Copyright © 1997 Gerald Musinsky
Whether Mythopoeia titanornis exists or not, the following postulates must be considered regarding bolth the folkore and current reports of this avian phenomena:
1. Certain reports are reliable.
2. Observers are sighting a rare bird(s).
3. Sightings reveal correlations with season and environment.
4. An unknown species eludes discovery by seldom deviating
from the remote biome(s) where it has been observed.
5. This bird is distinctly larger than any known species.
The Pennsylvania Black Forest sightings, compared with others, could provide data regarding behavioral and environmental characteristics revealing a known or an unknown species from the prehistoric past. Perhaps when ancestral eagles and teratorns competed with each other, a specialized species evolved which might continue to exist. Not a teratorn, nor condor, not quite eagle, but a primitive bird of prey sharing attributes of the other species. One being, of all things, an uncanny resemblance to a small aircraft, particularly the Piper Cub, which was virtually unknown to Native America and perhaps technically competitive with Teratornithidae.
If the fossil is alive, old habits are hard to break. The Thunderbird's habitat is confined to the most remote areas remaining in North America, where it continues a way of life since the Pleistocene, ironically protected by scientific paradigms, relentless skepticism, and academic lethargy. The folklore survives with or with out the fossil fuel. And until tangible evidence is discovered, Mythopoeia titanornis or "thunderbird" will continue to be a shadow in the storm.
Significant Native American Non-Thunder Bird Tales (as identified by name)
[Excluded are narratives directly or indirectly translated or interpreted as "thunder" or related to having "thunder" references, e. g. "thunderers".. The following tales, as the names often imply, specifically focus on an exceptional predacious raptor. Much of this list was previously complied by Mark A. Hall, to whom this author is greatly indebted for his diligent research into Native American tribal mythlore.]
Achiyalabopa, is the "monster bird with feathers like knives" of the Pueblo.
Alkuntam of the Bella Coola, might be Thunder related.
Binesi, a "bird" reference of the Ojibway.
Cullona of the St John River Indians (or Malecite) is related to the Piyasaw.
Culloo(s) fierce predatory bird of the Micmac and Passamaquoddy.
Dukwally or Theukloots, is refered to by the Makah.
Hahness is a large avain predator of the Chinook and Chehalis, possibly Thunder Bird related.
Hu-huk, hoh-hok, huh-huhx, is known as a "cannibal hawk" of the Pawnee and Pacific Northwest.
Kunna-kat-eth, a Tlinglit giant bird, nested on Mount Edgecomb.
Mechquan of the Ossipee was four times as large as a Northern Goshawk.
Met'co was called "eagle abductor" of the Montagnais-Naskapi, the reference to "eagle" is loosely appllied.
Mu-tug--o-wik, a kind of "giant eagle" nested on Mt. Sabotnitsky according to the Innuit there.
Nunyenunc, Shoshoni (also known to the Bannock, Paiute, and other Great Basin tribes), carried off large mammals and men.
Omaxsapitau or "big eagle" of the Pikuni (Piegan), Kainteh (Blood), Siksika (North Blackfoot). "Pitau" is the name for Golden eagle, and clearly distinguished from it.
Piasa (piyasaw) numerous depredations to Illini, Miamis, Mitchigami; a predominant Algonquin term for "bird" falsely assumed to be an Algonquin term for Thunder. Piasa, probably a for shortened idiom for "the bird which devours men."
Pilhannaw of the Ossippee (also Mechquan) prey on fawns and wolves.
Pinesi refered by the Mississagua.
Pineusen refered by the Illinois.
Pinasi, a bird term of the Ottawa.
Tlanuwa, "Great Mythic Hawk" was the cause for the controlled burning of the Carolina Balds by the Cherokee as a defense against its attacks.
Tse'na'hale "somewhat like an eagle in form" carried a Navaho warrior to an area known as Winged Rock.
Yel-lo-kin, the Miwok "cannibal bird" was erroneously assumed by ethnologists to be the California condor.
Certain Historical Legends
John James Audubon sighted the Great Washington eagle while crossing north central Pennsylvania and later near Alton, Illinois.
Daniel Boone tells of a five year old Indian youth carried off by giant bird in Tennessee.
Jim Bridger recounts a giant bird attacking a tethered mule in Montana.
Edgar Allen Poe, en route to Philadelphia, was filled with dread at the sight of an "exceptional raven" over his carriage (regional oicotype told in the vacinity of Poe Valley, PA).
Mark Twain's mid-day nap was disturbed when a large black bird soared ominously above him at Ravensberg, (regional oicotype near Ravensburg State Park, PA)..
Little Wolf and the Great Thunder Bird (invented children's tale)
by Albert J. Walentukonis (Blackfoot Sioux)
[Characteristic narrative of Thunder Bird and Thunder "being" spiritual mythology.]
Little Wolf begins quest for Thunder Bird
Thunder Bird lives on Magic Mountain, visits lowland forests and river
Little Wolf talks with animals due to belief
Animals say, "Believe in Thunder Bird, you will see Thunder Bird."
