Napoleon and the Little Red Man
Napoleon and the Little Red Man as depicted in a contemporary political cartoon.
The 'Little Red Man of Destiny' gained widespread recognition as a bringer of misfortune and calamity throughout France, making appearances to some of the country's most prominent figures for over 260 years.
What was the Little Red Man?
The "Little Red Man" or L’Homme Rouge was a mysterious and supernatural figure in French history. People believed that this tiny, red-colored creature had special powers and could foretell or predict important events, especially ones that brought misfortune or disaster. The Little Red Man was described as a small, gnome-like being dressed entirely in red.
Sightings of the Little Red Man
Catherine de Medici, was the first person of note to encounter the "Little Red Man" during the construction of the Tuileries in 1564. She described it as a small dwarf-like dressed entirely in red. She believed it was a bad omen.
According to some versions of the story, the Little Red Man made a prediction that she would meet her end "near Saint Germain." Catherine took great care to avoid any locations with the name "Saint-Germain" after this encounter. However, despite her precautions, she eventually became sick and summoned a confessor. When she discovered that the confessor's name was Laurent de Saint-Germain, she let out a scream and passed away.
Henry IV of France saw the Red Man before his assassination in 1610. Louis XVI was in bed when startled chambermaids saw the creature in 1792, right before his capture during the French Revolution.
Marie Antoinette also spotted the being in the Tuileries Palace corridor in 1792, just a day before the palace was stormed by a mob, ending the monarchy. Guards claimed to have seen the Red Man in the prison where Louis and Marie Antoinette awaited execution in 1793.
Napoleon encountered the Red Man in 1798 during his Egyptian campaign. The entity made a deal with him, promising him victories for a decade. It revealed it had advised French leaders before and had been with Napoleon since childhood. It warned of impending failures and the encirclement of France by its enemies. Despite the success of his military campaigns, Napoleon asked for a five-year extension of the contract in 1809, but he ignored a condition not to campaign in Russia. The Red Man appeared repeatedly, following Napoleon through his ambitious campaigns.
On January 1, 1814, shortly before Napoleon's abdication, the Red Man reappeared and demanded to see him urgently. Napoleon begged for more time, but the Red Man gave him only three months to achieve peace. Napoleon tried to launch another campaign but failed, leading to his abdication. He spent his final days in exile on the island of Saint Helena and passed away on May 5, 1821.
Similarities to Nain Rouge of Michigan
The resemblance between the Little Red Man and a red-wearing prophetic dwarf from Detroit's folklore, known as the Nain Rouge, is striking. According to the legend, the founder of Detroit saw the Nain Rouge after a fortune teller warned him not to anger it. As the story goes, he ignored the warning, and since then, the creature has been regarded in the area as a sign of impending disaster and ill fortune.
Possible Explanations for the Little Red Man
Some analysts believe the story of the Little Red Man is simply a metaphor for the unfortunate ends that meat many people or royal importance. Their fates are somewhat preordained due to the nature of their roles, there is always someone out to get them and many looking to venerate them. Creating stories that seem to reinforce the importance of these rulers to supernatural beings also reinforces their importance in the minds of their subjects.
Or course the Little Red Man does seem quite a specific and long lived tale to be a complete fabrication. Perhaps a few little men with psychic abilities all happened to approach their rulers with their revelations. Perhaps the Little Red Man was an extraterrestrial or a time traveler. We may never know for sure.
What do you think about the Little Red Man? Tell us your theories in the comments.
If you enjoyed learning about the Little Red Man you might be interested in similar harbingers of doom such as Mothman or Nain Rouge.
