The Legend of the Pierogi Man: An Expose in Two Parts
The Forest City news dives into the mystery of the Piergogi man…
The Legend of the Pierogi Man: An Expose in Two Parts
Part One: Pierogi Man or Pierogi Myth?
Idols. Urban Legends. Fantasies. They’ve been around as long as man himself, oftentimes acting as a surrogate for humanity’s hopes, fears, dreams, and aspirations. From the classical gods of the Greeks and Romans, who interacted with the very mortals whose lives they oversaw, to the more geocentric contemporary myths such as the Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest, Scotland’s Loch Ness monster, and El Chupacabra of the Americas, legends have for centuries been part of the greater cultural fabric. It’s odd, then, that the citizens of Forest City rarely, if at all, speak of their own important piece of folklore: The Pierogi Man.
It’s difficult to pinpoint the origins of the Pierogi Man. Some outright refute his existence. Others claim that he has always been and will forever be. The truth may lie somewhere in the middle.
In the 1860s, as William Pentecost was in the midst of establishing what would eventually become Forest City, the first sightings of the Pierogi Man were transcribed. In a recently unearthed journal belonging to one of the early settlers of Forest City, the Pierogi Man is described;
“It had been the bleakest of winters. The sun hadn’t shown itself in a fortnight, the snow clung to the land like a ghost blanket, and we hadn’t had a morsel of food in weeks. Our party had come to terms with the inevitability of our demise; we had made our peace with the Creator and were prepared to expire. Alas, a magnificent creature appeared from the wooded area. He was a bear’s length, with a large doughy head and eyes as black as anthracite. And his aroma – Sweet Icarus, the aroma! That man, that darling…Pierogi Man…taught us to make pierogi for ourselves. Potatoes, dough, butter, and onions; never again would we be plagued by the pangs of hunger. We were saved!”
Early accounts such as these lay out a template for the dozens of Pierogi Man sightings that have occurred since. In virtually every reported appearance, the Pierogi Man has seemingly manifested himself from nowhere and has helped a Forest City resident in need. Unrelated eyewitness reports also paint a remarkably consistent picture of the Pierogi Man’s physical attributes; a head that looks like a giant pierogi, two large black eyes, and an odor consisting of fried potatoes, butter, and onions.
Next week: An artist’s rendering of the Pierogi Man, modern sightings, and speculation surrounding a possible appearance by the Pierogi Man at the 2008 Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest.
