Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

South Dakota: Pixie

In South Dakota, there are a few different folktales and urban legends. Among those tales there is one of the “Little Devils” of Little Mound. These creatures, which have apparently never really been seen, were little creatures who would shot arrows at the people who tried to hike the mound.

The first time the Little Devils were recorded was in the early 1800s. And with nothing to really go off of with these creatures, it felt like we could easily swap them out for the Pixies of English lore.

So why is the Pixie the creature to represent the state of South Dakota? Well in many ways it feels like they are similar to those Little Devils. Pixies are known to cast charms on people and while they are more likely to dance and wrestle among themselves, if you are found to be under the spell of a Pixie, it may not end well for you.

In fact, while we might have thought that the Pixie was a sweet or innocent creature, they are actually much more mischievous and even dangerous than they sound. While they may not be good or evil, their “charms” are not always innocent when cast upon humans.

Because of the folktales of the Little Devils and the history of Pixies, it just makes sense to nominate these creatures to represent the state of South Dakota – especially since it actually sounds like these two creatures could actually be related in some small way (cousin?!).