The thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples’ history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength. It is especially important, and frequently depicted, in the art, songs and oral histories of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures, but is also found in various forms among some peoples of the American Southwest, East Coast of the United States, Great Lakes, and Great Plains. The thunderbird is said to create thunder by flapping its wings (Algonquian), and lightning by flashing its eyes (Algonquian, Iroquois). The thunderbird myth and motif is prevalent among Algonquian peoples in the “Northeast”, i.e., Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, and eastward) and Northeastern United States, and the Iroquois peoples (surrounding the Great Lakes). The discussion of the “Northeast” region has included Algonquian-speaking people in the Lakes-bordering U.S. Midwest states (e.g., Ojibwe in Minnesota).
The thunderbird myth and motif is prevalent among Algonquian peoples in the “Northeast”, i.e., Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, and eastward) and Northeastern United States, and the Iroquois peoples (surrounding the Great Lakes). The discussion of the “Northeast” region has included Algonquian-speaking people in the Lakes-bordering U.S. Midwest states (e.g., Ojibwe in Minnesota). In Algonquian mythology, the thunderbird controls the upper world while the underworld is controlled by the underwater panther or Great Horned Serpent. The thunderbird creates not just thunder (with its wing-flapping), but lightning bolts, which it casts at the underworld creatures. Thunderbirds in this tradition may be depicted as a spread-eagled bird (wings horizontal head in profile), but also quite commonly with the head facing forward, thus presenting an X-shaped appearance overall.
Legend tells of a huge bird called the Thunderbird. Its origin remains a mystery, even to Native Americans. According to myth, Thunderbird was so large and flew so high, it carried the rain on its back and created thunder and lightning. Perhaps Teratornis merriami was the creature that inspired the myth. Probably the largest bird ever to fly, it died out following the last ice age. For a short time, thousands of years ago, the bird shared territory with early Native Americans. The clouds grow dark as a figure in the sky approaches with impressive speed. The bright feathers of this enormous winged creature make for a stark contrast in the sky. It seems to be coasting on the winds above, but with every flap of its wings the rumbling of thunder can be heard. The people below stare in awe at this mighty protector and enforcer. Behold – the mighty Thunderbird.
Thunderbird is a mythological character that appears in many Native American legends. From the numerous stories of the Thunderbird, it is often assumed that Thunderbird is a protector – though at times this creature can be forced to punish those of low moral integrity. There is much curiosity surrounding the existence of the Thunderbird myths. Many would claim that these myths are simply symbolism that is used to explain natural weather phenomenon. However, there are those that have higher hopes. A small section of pseudoscientists believes that the Thunderbird could have been a pterodactyl that managed to survive longer than thought possible or another form of megafauna. Some with this belief are of the opinion that the Thunderbird may be a cryptid instead of a mythological creature, though this is unlikely. We know from legend that the Thunderbird is an enormous creature and it would be unlikely for them to have survived this long away from the public eye.
Thunderbird, in Native American mythology, a powerful spirit in the form of a bird. By its work, the earth was watered and vegetation grew. Lightning was believed to flash from its beak, and the beating of its wings was thought to represent the rolling of thunder. It was often portrayed with an extra head on its abdomen. The thunderbird was frequently accompanied by lesser bird spirits, often in the form of eagles or falcons. Although it is best known from North America, evidence of similar figures has been found throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe (where it is associated with the woodpecker). The thunderbird myth comes from Native American mythology, ranging from tribes in the Pacific Northwest to tribes in the Southeastern United States. A thunderbird is a huge bird with an enormous wingspan who was directly connected to adverse weather conditions. It was said in thunderbird legend that the bird caused thunder claps each time it flapped its gigantic wings. Depending on the storyteller, the thunderbird could also cause rainfall or shoot lightning from its eyes.
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples’ history and culture. It is considered a “supernatural” bird of power and strength. It is especially important, and richly depicted, in the art, songs and oral histories of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures, and is found in various forms among the peoples of the American Southwest and Great Plains. Thunderbirds were major components of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of American prehistory. The Thunderbird’s name comes from the common belief that the beating of its enormous wings causes thunder and stirs the wind. The Lakota name for the Thunderbird is Wakį́yą. The Kwakwaka’wakw have many names for the Thunderbird and the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) called him Kw-Uhnx-Wa. The Ojibwa word for a thunderbird that is closely associated with thunder is animikii, while large thunderous birds are known as binesi.
When the first settlers arrived in the New World, they faced a vast continent stretching endlessly in front of them. The land was full of strange peoples and unfamiliar species. The Native Americans knew the land far better and could offer help to those who had the wit to ask for it. And one of the powerful creatures that the natives told about was a giant flying bird, which created thunder and lightning as it flew through the sky. This was the thunderbird. Most commonly associated with the more northern cultures, who battled harsh winters among their pine forests and cold lands, the thunderbird was worshipped as a powerful spirit that takes the form of a bird. In this form, it helps to water the earth and to allow vegetation to grow. It was believed to flash lightning from its beak, and that the beating of its wings caused thunder to reverberate. It was often accompanied by lesser bird spirits like an eagle or falcon.
The Thunderbird is a widespread figure in Native American mythology in the United States and Canada. Described as a supernatural being, the enormous bird was a symbol of power and strength that protected humans from evil spirits. It was called the Thunderbird because the flapping of its powerful wings sounded like thunder, and lightning would shoot out of its eyes. The Thunderbirds brought rain and storms, which could be good or bad. Good – when the rain was needed or bad when the rain came with destructive strong winds, floods, and fires caused by lightning. The bird was said to be so large, that several legends tell it picking up a whale in its talons. They were said to have bright and colorful feathers, with sharp teeth and claws. They were said to live in the clouds high above the tallest mountains. Various tribes have different oral traditions about the magical Thunderbird, which they both highly respected and feared. In Gros Ventre traditions, it was the Thunderbird who gave the sacred pipe to the people.
