File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (18160016775).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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THE ALGONKIN AND THE THUNDERBIRD By Alanson Skinner AMONG other traditions held by the descendants of the Delaware Indians, who used to dwell on our island of Manhattan and in neighbor- ing New Jersey but who are now exiled to Oklahoma, is one regarding the so- called "Thunderbird." Long ago when the ancestors of the Delawares still lived on the shores of " the Great Water where Daylight Appears," some of their mighty nimrods succeed- ed in making cap- tive the great horned serpent that lives in the depths of the sea, and while they held it prisoner they scraped some of the scales from its back. Now the Thun-
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Cree tipi, Saskatchewan, showing in human form derers are the great enemies of the horned serpent and are constantly on the watch to destroy him. Thus it happens that when a medicine man puts in an ex- posed place one of these scales taken from the horned serpent, the Thunderers hasten to the spot darting their lightning at it and bringing the rain — which is just what the Indians desire. The recorder of this tradition has left us in doubt as to the form of the Thunderers, whether like men or beasts, but the belief which he records concern- ing the Thunder- ers and their ha- tred of the horned snake or snakes is very widespread among the Wood- land Indians. In a Thunderer

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