Showing posts with label thunderbirds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thunderbirds. Show all posts

Friday, January 28, 2011

Creature Feature: Thunderbirds




Native American thunderbirds have been inspiring stories for ages. With their giant wingspans, magical abilities, and hints of symbolism it’s easy to see why they are so popular. But this creature, once limited to Native American mythology has been experiencing a revival as numerous people have come forward claiming to have seen a thunderbird.

So what exactly is a Thunderbird? Native stories vary among tribes but they are thought to be some sort of large bird or flying creature. Some tribes believe that they have the ability to create storms by flapping their enormous wings. Other tribes believe that certain humans could shape shift into the form of a bird. They are both feared and revered by the people that believe in them.

There’s a small group of people today that believe that Thunderbirds are actually pterodactyls that have some how survived and are maintaining a small population. Others think that Thunderbirds may actually be other common misidentified birds such as vultures or condors. The fact that it is difficult to estimate the size of things in the sky makes it hard to confirm the actual wingspan of any flying creature. And until someone comes forward with some good evidence of the Thunderbird it’s going to stay a legend.

Have you ever seen anything large flying in the sky you couldn’t identify? If so I want to hear about it!