Little Wolf tells Warrior of experience
Thunder Bird appears bigger and more beautiful than any other bird, warrior sees it too
Little Wolf joins Warriors' circle
Structure of Contemporary Mythopoeia Titanornis Folklore
[Recorded and Living Mythopoeia Titanornis Types and Motifs]
I Airplane size bird
A) Narrator believes to observe an airplane flying
1) high overhead,
2) off in distance,
3) just above tree tops or very low
B) Airplane flaps wings
C) Narrator realizes plane is a tremendous bird
D) Bird flies away into clouds, beyond trees
II Great Bird of Prey sighted
A) while narrator is
1) fishing,
2) hunting,
3) travelling through woods, sees exceptionally large bird
B) Swoop down and seize
1) wood chuck,
2) spotted fawn,
3) yearling deer,
4) other medium to large size mammal
C) Carries off prey
III Great Bird Attacks Car:
A) while narrator drives along
1) highway or
2) deserted road
B) Sees large bird fly at vehicle as if attacking
1) Bird veers off at last moment
2) Collides into vehicle
C) Flies away
IV Great Bird eats Carrion
A) while driving narrator makes turn and surprises large bird feasting on carcass
B) Bird stretches wings and flies off
V Great Bird Flies in Menacing manner
A) Bird
1) hovers
2) circles
3) swoops
B) over
1) young child
2) mother and infant
3) home [house, trailer, barn etc.]
4) domestic animal(s)[e. g. livestock, pets etc.]
VI Great Bird And Human Prey
A) Threatens to carry off human victim: Bird dives as if to seize
1) infant,
2) young child,
3) adult
B) Attempts to Carry off
1) infant,
2) young child,
3) adult
C) Carries off human victim
1) infant,
2) young child,
3) adult
VII Alleged Thunderbird Photograph
A) Narrator recalls having seen or claims to have owned a published photo
B) Photo shows large
1) bird of prey
2) pterosaur
with wings out stretched and nailed to a wall
C) with
1) one
2) two
3) or more
a) hunters
b) scientists
c) actors
posed with weapons and expedition gear
D) Caption includes "Thunder Bird"
E) Narrator cannot recall publication details, but suggests plausible source
1) Tombstone Epitaph
2) Guiness Book of World Records
3) Ripley's Believe It or Not
F) Photo is
1) lost
2) destroyed by fire
IX Great Bird Mounted Trophy
A) Wealthy
1) cattle rancher
2) oil baron
3) casino owner
B) from
a) Texas
b) Nevada
c) other large western state
C) hunted giant eagle with high power rifle from airplane
1) Piper Cub
D) has Giant Bird Mounted in game room/den of Rocky Mountain
1) home
2) lodge
Significant details which qualify as motif:
1. looks like an airplane, i.e. Piper Cub
2. exceptional size: e. g. small airplane, Piper Cub, road/river/creek width, utility cross spar, human with wings
3. eagle-like but not an eagle
4. vulture-like but not a vulture
5. "prehistoric" appearance; rough plumage, large ugly beak
6. dark uniform color: black brown, gray, mixture of the three
7. white or light colored ring around neck
8. large (pop) eyes: red or black
9. man size or human-like visage
10. peculiar looking, unlike any known species
11. straight leading edge on the wing
12 long tail, wedge shaped, 'V' shaped
13. large head, crested, bristled,
14. large talons, larger than human hands, four or five digits per claw
15. thick heavy legs, like an ostrich, bare or feathered
16. slow wing beats, shallow and deep
17. low flying
18. high soaring
19. perched on carcass
Miscellaneous Tales (related by structure)
I. Great bird dives into water like osprey and carries off large fish
II. Great Bird Guards sacred Indian Cave
A) Cave holds 1)precious metals, 2) stone, 3) other treasure
B) Once there was a deerskin map to the cave
C) Great Bird nests in or near cave
D) possible death taboo for non-Indian to enter cave
E) Cave is sacred because of ancient shaman burial or ritual space
F) Shaman spell is curse to all who enter without respect for myth(?)
III. Personal narrative:
Two men in canoe on Pine Creek seeking to fish near ancient Indian grounds sight Thunderbird overhead, it circles, swoops just above the canoe and flies off. Believed to be forewarning, they leave.
IV. Ghost Bird (possible variant of earlier Thunder Bird lore like the "Night Flyer")
1) seen only at night
2) has odd haunting call
3) silent effortless flight
4) all milky white with red eyes
5) regarded as spirit more than animate bird (possible haunt, schnell-geist, etc.)
