Lords of the Sky - 2
After fasting and spiritual purification, if a vision of a Thunderbird is seen, the man will become a powerful war chief, according to the legends of the Winnebago or Ho-Chunk peoples of the midwest. The power of shapeshifting is also ascribed to the Thunderbird, who can take the form of a human for more subtle interactions with tribe-members. This belief is also shared by the Passamaquoddy of the northeastern United States, in Maine and New Brunswick.
In the Lakota culture of the Dakotas, the Thunderbird is one of the great Thunder Beings who return in the spring, the beginning of the Lakotan ceremonial season, bringing rain and powerful storms. These beings hold the keys to both renewal and destruction, causing the animals, birds and plants to return or emerge from winter hiding places, but also destroying with the powerful forces of nature at their command.
The tribes of the northwest also share rich traditions of the Thunderbird. Extremely protective of their homes, the beings are said to inhabit high mountain fastnesses which they will defend if any human comes to near. To protect their aeries, they will call up thunderstorms and even avalanches to dissuade the curious or daring hunter. The Salish considered this home to be Black Tusk peak in British Columbia, while for the Quileute tribe of Washington state, it was a cave on Mt. Olympus. The Kwakwaka’wakw honor the Thunderbird in their art and at the peaks of their totem poles
in remembrance of the being's saving the tribe from starvation. The Squamish consider the Thunderbird a messenger of the Creator, and as well as strength and protection, it represents change, as symbolized by it's three tail feathers, one for the past, present and future. For Pacific coast tribes, the traditional underwater spirit enemy is represented by the Killer Whale, which also features prominently in art and legend. The Thunderbird hunts the orcas with it's lightning, which is often depicted as snakes. Prairies found near the coast are explained as being a result of tremendous battles between Thunderbirds and the whales which uprooted all the trees in these areas.
Genial
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Interesting... first time I'm seeing your blog; the Northwest Coast tribal image caught my eye. Although Raven is typically credited with bringing the First Men and thus is a powerful symbolic image, the Thunderbird does feature quite often... mostly I'm familiar with it from time spent in Arizona where it's a dominant image among southwest desert tribes.
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What kind of amazing legends are there, like comparing evil spirit to some kind of animal and preaching some good spirited bird.
The history turns out to be interesting.
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The story about battles between killer whales and Thunderbirds with snakes, presumably coming from their mouths and eyes, is pretty neat. Sounds like it would be an epic battle between land and sea.
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