The Thunderbird is a widespread figure in Native American mythology, particularly among Midwestern, Plains, and Northwest Coast tribes. Thunderbird is described as an enormous bird (according to many Northwestern tribes, large enough to carry a killer whale in its talons as an eagle carries a fish) who is responsible for the sound of thunder (and in some cases lightning as well.) Different Native American communities had different traditions regarding the Thunderbird. In some tribes, Thunderbirds are considered extremely sacred forces of nature, while in others, they are treated like powerful but otherwise ordinary members of the animal kingdom. In Gros Ventre tradition, it was Thunderbird (Bha’a) who gave the sacred pipe to the people. Some Plains tribes associated thunderbirds with the summer season (in Arapaho mythology, Thunderbird was the opposing force to White Owl, who represented winter.) Thunderbirds are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures. Tribes with Thunderbird Clans include the Kwakiutl and Ho-Chunk tribes. On the Northwest Coast, the thunderbird symbol is often used as a totem pole crest.
THUNDERBIRD STORIES
Wakinyan Tanka, the Great Thunderbird:
Lakota Sioux legends about thunderbirds.
Boy Stolen by Thunderbird:
Hochunk Indian legend about a boy hero who escaped from the Thunderbird.
Thunder-Bird Legends:
Two Quileute Indian legends about the Thunderbird.
Thunder Mountain:
Potawatomi legend about a battle between a thunderbird and a horned serpent.
Iyash and the Horned Serpent:
Thunderbird legend from the Ojibwe tribe.
Shawnee Mythology:
Article on Shawnee oral traditions including stories about Thunderbird.
Thunder Son:
Shawnee story about the son of a Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature that is part of the rich culture and history of the Native American people. Thus, it’s a very important symbol of their identity and representation even amid the modern world. In this article, we’ll cover what the Thunderbird means to the Native Americans and how it’s possibly inspirational for your life as well. The truth of the matter is that the Thunderbird does not have one origin story. It was a mythical creature that was common to many Native American tribes. There are reasons for this, one being that the Native American people had no centralized organization and instead, existed in various tribes with their own leaders and traditions. Due to this, different tribes share similar myths sometimes with variations. The earliest record of the Thunderbird symbol however, can be traced as far back as 800 CE to 1600 CE around Mississippi. Regardless of tribe, the common description of a Thunderbird is a bird-like mythical creature that dominated nature. It was described as a beast who created loud thunder with just the flap of its wings. It was believed to be so powerful that it could also blast lightning from its eyes whenever it got enraged. Some depictions portray it as a shapeshifter. The thunderbird was both respected and feared simultaneously. Here’s what it symbolized to different tribes.
Is the Thunderbird real or myth? A gigantic bird was sighted in Alaska in January 2018 by a woman driving, having a wingspan nearly as wide as the road, and in Pennsylvania on May 26, 2013, when two friends were walking through the woods near Bryn Athen Castle and were startled by something extraordinary. “It was extremely loud, and I glanced up and saw a huge black bird,” Anthony said in his report. “It was sitting above us and we seemed to startle it. It flew about 100 feet to a nearby branch. Its wingspan was at least 10 feet, and judging how far it was it looked to be around 4 feet tall.” This was far from the first sighting of such a creature in Pennsylvania. On the evening of Tuesday, September 25, 2001, a 19-year-old claimed to have seen an enormous winged creature flying over Route 119 in South Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The witness’s attention was drawn to the sky by a sound that resembled “flags flapping in a thunderstorm.” Looking up, the witness saw what appeared to be a bird that had a wingspan of an estimated 10 to 15 feet and a head about three feet long.
- For the Algonquian people, who are historically one of the largest groups in America pre-colonization, they believe that the world is controlled by two powerful and mystical beings. The Thunderbird reigns supreme over the upper world, while an underwater panther or a great horned snake rules the underworld. In this context, the Thunderbird was a protector that threw bolts of lightning at the panther/snake to keep humans safe. This indigenous tribe depicts the thunderbird taking the shape of the letter x.
- The Menominee people or those who come from Northern Wisconsin, thought that thunderbirds live atop a magical great mountain that floats near the western sky. For them, thunderbirds control the rainy and cold weather, and enjoy a good battle and display incredible feats of strength. This indigenous tribe also believes that thunderbirds are the messengers of the Great Sun and are enemies of the so-called Misikinubik or great horned snakes, who aim to devour the entire planet.
- The Lakota Sioux meanwhile believed that a thunderbird appearing in one’s dream meant that that person would become some sort of a sacred clown called heyoka, who is deemed to be unconventional compared to the community standard.
- The Shawnee tribe feared thunderbirds are shapeshifters who appear in the form of little boys to interact with people. The only way to identify thunderbirds are by their ability to speak backwards.
- The Ojibwe tribe myths tell the story of thunderbirds as creations of their culture hero, Nanabozho, to deal with the underwater spirits. However, they not only protect humans, but thunderbirds were also thought to be instruments of punishment for humans who commit moral crimes. The Ojibwe people thought thunderbirds live in the four cardinal directions and come to their area every spring. After their battle with the snakes in the fall, the thunderbirds retreat and recover to the south.
- More recently, the thunderbird was also used in 1925 by the Aleuts to describe the Douglas World Cruiser aircraft on its mission to be the first to complete an aerial circumnavigation of the planet Earth. It was also co-opted by the last Prime Minister of Imperial Iran, Shapour Bakhitar, before the country’s revolution. He said: I am a thunderbird; I am not afraid of the storm. Hence, Bakhitar is also commonly referred to as the Thunderbird.
Indigenous Peoples Literature 