The Menominee of Wisconsin tells of a great mountain that floats in the western sky, upon which the Thunderbirds live. According to their legends, the Thunderbirds were ancestors of the human race and helped to create the universe. In contrast, the underworld is controlled by the underwater panther or Great Horned Serpent, from which the Thunderbird protects humans by throwing lightning at it. In Algonquian mythology, the Thunderbird controls the upper world. Some Plains tribes, including the Arapaho, associated Thunderbirds with the summer season, while White Owl represented the winter season. In Gros Ventre traditions, it was the Thunderbird who gave the sacred pipe to the people. Various tribes have different oral traditions about the magical Thunderbird, which they both highly respected and feared. They were said to live in the clouds high above the tallest mountains. They were said to have bright and colorful feathers, sharp teeth, and claws. The bird was so large that several legends say it picked up a whale in its talons. Good – when the rain was needed or bad when the rain came with strong destructive winds, floods, and fires caused by lightning. The Thunderbirds brought rain and storms, which could be good or bad. It was called the Thunderbird because the flapping of its powerful wings sounded like thunder, and lightning would shoot out of its eyes.

Described as a supernatural being, the enormous bird symbolized power and strength that protected humans from evil spirits.

Simple thunderbird native american