The Tlanuwa Bird (Natchez)
The Tlanuwa is a giant mythological bird of prey known to both the Natchez and Cherokee. This enormous raptor has feathers made of impenetrable metal that it can launch like arrows at enemies. The Tlanuwa was large enough to carry away humans and even deer. It nested in the highest cliffs and mountains. The Natchez tell stories of the Tlanuwa battling the great water serpents such as the Olobit and the Tie-Snake, representing the conflict between the sky and the underworld. Heroes in Natchez legends sometimes sought the feathers of the Tlanuwa for their protective properties. The bird was fear