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SPIRIT
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Myth
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Some of the 86 pages in this Myth & Lore section are below.
The rest will be found HERE
Thunderbirds & Thunderbeings
By Mouse
Thunderbeings Night Rain
by S.D. Nelson
(Please note that the links
in this article no longer work. Geocities went out of business
a number of years ago, and the others no longer exist. I haven't
made them into links because of that. Dragonfly)
Is there a difference between the
Thunderbirds and Thunder Beings? (a part from the fact that
Thunderbird is also the name of a specific kind of aircraft...)
WolfSpirit:
Mouse,
Interesting question! Both speak of regeneration, and both speak
of Fire, so I can see why you asked the question, and i am curious
as to hear what others think! To me, yes, there is a difference....
Thunderbird speaks to me of emerging from the ashes, being reborn.
It speaks to me of cleansing Fire. Thunderbird and Phoenix appear
pretty much interchangeable in this respect. The Thunder Beings
speak to me of Divine Union between Father Sky and Mother Earth,
so the regeneration aspect is here to, but to me this is more
of a continuing sustenance rather than a rebirth.
The Thunder Beings,
through the Lightning Sticks, send Fire in the form of usable
energy to the Earth Mother. The Earth Mother being magnetic
is able to use this fire (in the form of electrical energy)
to revitalize herself. To me Thunderbird would come at a time
when we need a complete change to some area of life: to an attitude
thought pattern, or feeling, whereas the Thunder Beings can
be called on when you just need a little extra help to “refresh”
those attitudes, thought pattern or feelings. But hey that is
just my way of looking at it, like I said, I would be interested
in hearing what others think!
CinnamonMoon:
Yes Wolfie! Good job! He's
right, Mouse, there is a difference, both are spirits that we
work with, but think Thunderbird/Phoenix, and ThunderBeings
are entities of the Sky Nation as Wolfie had implied. They show
themselves during storms, through their ‘fire sticks’/lightning
bolts and let their voices and stomp dances be heard (thunder).
They are guarding the sacred union between Father Sky and Mother
Earth.
Marila:
here are
some bits and pieces...
www.malakota.com/wakinyan.html
(Wakinyan/Heyoka... Start of the text:
Wakinyan is the first Thunder-Being, and is also called a Thunder-Bird.
Wakinyan's sex is not made clear; although it is known that
Wakinyan has both male and female characteristics. Wakinyan
also represents cleansing and when Wakinyan flies over the earth
in the form of storms, Wakinyan is cleansing the earth so that
the plant nations may always live.
www.cryptozoologicalrealms.com/english/reflections/colloqy.html
(Mythopoeia Titanornis: Living Fossil or Living Folklore)
www.publicanthropology.org/Archive/Aa1890.htm
Chamberlain, A.F. The Thunder-Bird Amongst the Angonkins.
American Anthropologist. January, 1890 Vol. 3 (1): 51-54.
A.F. Chamberlain’s
article examines the widespread belief in the thunder-bird among
the Algonkin tribes. The thunder-bird is a divine creature that,
depending on the particular cultural folk-tale, can make thunder
by beating its wings and shoot thunderbolts from its eyes. He
contends that belief systems incorporating the thunder-bird
span regions as vast as the Canadian Northwest, the coast of
the Atlantic, the shore of Hudson’s Bay, and along the
southern banks of Lake Superior.
Basing his information
on missionary and anthropological accounts of native belief
systems in these areas, Chamberlain finds that the thunder-bird
tradition is fairly consistent among various groups in these
regions. He supports this position by providing short descriptions
of the thunder-bird among different native groups such as the
Cree, Ottawa, and the Mississauga. He goes on to note that among
the Missisaguas and Ojebways, children often have the word "thunder"
associated with their name, such as Head Thunder or Yellow Thunder.
Chamberlain concludes his paper by suggesting that Algonkian
belief systems concerning this mythical figure mirror those
of the Siouan and other native groups. He proposes further examination
into thunder-bird folklore between the Siouan and Algonkian
people.
CLARITY RANKING:
4 SHANNA WILLIAMS
University of Florida (John Moore) Chamberlain, A. F.
The Thunder-Bird Amongst the Algonkins.
The American Anthropologist. January, 1890 Vol. III:51-54.
This article compares
belief in the thunderbird among the various Algonkin tribes
ranging from northwest Canada east to the Atlantic and south
to the banks of Lake Superior. The thunderbird motif is presented
as wide-spread throughout the region and the article compares
the attributes of the Thunderbird as conceived by the Cree,
Ottawa, Mississagua, Ojibway, Pottowattami, and Passamaquoddy.
In presenting his arguments, Chamberlain references other writers
and provides a bibliography.
In general, the
thunderbird is considered divine among the Algonkins and is
believed to create thunder by flapping its wings. Lightning,
made by the flashing of its eyes, is used like arrows to kill
serpents or monsters "which it takes from under the earth".
The bird is usually described as a great eagle. Storms and tornados
are attributed to its wrath and fair weather to its good humor.
Extensive comparative
details are provided. For example, in one Passamaquoddy version,
thunderbirds appear as humans with wings. Thunder is the sound
of their wings, and lightning the fire and smoke of their pipes.
In another version, thunder and lightning are brother and sister.
