ancient native legends of the Tsunamis that occur on the north west coast.
Thunderbird and Whale
Stories of the Hoh and Quilleute Indians of the northwestern Olympic Peninsula relate the epic struggle between Thunderbird and Whale. Thunderbird is a bird of monstrous size, "when he opens and shuts his eyes he makes lightning. The flapping of his wings makes the thunder and the great winds."(1) Thunderbird lives in "a dark hole under the foot of the Olympic glacial field" (1).
"Thunderbird ... soared from her .. dark hole in the mountains....far out over the placid waters and there poised herself high up in the air and waited for [Whale] to come to the surface of the water ... It came and as quick as a flash, the powerful bird darted and seized it in her flinty talons. Then above the watery surface she lifted it and with great effort soared away toward the land areas."(2)
"Passing beyond the oceans with her ponderous load, she ... was compelled to alight and rest her wings; and each and every time the bulky beast was allowed to reach solid land there was a terrible battle; for it was powerful and fought for its life with terrible energy."(2) "Again Thunderbird would seize him... Again ...Whale would escape. Again Thun- derbird caught ... Whale."(3) "High into the air the bird carried it over the land, ... dropping it to the land surface at Beaver prairie. Then at this place there was another great battle."(2)
"The great thunderbird finally carried the weighty animal to its nest in the lofty mountains, and there was the final and terrible contest fought."(2) "There were ... a shaking, jumping up and trembling of the earth beneath, and a rolling up of the great waters."(2) "The waters receded...and...again rose. The water of the Pacific flowed through what is now the swamp and prairie westward from Neah Bay on the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific, making an island of Cape Flattery. Again the waters suddenly receded ... and numerous sea monsters and whales were left on dry land. Also each time that the waters rose, the people took to their canoes and floated off as the winds and currents wafted them, as there was neither sun nor land to guide them. Many canoes also came down in trees and were destroyed, and numerous lives were lost."(4)