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Hummingbird Legends
Zoe Ann Hinds
Hummingbirds have often been viewed as being mystical and magical creatures. It is hard to know the exact reasons for this, but maybe it is because the early explorers were viewed as crazy for believing that such a tiny bird could even exist. Or maybe it is because these tiny birds amaze us with their flying ability, their seer determination, or their survival skills. Regardless of the reason, even today hummingbirds are often viewed with a sense of aw and wonder. There are many legends within the Native American culture that exist about the hummingbird and this article will examine some of them.
One such legend is that the Aztec soldiers were reincarnated as hummingbirds. It is believed that this happed because they so fiercely defended there homeland.
In one Mayan legend the hummingbird is actually believed to be the sun in disguise and he is trying to court a beautiful woman, who is the moon.
In another legend, Maya, the Great God is believed to have created a pair of hummingbirds out of the scraps which were remaining from other types of birds having been created. This is supposed to have been done because Maya didn’t want to be wasteful of the materials that were remaining.
A Navajo legend is that the first hummingbird was actually a large white bird that was always hungry and in its constant search for food was destroying many flowers. It is believed that this made the Great Spirit very angry. As a result, the Great Spirit is believed to have decreased the size of the bird and given it a long bill as a way to prevent the bird from destroying any more flowers.
Another Navajo legend states that a hummingbird was sent up to see what existed above the blue sky. It turns out that absolutely nothing did.
In a Pima legend a hummingbird is said to have brought a flower as proof that the great flood was subsiding. In this legend the hummingbird is said to have acted like Noah’s dove.
Yes, it is hard to believe that such legends exist about hummingbirds, but it just goes to show that people have been fascinated with hummingbirds all throughout history. Hummingbirds are very small birds but they are quite hardy and strong and they still fascinate and amaze people today. Keep enjoying the beauty that nature and the hummingbirds have to offer.
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