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Over the course of its history, the state of Michigan has produced its share of folktales and lore. Many are familiar with the Ojibwa legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and most have heard a yarn or two told of Michigan’s herculean lumberjack, Paul Bunyan. But what about Detroit’s Nain Rouge, the red-eyed imp they say bedeviled the city’s earliest residents? Or Le Griffon, the Great Lakes’ original ghost ship that some believe haunts the waters to this day? Or the Bloodstoppers, Upper Peninsula folk who’ve been known to halt a wound’s bleeding with a simple touch thanks to their magic healing powers? In Michigan Legends, Sheryl James collects these and more stories of the legendary people, events, and places from Michigan’s real and imaginary past. Set in a range of historical time periods and locales as well as featuring a collage of ethnic traditions—including Native American, French, English, African American, and Finnish—these tales are a vivid sample of the state’s rich cultural heritage. This book will appeal to all Michiganders and anyone else interested in good folktales, myths, legends, or lore.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
  2. p. C
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  1. Title Page, Copyright Page
  2. pp. i-x
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. xi-xii
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  1. Legends of Early Detroit
  1. The Nain Rouge, Demon of Detroit
  2. pp. 3-10
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  1. Two Men and the 1832 Cholera Epidemic
  2. pp. 11-18
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  1. An Early Detroit Spirit Sighting
  2. pp. 19-22
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  1. The Talking Mare
  2. pp. 23-27
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  1. The Werewolf of Early Detroit
  2. pp. 28-32
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  1. A Certain Energy at Historic Fort Wayne
  2. pp. 33-42
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  1. Tales from Michigan’s Thumb
  1. Paul Bunyan: Original Michigan Hero
  2. pp. 45-56
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  1. The Spiritual Knowledge at Sanilac
  2. pp. 57-66
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  1. Great Lakes Ship Legends
  1. Le Griffon—Michigan’s Original Ghost Ship
  2. pp. 69-78
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  1. The Western Reserve Ghost
  2. pp. 79-84
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  1. Legends of Old Michilimackinac and the Upper Peninsula
  1. The Real Meaning of the Name Michilimackinac
  2. pp. 87-90
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  1. The Boy Who Became a Wolf
  2. pp. 91-94
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  1. The Magic Healing Powers of the Bloodstoppers
  2. pp. 95-98
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  1. How Corn Came to the Indians
  2. pp. 99-102
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  1. Legends from Western Michigan
  1. The Safe House at Schoolcraft
  2. pp. 105-112
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  1. Dead Shot and Lynx Eye: Brave Scouts of Early Michigan
  2. pp. 113-123
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  1. The Great Flood, an Ojibway Legend
  2. pp. 124-128
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  1. Why Michigan’s Weather Is So Changeable
  2. pp. 129-131
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  1. Why the Robin Has a Red Breast
  2. pp. 132-136
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  1. Are We Still Creating Legends Today?
  2. pp. 137-140
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  1. Image Credits
  2. pp. 141-142
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