wildaspie

In North America, and particularly in the Midwestern States, the Thunderbird is a crypto-zoological curiosity, or cryptid.  From the legends of the indigenous people to more modern reports, these huge, predatory birds have swept the skies in search of the unwary.

In Europe and Asia, these mythic raptors are known as Rocs (a name given to them by Greco-Roman storytellers); in North and Central African nations proof of their rapacious daring can be found in bone piles beneath their huge nests.

With wings reportedly spanning twenty feet and more, the Thunderbird can easily make away with a sheep, calf, or even a human child.  One incident details the experience of a boy in Lawndale, Illinois, that was attacked by a monstrous bird, with witnesses.  Though “experts” insist his description indicated an Andean condor, and that the species does not get as large as described, the attack remains characteristic of Thunderbird strikes.

Urban legends and friend-of-a-friend (FOAF) stories are today’s incarnation of folklore.  Folklore that endures becomes a culture’s mythos, preserving a society’s values, perspectives, and fears.

Many of these tales are familiar; some are updated versions of older lore and legend, and others are current stories shared all across the country as fact.

Sometimes, a legend will start with a fact – usually something spectacular, gruesome, bizarre or ironic – and in the retelling be embellished, inflated, or otherwise “bettered” to appeal to the audience.

Email and the Internet have improved the ease and speed with which folklore is shared.  Many recipients know the story is false but forward it anyway, because of the moral, the style of telling, or simply because the telling and retelling of our myths is a way to keep connected with each other and our common experiences.