Devil's Kitchen (cave)
Encyclopedia
Devil's Kitchen is a small cave on the southwestern shore of Mackinac Island
in Michigan
, USA. The cave was carved during the Nipissing post-glacial period by the waters of Lake Huron
. It consists of two wave-cut hollows in a rocky cliff, one directly on top of the other.
Mackinac Island's brecciated limestone
has eroded into a variety of unusual formations. The cave's appearance is comparable to that of a human face with an open mouth.
Although shallow, Devil's Kitchen is much visited because of its location on M-185, the state highway that circles Mackinac Island. Local stories allege that the Native Americans of the Straits of Mackinac
considered the cave to be a numinous
location inhabited by bad spirits. Allegedly, the spirits were cannibals who would capture and eat victims who ventured too close to the ill-omened location.
The cave is blackened with soot
to this day, allegedly from the evil spirits' cooking fires; hence the name, 'Devil's Kitchen.' It is not known whether these stories derive from actual Indian legend or were generated after the beginning of the tourism
industry on Mackinac Island in the mid-19th century.
Devil's Kitchen is contained within Mackinac Island State Park
.
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA. The cave was carved during the Nipissing post-glacial period by the waters of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. It consists of two wave-cut hollows in a rocky cliff, one directly on top of the other.
Mackinac Island's brecciated limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
has eroded into a variety of unusual formations. The cave's appearance is comparable to that of a human face with an open mouth.
Although shallow, Devil's Kitchen is much visited because of its location on M-185, the state highway that circles Mackinac Island. Local stories allege that the Native Americans of the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
considered the cave to be a numinous
Numinous
Numinous is an English adjective describing the power or presence of a divinity. The word was popularised in the early twentieth century by the German theologian Rudolf Otto in his influential book Das Heilige...
location inhabited by bad spirits. Allegedly, the spirits were cannibals who would capture and eat victims who ventured too close to the ill-omened location.
The cave is blackened with soot
Soot
Soot is a general term that refers to impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolyzed fuel particles such as cenospheres,...
to this day, allegedly from the evil spirits' cooking fires; hence the name, 'Devil's Kitchen.' It is not known whether these stories derive from actual Indian legend or were generated after the beginning of the tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry on Mackinac Island in the mid-19th century.
Devil's Kitchen is contained within Mackinac Island State Park
Mackinac Island State Park
Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island park encompasses 2.81 mi² , which is approximately 74% of the island's total area of 3.78 mi² . The park is also within the boundaries of the city of Mackinac Island and has permanent...
.