SLU Legends and Lore: The Billiken
08/19/2019
Rubbing his belly is said to bring good luck during exams. He may resemble a storied football coach. Whether he hails from Japan, Argentina, Alaska or somewhere closer to St. Louis, the Billiken has been SLU鈥檚 cherished mascot for just over a century.
More than 100 years after his birth, the Billiken continues to make the SLU community proud of our unique mascot. He regularly appears at .
He has also been known to send good wishes to his mascot friends Fredbird and Louie, cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and the St. Louis Blues hockey team. The Billiken sent out good vibes to the Blues as they finished out a Cinderella season by bringing home St. Louis鈥檚 first Stanley Cup Championship in 2019.
The Billiken鈥檚 luck was strong in 2019. Earlier in the year, he cheered the SLU men鈥檚 basketball team on to victory during its Atlantic 10 tournament championship and subsequent trip to the NCAA tournament.
The Billiken also showed off his own athletic prowess, beating out other mascots from around the country during The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon鈥檚 2019 March Madness basketball skills contests. (SLU鈥檚 Billiken can not only dunk, but he can also land a beautiful three-point shot when called upon.)
A Fabled Fad
The Billiken鈥檚 origins are shrouded in mystery. Most stories situate the Billiken as a divine figure in religious traditions from around the globe.
Tales of the Billiken
An Alaskan ivory carver named 鈥淗appy Jack鈥 first created the Billiken, inspired by an Inuit god of good luck.
Shrines in Japan, particularly in Osaka, feature a pot-bellied, smiling good luck figure, the Billiken.
The Billiken was inspired by a Chinese god of good fortune.
But here at SLU, we believe Saint Louis University鈥檚 Billiken was born a bit closer to home, just across the state in Kansas City. On Oct. 6, 1908, illustrator Florence Pretz received a patent for her 鈥渙rnamental design form,鈥 one titled 鈥淏illiken.鈥
The 21 year-old Pretz was an aspiring artist teaching at Kansas City鈥檚 Manual Training School. Her Billiken creation was inspired by The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, an ancient poem. The Persian poem touched her deeply and she was driven to 鈥渕ake an image which embodied hope and happiness to sort of live up to,鈥 or her 鈥済od of things as they ought to be.鈥 Pretz took her creation鈥檚 name from another poem by Canadian poet Bliss Carman.
鈥淏illiken just happened,鈥 she said in interviews, 鈥渏ust had to happen, you know.鈥
Following his 1908 debut, the Billiken became a national fad. Dolls, postcards, plates, belt buckles, salt and pepper shakers, and other memorabilia featured him. Some of this 鈥淏illibilia鈥 is waiting to welcome visitors to SLU鈥檚 Office of 91制片厂 in DuBourg Hall. The University also has its own 鈥淏illiken Rag鈥 for those eager to get out on the dance floor.
Learn the Billiken's Theme Song
SLU鈥檚 鈥淏lues and Whites鈥 Become Billikens
SLU had athletic teams for years before Pretz鈥檚 Billiken was created, and SLU sponsored a football team as early as 1886.
However, early SLU teams did not really have a mascot 鈥 they were simply known as the 鈥淏lue and White,鈥 after the school鈥檚 colors. Associating a mascot with a sports team dates to around the same time when the newly-created American baseball teams began taking on a mascot as a good luck charm.
By the beginning of the 20th century, many American college sports teams had also taken on mascots. As the century progressed, these mascots often took on mythic pasts and students created their own traditions, rituals and artistic tributes to their favorite campus good luck charms.
While the Billiken craze was short lived nationally, SLU鈥檚 football team was building a formidable legacy on the field.
Both the 1904 and 1906 teams compiled perfect 11-win seasons. During the first game of the 1906 season, Saint Louis University became the first team to throw a forward pass during an intercollegiate game.
During the 1910 and 1911 seasons, former collegiate star player John Bender, who had come to SLU to study at its School of Law, coached SLU鈥檚 football players. At some point during these two seasons, fans began associating the Billiken with SLU鈥檚 football team due to the uncanny resemblance between the Billiken and Bender.
Most stories agree that a SLU law student, Charles McNamara, drew a cartoon picture portraying Coach Bender as a Billiken. He placed the cartoon in the window of a drugstore near the corner of Grand Boulevard and Laclede Avenue. As soon as people saw McNamara鈥檚 picture, they began to call the football team 鈥淏ender鈥檚 Billikens.鈥
SLU had found its mascot and St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Billy O鈥機onnor made it official when he referred to the 鈥淏illikens鈥 in print.
Let the Billiken Bring You Luck
Just as he does for all Billikens, the Billiken is here to provide a little extra good luck to all who believe in him. Visit the 鈥淕olden Billiken鈥 seated in front of and be sure to rub his belly before exams, major life decisions or any time you need a little help with making life the way it ought to be, for yourself and others.
After 200 years, there are many legends and untold tales hiding in the nooks and crannies of Saint Louis University. Delve into the myths, fables, fantastic lives, moments and surprises you will find in its story with 鈥淪LU Legends and Lore.鈥
Story based on the "SLU Legends and Lore" Bicentennial Series by John Waide, University archivist emeritus. Written by Amelia Flood, University Marketing and Communications.