6) never sighted talking prey
7) aimless flight through trees
8) omen of death (natural)
Selected Works
Addison. "A Modern Roc." St. Louis Globe Democrat. 24 February 1895
Alexander, Hartley. Mythology of All Races: North American. NY Cooper Square 1964)
Anonymous, "Strange Bird." The Zoologist. July 1968 1295
Andersen, Johannes C. Myths & Legends of the Polynesians. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1928
Armstrong, P. A. "The Miami Tradition of the Piasa." The Piasa. Alton: Arts Council, 1970
Barber, Richard and Anne Riches. A Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts. New York: Walker, 1971
Bord, Janet and Colin, Alien Animals. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1981
Brown, Leslie. Birds of prey: Their biology and ecology. NY: 1970
---. Eagles, New York: Arco Publishing, 1975
---. Eagles of the World, NY: Universe, 1977
Campbell, Kenneth E., "The Worlds Largest Flying Bird," Terra. 19.2 Fall 1980
Campbell, Kenneth, E., and Tonni, Eduardo P. "Size and Locomotion in Teratorns (Aves Teratornithidae),"
The Auk. 100: April 1983
Clark, William S. A Field Guide to Hawks of North America. Illus. Brian R. Wheeler. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987
Cranmer, Hiram. Letter-to-the-editor. Fate. August 1957
---. Letter to the editor. Fate. March 1966
Curtis, Natalie, The Indians Book: Song & Legends of the American Indian. New York: Dover, 1966
Darling, Fraser F. "The Speed of Golden Eagles in Flight." Nature 134 (1934) 325-26
Darward, Douglas, Wild Australia. Sydney: William Collins, 1977
Di Silvestro, Roger L., "Saga of AC-9, The Last Free Condor," Audubon. May 1987
Emerson, Ellen Russell. Indian Myths. Minneapolis: Ross and Haines, 1965
Hall, Mark A. Thunderbirds: Living Legends of Giant Birds. 2nd Ed. Bloomington: Mark A. Hall, 1994
---. "Pennsylvania Thunderbirds," Natural Mysteries. Bloomington: Mark A. Hall, 1992
Hanzak Jan, The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Birds. London: Paul Hamlyn, 1964
Heuvelmans, Bernard. On the Track of Unknown Animals. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1971
Hodge, Frederick Webb Handbook of American Indians (North of Mexico). New York: Pageant Books, 1959
Hultkrantz, Ake. The Religions of the North American Indian. Trans. Monica Settwerwall.
Berkely: University of California Press, 1979
Johnson, Paul, Creature Research Bulletin. Greensburg, PA 1990
Judson, Katherine B. Myths and Legends of the Great Plains. Chicago: A. C. McClure, 1913
"King Vultures Attack Boy." The Daily Pantograph (Bloomington/Normal, IL) 27 July 1977 A-11
"King Vultures or California Condors." The Daily Pantograph. (Bloomington/Normal) 30 July 1977 A-3
Kildare, Maurice, "Winged Terror of the Oklahoma Hills," True Frontier. October 1972
Koford, Carl B. The California Condor. New York: Dover, 1966
Love, John A. The Return of the Sea Eagle. Cambridge: University Press, 1989
Luttringer, Leo A. Jr., Pennsylvania Bird Life. Harrisburg: PA Game Commission, 1973
Lyman, Sr., Robert R. Amazing Indeed, Strange Events in the Black Forest. vol. 2.
Coudersport: Potter Enterprise, 1971
Matthews, Washington. "Navaho Legends." Memoirs of the American Folklore Society 5. 1897
McClintock, Walter. "The Thunderbird Myth I." vol. 15 nos. 5 and 6. 1941
Means, Ruth. "The Devil Among Us." The Piasa. Alton: Arts Council, 1970
Mitchell, John F. and Robert J. M. Rickard. Living Wonders: Mysteries and Curiosities of the Animal World.
Thames and Hudson, 1982
Morris, Frank Thomas. Birds of Prey of Australia. Melbourne: Lawnderne Editions 1976
Morrison, Tony. Land Above the Clouds. 1980
Musinsky, Gerald. "Return of the Thunderbird: avian mystery of the Black Forest." Fate. November 1995
Selected Works Continued
Pouchet, Felix. The Universe or the Infinitely Great and the Infinitely Small. New York: Scribner's, 1871
[note: there are other editions but only Scribner's refers to the Kinny incident.]
Selected Works (continued)
Russell, John. "The Piasa, An Indian Tradition of the Illinois." The Piasa. Alton: Arts Council, 1970
Skinner, Alanson. "The Algonkin and the Thunderbird." American Museum Journal 14. 2 February 1914
Smith, Dick. Condor Journal. Santa Barbara: Capra Press and Museum of Natural History, 1978
Stalmaster, Mark T. The Bald Eagle. New York: Universe Books, 1987
Terres, John K. Flashing Wings: The drama of bird flight. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, l968
Todd, W. E. Clyde. Birds of Western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1940
Wherry, Joseph E. Indian Masks and Myths of the West. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1969
Whetmore, Alexander. The Eagles, Hawks, and Vultures," The Book of Birds. Grosvenor, Gilbert, editor,
National Geographic Society, 1939
White, Helen M. "Do Birds really Get This Big?" Fate. March 1967
Van Tyne, Josselyn and Berger, Andrew John. Fundamentals of Ornithology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1960
Page Updated 2001-02-01
Copyright © 1996-2007 Scott
T. Norman, www.scottnorman.com
Comments and Questions: scott@cryptozoology.net
