Thunderbird: Three Legends From Native American Mythology

I'm part Nisga'a here on the western coast of british colombia, and my grandma has stories of when the Tseax Volcano erupted. She told me of when the rivers in the nass valley were bountiful with salmon, so much so, that you can walk across the river along the backs of the fish. The many higher spirits watched over the land, when some boys from one of the villages dotted along the river, came to the waters edge and pulled salmon out. As the fish struggled in the open air, it amused them, and they took sharp rocks and cut their backs open to jab into them sticks that were burning like candles. After doing this to many fish and putting them back into the water, watching the smoldering sticks weave their way up the river, the frog spirit got extremely upset that these boys would abuse such an important source of food that these salmon sacrifice themself for. In quick action, the frog spirit struck the valley, causing the earth to violently shake, open up, and lava to spill. The glowing, molten rock intercepted the river and flowed towards the villages, replacing water in the river with lava. One after the other, the villages and its inhabitants were consumed by the glowing red river. Hearing the chaos happening, our, and I quote "friends to the south prayed and called upon the great thunderbird to help us." After flying over the mountains and seeing the lava move towards another village, he layed his beak on ground, just beyond the village, making the lava flow elsewhere. People were saved, but villages were already gone. It is said that the cooled lava rocks seen from above, seem to have cooled in a straight line, and some have speculated that that's where the Thunderbird laid his beak Even in this instance, the Thunderbird was a protecting figure, much like the other nations who's stories told of such a bird.

when i was young, i saw a giant bird. it looked like a hawk but it was bigger than a car. i always thought about what it was, but honestly just thought i imagined it somehow, even though nothing like that has happened before or since. then i heard someone telling a story about their mom who saw a giant bird, and it sounded exactly like the one i had seen

I have always been fascinated by Thunderbirds, and their connection to storms and the earth. I would love to see a Thunderbird even just once in my lifetime, they're amazing...

Well done! My own native grandfather was honored with the name Chief Thunderbird by Lakota Chief Whirlwind Soldier after WW ll. Thus I have always felt the protective presence of Thunderbird. The old ones of my own tribe said the our Thunderbird had metal feathers that deflected arrows. Recently I heard another far away tribe had a similiar story of a metal clad Thunderbird long before airplanes were supposedly invented. Very curious.

Here in Brazil, we have a legend about a giant fire snake, call boitata, this giant snake is the gurdian of the forest, protect the people that live in the forest from wildfire, and other’s people that want to warm the forest

I’m Makkah and quileute this was cool to watch I went to chief leschi all native school and we got lots of culture that nobody knows so it’s cool seeing this and people enjoy

The speech at 9:55 and on reminds me of the times we’re in now, the time where society is tired of doing what is necessary to keep balance in the community, society and works itself, thus we pray for the arrival of the most high. For only he can restore order to the whales of today. Peace be to everyone.

I am of both Spanish, and Native heritage. The totem given to me is Crow. As I’ve come to embrace my totem, I have found a new found fascination and deep connection for the Thunderbird folklore. So far, this video has been the most cohesive, well thought out, and well written piece of information that I’ve found available on the subject. Mythos & Logos has consolidated a broad and scattered amount of information, and made it an accessible trail-head to further knowledge. I highly appreciate the hard work and detail put into this video.

They exist! I saw ‘something’ on full moon 2020 in nor cal… only saw part of one wing, which was banded light & dark, huge, filled my entire field of vision of sky. Heard it first, like a canopy in a high wind. Scared life out of me.

The Native American Thunderbird ultimately symbolizes creation, transformation and rebirth as does the ancient Egyptian Phoenix, which is the same metaphysical being. Represented through one of nature’s most majestic life forms, this bird is within us all. Always cycling death and rebirth.

I was named an eastern thunderbeing. By a medicine man in 1996 during the comet halebop in billings montana. This medicine man was purely the most wonderful man. He told the the story. And it was a beautiful story. His granddaughter was there as well as my professor. I thought he mistook me for someone else. But now i see what he was saying. In truth his dream was right.

This was so beautiful and informative. I was meditating recently and heard the word Thunderbird and so began my quest. I recently drove through Thunder Bay Ontario and felt even more connection.

This was not only incredibly fascinating, it was extremely well told and utterly captivating because your voice is so perfect for doing this kinda thing.. I'm now a new subscriber and can't wait to experience more of your work.. the metaphorical concepts displayed in this were profoundly deep and resonated somewhere within the very core of my being, in a way I certainly wasn't expecting, but I found immensely comforting and thought provoking..BRAVO 👏 👏 👏SENDING ALL WHO READ THIS SO MUCH LOVE, PEACE, LIGHT AND INFINITE BLESSINGS ❤ STAY BLESSED NEVER STRESSED 🙏

My friend made an absolute banger of a song and he named it thunderbird.

Also I live in Northeast Wyoming by the Black hills. Lakota territory. I've been seeing all kinds of things lately, I just feel so honored thank you for your information it helped a lot

I want to add this as well in south we have lightening storms and this bird did appear during that same week and it felt like lightening hit the ground out back . I recall I went to search the ground to see where the lighting hit.

I'm from rural cedar grove TN. I found Countless Stones of the Thunderbird. Said to be Effigies. When upon finding one sometimes I have to set down to take it all in. Plus found stones of mastodons, snakes, owls etc. Etc. Thank u fer video

Thank you for joining! This video took a lot of time and research, but I am very proud of the finished product! It was quite ambitious to find a narrative shared by distinctly different people across the massive continent of North America, or Turtle Island. I hope that the meaning and symbolism of the Thunderbird have been able to connect with you! Going back to our Greek comfort zone next time :)

I've been searching for this video long before you started making it! ❤

The day before, my son Pheannx came to my sister in a dream, as a Thunder Bird with a ⚡ he means so much to me.