Thunderbird and Whale
Epic struggle between Thunderbird and Whale in Pacific Northwest myth.
The myth of Thunderbird and Whale is a story shared by several Indigenous nations of the American Pacific Northwest, and it appears only in this region. It is a central theme in carvings and painted art, especially among the Kwakwakaʼwakw and Nuu-chah-nulth peoples who live along the outer coasts of Vancouver Island.
Among the Quileute, one version tells of Whale, a monster that killed other whales and left the people without meat or oil. Thunderbird, a kind supernatural being, saw from its mountain home that the tribe was starving. It flew over the ocean, dove in, and grabbed Whale. A fierce fight followed: the sea pulled back and surged again, many canoes were thrown into trees, and many people died. Thunderbird finally lifted Whale out of the water, carried it high, and dropped it. Another great battle then took place on land.
In some accounts, the famine was not necessarily Whale’s fault, and Thunderbird gave a whale—its usual prey—to the starving people. These details come from stories collected by Ella E. Clark (published in 1953) and Albert B. Reagan (mostly from 1905 to 1909). One narrative describes Thunderbird fighting its prey, a whale that kept escaping, causing such chaos that trees were uprooted and never grew back. Another tells of a repeated battle between Thunderbird and the “Mimlos-Whale,” an orca that always escapes to sea, shaking the mountains and flattening trees—a mythic explanation for the prairies of the Olympic Peninsula.
Among the Kwakwakaʼwakw, Franz Boas recorded a version where the battle is between Thunderbird and Ōʼᵋmät (or K!wēʼk!waxāʼwēᵋ), the leader of the animals. After Thunderbird carries off one of his sons, the leader retaliates by raising an army inside a fake whale. In the fight at the village, Thunderbird’s four children (named “One-Whale-Carrier” and others) drown, and Thunderbird himself is killed, leaving only a nine-month-old infant in a cradle.
In a Comox version, the sound of the whale falling into the sea creates thunder. A young Comox boy, curious about the thunder, followed the sound past a point of land and saw Thunderbird grabbing and dropping the whale. The Thunderbird noticed the boy and told him the story was now his, giving him the right to wear the Thunderbird mask and wings at the potlatch.
- Cultural groups
- Quileute, Kwakwakaʼwakw, Comox, Nuu-chah-nulth
- Region
- Pacific Northwest Coast of America, especially Vancouver Island
- Associated phenomena
- earthquake and tsunami (1700)
- Collectors
- Ella E. Clark (pub. 1953), Albert B. Reagan (mostly 1905–1909), Franz Boas
Lore & Background
The myth of Thunderbird and Whale is found in common among different language and cultural groups of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. In one Quileute version, Whale was a monster killing other whales and depriving the tribe of meat and oil. Thunderbird, a benevolent supernatural being, saw from its home high in the mountains that the people were starving, soared out over coastal waters, plunged into the ocean, and seized Whale. The struggle caused the ocean to recede and rise again; many canoes were flung into trees and many people were killed. Thunderbird eventually lifted Whale out of the ocean, carried it high into the air, and dropped it, after which another great battle occurred on land. In another narrative, the recurrent battle between Thunderbird and the 'Mimlos-Whale' (an orca) resulted in great tremors in the mountains and leveling of trees, offering a mythic explanation of the origin of the Olympic Peninsula prairies. Among the Kwakwakaʼwakw, as collated by Franz Boas, the battle takes place between Thunderbird and Ōʼᵋmät or K!wēʼk!waxāʼwēᵋ, the leader of the animals, who retaliates against Thunderbird carrying away one of his sons by raising an army carried in an artificial whale. In that battle, Thunderbird's four children are drowned, and Thunderbird himself is killed, survived only by a nine-month-old infant. In a Comox variant, the sound of the whale dropping into the sea is the source of thunder, and a young boy who witnessed the spectacle was told by Thunderbird that the story was now his, giving him the right to wear the Thunderbird mask and wings at the potlatch.
Reader's Guide
The myth of Thunderbird and Whale is significant as a major archetypal motif in the art and carvings of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples, particularly among the Kwakiutl and Nootka. It appears in multiple versions across different language and cultural groups, indicating its deep cultural importance. In the 1980s, geologists found evidence that an earthquake powerful enough to send a tsunami to Japan hit the American Pacific Northwest in 1700, and some ethnologists believe that 'Thunderbird and Whale' is a description of that disaster. The myth also serves as an etiological explanation for local geography, such as the Olympic Peninsula prairies, which are said to have resulted from the struggle between Thunderbird and the Mimlos-Whale. The story's transmission through oral tradition and its collection by ethnologists like Ella E. Clark, Albert B. Reagan, and Franz Boas preserves multiple narrative strands, including those where Thunderbird makes a gift of a whale to starving people. The Comox variant links the myth directly to ceremonial practice, as the boy who witnessed the event gained the right to wear the Thunderbird mask and wings at the potlatch.
Did You Know?
- The myth is uniquely localized to the American Pacific Northwest.
- Some ethnologists believe the myth describes the 1700 earthquake and tsunami that hit the region.
- The struggle between Thunderbird and the Mimlos-Whale is said to explain the origin of the Olympic Peninsula prairies.
More in Legendary Creatures of the Indigenous Peoples of North America 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced