The Legend of Miniwashitu

This is the legend of The Miniwashitu of North Dakota. When the Missouri River breaks its

ice, sailors whisper about the Miniwashitu—a crimson-skinned demon with one blazing

eye. It swims beneath calm waters, whispering names, luring men close

with songs that sound like mothers calling. Those who see it go blind; those

who hear it forget who they are. A fisherman once glimpsed it under his boat,

eye burning like a furnace. He came ashore days later, chanting words in

no known tongue, blood leaking from his ears. They buried him facing away from

the river. That spring, the ice cracked early—and his grave was empty.