (Sounds like a nightmare.)

And while we could have chosen the boring route and kept the Miniwashitu as the monster of the state, upon further creature research it actually felt like the perfect representative for the state of North Dakota has to be the Ushi-Oni from Japan.

The Ushi-Oni is a demon that prowls coastlines looking for victims. And much like the Miniwashitu is horrifying enough to make a person lose their mind, the Ushi-Oni is also a thing of nightmares. In this case, this creature has the body of a spider-like creature, the head of an ox, and giant fangs and claws. It is basically the last thing you want to come across when on the shores of anything.

These creatures are mean and nasty, with a penchant for spitting poison and eating people. There are different stories to go along with these creatures, but they are known for prowling and stalking their victims. They have even been known to use the power of large insect wings to fly, which is definitely not what you want to see coming your way.

Because of the legend of the Miniwashitu, it just makes sense that the monster that represents the state of North Dakota must be just as horrifying and dangerous.