Unlike the American thunderbird, however, this is an evil creature and an avid drinker of human blood. The lightning bird or impundulu is a recurring figure in the folklore of the Mpondo, Xhosa, and Zulu peoples, and is described as a human-sized black-and-white bird that can summon lightning with a flap of its wings.They also punish humans who act in wicked or immoral ways. In Ojibwe myth, the thunderbirds exist to wage war against evil underwater spirits, and arrange their seasonal migrations to coincide with the spirits' most active periods.In Menominee myth, the thunderbirds that dwell on a floating mountain in the west are bringers of rain and hail, delight in fighting and valiant deeds and are enemies of the horned serpents, which they prevent from overrunning the world and destroying mankind.They are also associated with rain and other forms of precipitation. They fight these by hurling thunderbolts at them, hence lightning strikes the earth from the clouds. In the mythologies of the Algonquian peoples of the Great Lakes and the Northeast, the thunderbird is typically depicted a creature of the sky and thus at war with creatures that dwell underwater or in the underworld, such as underwater panthers and horned serpents.It dove into the sea, seized the whale in its claws and dropped it from a great height the sound of the whale hitting the sea is the source of thunder. In one myth, Thunderbird fought against a monstrous whale that was killing other cetaceans, devouring fish stocks and attacking coastal villages. They are also very large a single Thunderbird feather may be as long as an oar. They are often at odds with sea creatures, especially whales, and make thunder with the beating of their wings. They are generally protective entities, and their physical remains and possessions are believed to have significant power and value, but can be dangerous if angered or offended.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |