In Detroit last month (Photo: Norbert Daniels Jr. for Deadline Detroit)

In Detroit last month (Photo: Norbert Daniels Jr. for Deadline Detroit)

There must be some reason behind Detroit’s bad luck in the last three-plus centuries. We have the explanation: Du Nain Rouge in French, or the Red Dwarf in English.

Legend has it the creature has been spotted whenever something really awful happens. And fun-loving, creative types in this city have turned it into a Mardi Gras-like celebration. We talk with Francis Grunow, co-founder of Marche Du Nain Rouge; and Janet Langlois, a retired folklore expert with Wayne State University’s English Department.

-- Tim Kiska


Photo: Norbert Daniels Jr.

 

Read more: The Detroit History Podcast