The Thunderbird

Stormie Brecheen

The Thunderbird

Summary

These terrifying birds, who have inspired many well known objects in our pop culture, are a worldwide phenomenon. These creatures have a wingspan of up to seventy feet across. In comparison to the California Condors, the largest bird in North America, whose wingspan is up to ten feet. In Native American lore, these creatures are the cause of storms and bad weather in general, hence the name “Thunderbird”. The creature is harmless to humans, but has been rumored to attack anything from killer whales to giant snakes. The birds look like the larger version of a vulture, or even a Condor. Often, abductions of small animals, to even children, have been blamed on the Thunderbird. Most of the sightings have been in Illinois, but North Dakota has named the Thunderbird as its own “home cryptid”. The legend of the Thunderbird is simple: if one is spotted, it means that a storm is on its way to that area. (Ocker, 2022).

History

This legend started in Native American mythology. It was rumored to ward off evil spirits and protect humans. Many tribes had different stories of the creature, but each tribe respected and feared the bird. Many Native American totem poles, pottery pieces, and jewelry can be seen decorated with carvings of the Thunderbird. The origin of the creature is a mystery, due to its ancient roots. However, legend says that because the bird was so large, it would carry storms on its back, shoot lightning out of its eyes, and its wings would create thunder. ( Woods, 2014)

This mythical creature could have been based on the now extinct giant bird, the Teratornis Merriami, which was the biggest bird to fly the earth. This creature died out after the last ice age. This means that it would have lived amongst Native Americans, sparking the legend of the Thunderbird. While the Teratornis Merriami did not carry storms on its back, or shoot lightning out of its eyes, it could have easily became a symbol in Native American lore. Some folklorians even say that the legend started with ancient mound builders.

Encounters

Many sightings have been in the Pennsylvania area, within the last 100 years. In Robert Lyman’s book “Amazing Indeed”, Lyman writes about sightings going back as far as the 1800s. He writes about a young woman, Elvira Coates, hearing tales of the creatures from Native Americans tribes in the area, when she was younger. Lyman also writes about Lewis Sheldon, who said that he had seen large groups of the Thunderbirds. There was also rumored to be a picture taken of one of these creatures, but it has since been lost. The picture was, apparently, of a dead Thunderbird, but the photograph is thought to have been lost in the housefire of Hiram Cranmer.

There have also been reports of the birds trying to take small children away. In 1932, there was a report of a “large eagle” taking a five-year-old Savannah Hansen from her family farm in Norway. However, she was apparently dropped off, unharmed on a mountaintop. There have been other reports of similar instances in Switzerland as well. In one story, an entire village was turned to stone for their wrongdoings. (Bernard, 2019)

Adaptations

Different Native American tribes have different adaptations of the Thunderbird.

* In the Gros Ventre tribe, they believe that it was the Thunderbird who gifted the sacred pipe.
* Plain tribes associate the Thunderbird with the summer, and the White Owl with the winter.
* In Algonquian mythology, the Thunderbird is in charge of the upper world, while the Great Horned Serpent controls the underworld. The Thunderbirds protect humans by throwing lightning bolts at the Serpent. These birds want to protect humans, because they are connected through ancient ancestors who created the universe together.
* The Menominee of Wisconsin legend says that the Thunderbird, who controls the rain, lives atop a mountain that floats in the sky. Like the Algonquian, they believe that the birds are enemies with the Great Horned Snake, and defeat them before the snake devours the entire world.  They are also rumored to be in cahoots with the Great Sun, and takes pride in good deeds.
* The Ojibway version says that the Thunderbird fights evil underwater monsters. Traditions also say that the Thunderbird is responsible for punishing those who break moral code. It is rumored that the bird was created by a spirit, Nanabozho. the birds migrated to Ojibwe lands during the spring with other birds. They stayed until the fall, and then traveled back to fight those spirits.
* The Winnebago says that a vision of the Thunderbird means that the man will become war chief, and that the Thunderbird could grant people magical powers.
* In Sioux traditions, the Thunderbird was there to fight off reptilian monsters, known as the Unktehila.
* In the Shawnee tribe, the Thunderbird was rumored to be shapeshifters in order to talk to people. Some believed that they would turn into boys and speak backwards.
* In many tribes, Thunderbirds were known as sacred forces of nature, while some treated the creatures as powerful but just regular animals. (Alexander, 2022))
* It is believed that the anger of the Thunderbird is something to fear, as it could cause torrential storms.
* The more modern adaptations are about a bird that is so large that it can carry storms, shoot lightning out of its eyes, and its wings create thunder. It is also said that wherever it goes and is spotted, that a storm would be happening soon.

Analysis

Each of these adaptations have a common thread, the protection of humans. I think the idea in the Algonquian mythology, that humans and the Thunderbird come from a common ancestor and have helped to build the world together, helped to back up the idea that these birds protect the people. The separation of the upper and under worlds, with their own ruler, is something that is common as well. Many of the Native American legends mention a sea snake, the Great Horned Serpent, or a vicious reptile that this creature protects the people from. When we think about the culture and the polytheism of the time, these birds were seen as creations of the high spirits, in order to live amongst the people and protect them. They did not see these birds as terrifying creatures who wreaked havoc on them, but instead a protector who was to be both respected and feared.

Works Cited

Alexander, C. (2022, December). The Thunderbird of Native Americans. Legends of america. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.legendsofamerica.com/thunderbird-native-american/

Bernard, L. (2019, December 9). The legend of the Thunderbird. Pennsylvania Wilds. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://pawilds.com/legend-of-the-thunderbird/

Ocker, J. W. (2022, October 26). Beware the thunderbird, badass cryptid of the skies. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/thunderbird-cryptid-ocker

Woods, F. (2014, February 13). Myth of the Thunderbird. BirdNote. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/myth-thunderbird