The Origin of the Thunderbird (Wabanaki)
In the Wabanaki tradition, the Thunderbird was once a great chief who loved his people so much that after his death, the Great Spirit transformed him into a giant bird whose wings make the thunder and whose eyes flash lightning. He was given dominion over the sky and tasked with hunting the great horned serpent Weewillmekq (Jipijka'm), who lurked in lakes and devoured people. Whenever the horned serpent rose to attack, the Thunderbird descended from the clouds and struck it with lightning. The Thunderbird had a nest on the highest peak of the mountains, and its eggs were made of solid lightnin