Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

Oklahoma: Thunderbird

In Oklahoma, we have seen stories of Satyrs, an Alligator Man, and even skinwalkers. But is the story of the Thunderbird that stands out the most. Represented in many across popular culture, the Thunderbird can even be seen in Totem Poles and more.

Considering the majesty of the Thunderbird, when I saw that there were already stories of the Oklahoma Thunderbird, it just made sense that this would be the creature to represent the Sooner State.

And depending on which legends you are reading, there are actually quite a few tales about this particular bird. But in every telling, the Thunderbird is described as a giant bird whose wings sounded like thunder when they beat. And it wasn’t just the thunder you could hear, but in some stories, lightning would flash from his beak.

Some stories say that there was only one Thunderbird, while others indicate that there were many who would fly above the clouds. Either way, these birds were known for bringing thunder and lightning to the land, creating storms that could either be a good thing if it was spring or following a drought or a bad thing in times when the bird is angry and looking for destruction.

As far as mythical creatures, it feels like the Thunderbird might be in a league of its own, and with their great strength and power, that makes sense.