Ancient Legend of the "Thunder bird"

The Thunder Bird’s Pipe (peace pipe) by DES 2-2009

The southern entrance of the Oregon’s Picture Gorge’s ‘Yakima Polychrome style” red & white pictograph has a symbol of the “thunder bird” on right of oval-headed Stick figure. What was a “Thunder Bird’ of ancestral art?

It was not an eagle soaring, nor a mourning dove cooing at dawn – we can still see & hear today.

It was a mythical beast assumed to exist. Tribal cultures had no tradition of a “god” and no science foundation to make sense of what they observed daily or during the year.

American tribes believed the flap of their big wings cause the thunder and they opened eyes threw lightning at people and things in view.

They saw clearly a big black cloud gathering above the highest mountain peaks and tried to figure out what was causing these violent natural phenomena. Later during the day, usually during afternoons, this black cloud rolled off the mountain peaks throwing thunder down the valley below! What was it?

AMERICAN INDIAN DESIGN & DECORATION by Le Roy H.Appleton (Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1950 & 1971, pages 22-23) offers us a glimpse into Native American ancient thinking.

This book offers a Blackfoot Tribe (N-central Montana) legend that explains how they viewed the Thunder bird long ago. The fable is titled, “ORIGIN OF THE MEDICINE PIPE”.

“THUNDER- YOU HAVE HEARD HIM, HE IS EVERYWHERE. He roars in the mountains, he shouts far out on the prairie. He strikes the high rocks, and they fall to pieces. He hits a tree, and it is broken in slivers. He strikes the people, and they die. He is bad. He does not like the towering cliff, the standing tree, or living man. He likes to strike and crush them to the ground. YES! Yes! Of all he is most powerful; he is the one most strong. But I have not told you the worst: he sometimes steals women.”

I’ll paraphrase the fable for brevity. A Man and Wife (with child) were outside their lodge east of Glacier National Park during the afternoon. A sudden clap of thunder was heard as lightning struck the man and woman. It stunned the man; but killed his wife & child! This Blackfoot Brave wanted his wife and child back!

He wandered far and wide asking all where the thunderbird lives! A wolf said, “Do you think we would seek the home of the only one we fear? He is our only danger. From all others we can run away; but from him there is no running. He strikes, and there we Lie! Turn back1 Go Home!!!!!”

Later, he met a raven. The raven offered to help the desperate brave. Raven said, “There is but one old Thunder fears. There is but one he cannot kill. It is I, it is the raven.”

Long story short, the raven gave the forlorn brave directions, medicine to scare old thunder; and “Tell that Thunder why you came, and make him give them back to you!”

According to fable, it worked.

“HOLD”, said Thunder, “you know me. I am of great power. I live here in summer; but when winter comes, I go far south. I go south with the birds. Here is my pipe. It is medicine. Take it, and keep it.

Now, when, I first come in the spring, you shall fill and light this pipe, and you shall pray to me, you and the people. For I bring the rain which makes the berries large and ripe. I bring the rain which makes all things grow, and for this you shall pray to me, you and all the people.”

This written down legend explains the “thunderbird” and the origin of the ‘Peace Pipe” in Native American cultures. I have heard many variations of this story from various western tribes; Central Oregon tribes believe “Thunder eggs” are created by Thunderbirds nesting during summer atop Mt. Hood and Jefferson and the Three Sisters!

According to legend, nesting Thunderbirds have squabbles with neighbors and throw clumps of earth at each other creating Thunder eggs?

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Tags:

dave, legend, sandersfeld and thunderbird