Lesson 4: creatures of legend

So far most of the legends we have discussed have involved animals, sure they might be a bit more magical but all in all they are creatures that still exist today.  But with great legends and a lot of imagination there are often born creatures that are unlike anything that exists in the real world. Native American myths are no exception from the Native American big foot, wendigo to the mighty Thunderbird there are lots of interesting creatures and monsters running in the legends. 

One powerful creature of legends is the Thunderbird he is powerful creature that is usually portrayed as a protector and friend to human kind. The Thunderbird is a kind of super eagle or sometimes hawk that has the power of thunder and lightning.  He can often be seen fighting one of man kinds enemies that dwelled in the water.  In one tale there use to be a large water monster named the Great Unktehi.  She hated human kind more then anything and was large and very hideous.  She had a long sinuous body covered in scales, and her feed looked like a frogs.  Weirdly enough she had a tail and horns that she could retract inside her body.  She would swim along the Missouri river and her children, the unketehik lived in the tributaries that ran off the river.  One day she became fed up with the human race and decided to kill them all.  Her and her children inflated their bodies to be so big that the river overflowed from its banks.  Many people drowned but a few escaped and ran to high ground.  Luckily the Great Thunderbird was watching and saw everything.  He quickly called all of his family and declared war against the water monster.  The Thunder birds had mighty talons and a beak full of mighty teeth that they used to attack the water monsters.  The water monster fought back mighty lashing at them with their long spiked tails. It was a hard battle but it started turning in the water monsters favor so the Thunderbirds retreated.  The all strategize on the best way to wind and finally decided since they were creatures of fire and air they would fight with their natural elements.  They flew back to battle but this time with thunderbolts which they rained down on the water monster until the sky was streaked with fire.  Before to long the monsters were burned down to their bones, and the humans saw what happened and came out of hiding.  The area of the battle is still here today in the rocks and hills of Mako Sicha, also known as the Badlands of South Dakota.

            The Wendigo as I mentioned is something of a big foot.  It lurks around the forest and to these days there are reports of Wendigo sightings.  It is best known in Algonquian legends which describe him as a giant of a man with skin stretched tight against his bones.  He is often cannibalistic and has a never ending hunger that forces him to go out looking for humans to eat.  Another interesting forest dwelling creature is Deer Woman.  She looks like a normal woman often a very attractive one, but instead of feet she has hooves.  She best known for kick men to death but will sometimes a peacefully join a dance but will run away as soon as the drums stop beating.  There has been a horror movie made about her recently simply called “Deer Woman” it is very, very cheesy but worth a good laugh. The movie is part of the Masters of Horror series and It is rated R so please only view this if you are old enough or you have your parents consent since it is very graphic. 

            Many tribes also have stories about roaming heads.  Sometimes they roll and sometimes they fly but they always are searching for people to eat. These flying cannibalistic heads use to be human but because of a strange twist of fate they are left with only their head.  Usually the story goes that the person is injured in some way and they lick the would to stop the bleeding, but once they have a taste of their blood they can’t stop and begin devouring their entire body until only their head is left.  Still not sated they go around the forest looking for more humans to eat.