The brother has a child by an Indian woman and this child causes
the rumbling before the crash of thunder. The Passamaquoddy
also believe that wind is caused by a great bird called "Wind
Blower" who lives in the far north and sits on a rock at
the end of the sky. To the Crees and Ojibways, however, wind-bird
and thunderbird are the same being, who takes the form of an
eagle. The Tetons believe that the snake is the enemy of thunder.
Chamberlain notes
in conclusion that the Algonkin beliefs about thunder are closer
to those of the Sioux than to any other Indian tribe. He urges
that a close and detailed comparison of Sioux and Algonkin thunder
stories be made in order to shed light upon the relations of
these two peoples
in the past.
CLARITY RANKING:
4 CAROL VEILLEUX
Southern Oregon University (Anne Chambers)
WolfSpirit:
Mouse,One
more thing...it occurred to me that the Thunder Beings are cyclical:
the rainy season etc., etc.
CinnamonMoon:
The three I work with are
year-round, Wolfie, they are spirits that often do stir up lightning
but they are not the storm itself. The storms reflect their
activities and presence on the whole. However they come to me
year-round.
Marila:
Mouse,
and here a bit more from Jamie Sams and Wolfwalker and Archie
Fire Lamedeer and others under:
www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/5672/native/thunder_beings.htm
What Jamie Sams
writes about the Thunder Beings (about a conversation from Wolfwalker)
is what I know, too... The Thunder Beings are next to Creation
- for me where sound and the material aspect of life melt together
- and they choose certain forms to be seen if it is "needed"...
They are Spirits and hold the aspects of Divine Love... They
are next to Universal Love... They are one of the first expressions
(material aspect somehow) of the Divine Love... For me (and
this is for me - therefore I also looked up for more information
in the internet to share it here) they show up (if needed) in
forms and in aspects (not necessarily in their whole aspect)
that we can "hold" - and it might be in the form of
a bird, too...
For me the "spirit"
Thunder Being is more sound than form. And to be "seen"
it may be that this spirit chooses/these spirits choose a form
that we might get (bird...). With helpers - or in the aspect
of form (material aspect) - they also act in this world. Okay
- in brief *smile*: Thunder Beings for me are Spirits who are
more sound than form - but they can show up in form (also as
Thunderbirds) if there is a need to be felt/seen or to show
up certain aspects of their being. They are next to the Unified
Field where All-is-One... If they show up in a form they mirror
certain aspects they hold. Thunderbirds - they are more the
physical aspect of the Thunder Beings (for me) - and may help
us to connect with the Thunder Beings. Thunder Birds for me
are not the only ones to "mirror" the Thunder Beings.
There are other animals, too (for me salamander and others...)
With this for me there goes hand in hand a kind of "system"
of Creation... Thunder Beings are next to the Unified Field,
which for me is living silence, LOVE - then there is sound in
certain aspects (Thunder Beings), Love (though they are called
"thunder beings" the sound is gentle, soft, like the
ringing of bells - but it is so powerful - and it may vary...)
- from this it becomes more and more concrete - creation ascends
from sound in all its different aspects and in all its layers,
love (Thunder Birds, other animals, too...)... (Each creation
holds its own sound/"thunder"/song/heard signature...)
It is something that may take a long article, too, to explain
what I mean...
This is my personal
knowing. To allow a more general overview I offered some links
here to get more personal information for you, too, and not
only my personal view...
WolfSpirit:
Cinn,
my mention of the cyclical nature of storms, was a reference
for Mouse re: moving home, starting her course (college semesters),
the Doula thing. I didn't mean that they could only be cyclical,
however, you said: “The three I work with are year-round.”
Now you got me curious! OK, the thunder beings are different
from the actual Fire-Sticks, they are the potentiality right,
that creates the Fire Sticks? But your statement has me kerflumped!
CinnamonMoon:
The ThunderBeings are spirits.
The FireSticks are lightning that develops as a result of their
presence in the environment. They are usually accompanied by
that. The charging or exchange of energy with Sky Father and
Earth Mother or the communications between them. But they also
work with some people. They are messengers of a high order.
I see what you're saying about Mouse's cycles. *Smiles* Sorry
I read that wrong and hope I have helped you a little to place
things. LOL You're on the right track.
Dragonfly:
Living in
Pipestone, (MN) for as long as I did, made you get used to the
energy of the Thunderbirds that are said to reside at the National
Monument, where the stone is quarried for the Sacred Canunpas
(Pipes). Many people can't deal with those energies when they
get to Pipestone, and leave pretty quickly. I found that those
energies make you deal with problems and issues that you have
been putting on the back burner for a while.
The legend
says that the Thunderbird laid her eggs at the Monument, and
so you must be respectful and quiet while over there or the
eggs will break and the Thunderbird will not be happy.
In the
old days when the People went to quarry for the sacred stone,
they would wait to quarry until a thunderstorm came through
bringing the Thunderbeings with it, who would assist the quarriers.
If no storm came the People wouldn't quarry and would leave.
I have seen some doozies of storms there and can see how they
believed the Thunderbeings were there within the storms. They
can be very creepy sometimes, they also bring in many Orbs with
them.
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Libraries
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
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Dezignz 1998-date
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