Post 6/6 [color="#0000FF"]Back to: "Dragons/Giant Snakes & Serpents in the world - common features[/color]
Native Oceanic narratives about dragons, serpents
blackdrago.com/fame/kataore.htm
Pacific narrative of the Maori of New Zealand. A dragon turned man-eater, that a hero - whose fioncee was among those eaten by the dragon - has to slay. He leads a band of warriors to the task.
- it lives in a cave
- it is a "taniwha", which wacky describes as
Interesting that dangerous taniwha could have a tendency to kidnap women for wives - something giant serpents to dragons all over the world elsewhere are often said to do. (Clearly taniwha must be magical else why would they want to marry outside their species?)
- this particular dragon is particularly described as the "dangerous taniwha" kind. Although it didn't kidnap the hero's maiden, it ate her.
- it appears to be magical, because the hero brings in men with mystical powers to say magical chants "to sap the dragon of its power"
- the men slay it
blackdrago.com/fame/walutahanga.htm
Oceanic narrative of a great magical serpent that features many occurrences of 8 as a special number (c.f. many occurrences of 8 in Susanowo vs Orochi battle), including it being repeatedly cut into 8 pieces to kill it. But it rejoins itself magically.
Native American
=> Fire-breathing 7-headed dragon/giant serpent in S America.
blackdrago.com/fame/gaasyendietha.htm
Giant dragon that is a fire breather that dwells in rivers and lakes but is also a sky serpent => in terms of abilities, sounds a lot various types of Dragons known to the Chinese and other E Asians.
blackdrago.com/fame/kolowisi.htm
- ability to controls floods
- sacred sea serpent
- "giant serpent", "huge serpent with horns". Horns are sort of what many E Asian dragons have. And they are Gods of waters too (even though E Asian dragons fly in the sky as well)
- doesn't eat maiden, but like other sea serpents, (steals and) marries her
blackdrago.com/fame/quetzalcoatl.htm
- Fire-serpent as well as rain-serpent and soars through the sky/sky serpent
Quetzalcoatl is to have taught the native Americans of Mexico maths and astronomy, while the lizard-like Mayan God Itzamna was the divine father who gave man life and is depicted as half-man, half-serpent.
blackdrago.com/fame/msikinepikwa.htm
Kinepeikwa / Msi-Kinepeikwa of the Shawnee Native Americans
Sea serpents, sky serpents, giant snakes, dragons - some multi-headed - occupying waters and associated with them, with floods, with rain, with storms/weather control, with fire, seems to be very common.
[Whirlpools were of course easily conceived of as sea monsters waiting underneath and wanting to snatch at people who ventured too near - again, in the conclusions/speculations of populations for whom there is otherwise no evidence of contact between them. E.g. the whirlpool sea creature Charybdis that was encountered during The Odyssey. And the whirlpool serpent of the Piute Native Americans, see blackdrago.com/fame/ancientserpent.htm ]
Native Oceanic narratives about dragons, serpents
blackdrago.com/fame/kataore.htm
Pacific narrative of the Maori of New Zealand. A dragon turned man-eater, that a hero - whose fioncee was among those eaten by the dragon - has to slay. He leads a band of warriors to the task.
- it lives in a cave
- it is a "taniwha", which wacky describes as
Quote:In MÃÂori mythology, taniwha (MÃÂori pronunciation: [ÃËtanifa]) are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives.
Interesting that dangerous taniwha could have a tendency to kidnap women for wives - something giant serpents to dragons all over the world elsewhere are often said to do. (Clearly taniwha must be magical else why would they want to marry outside their species?)
- this particular dragon is particularly described as the "dangerous taniwha" kind. Although it didn't kidnap the hero's maiden, it ate her.
- it appears to be magical, because the hero brings in men with mystical powers to say magical chants "to sap the dragon of its power"
- the men slay it
blackdrago.com/fame/walutahanga.htm
Oceanic narrative of a great magical serpent that features many occurrences of 8 as a special number (c.f. many occurrences of 8 in Susanowo vs Orochi battle), including it being repeatedly cut into 8 pieces to kill it. But it rejoins itself magically.
Native American
Quote:blackdrago.com/fame/ihuaivulu.htm
Basic Information
Type/Species: Hydra
Origin: South American Folklore
About Ihuaivulu
Ihuaivulu inhabits volcanoes. The monster has seven heads and is enormous in size. It is particularly dangerous because it can breathe fire. [1]
=> Fire-breathing 7-headed dragon/giant serpent in S America.
blackdrago.com/fame/gaasyendietha.htm
Quote:Basic Information
Type/Species: Unknown
Origin: Legends of the Seneca Native Americans
About Gaasyendietha
The dragon Gaasyendietha dwells in rivers and lakes locally. Although it is seldom described, it is said to be quite large. This dragon could cross into heaven on a trail of fire, and it could also spew fire. [1]
Some believe that the stories of Gaasyendietha exist because of meteors; others claim that Gaasyendietha is a meteor-fire dragon. [1]
Giant dragon that is a fire breather that dwells in rivers and lakes but is also a sky serpent => in terms of abilities, sounds a lot various types of Dragons known to the Chinese and other E Asians.
blackdrago.com/fame/kolowisi.htm
Quote:Basic Information
Title: The Serpent of the Sea
Type/Species: Sea Serpent
Origin: Zuni Native American Mythology
About Kolowisi / Kolowissi
A long time ago, a village existed under Thunder Mountain called Home of the Eagles. [2] Though nothing is there now but ruin, this village once housed many people, among them a priest-chief who had a beautiful daughter. She had only one bad trait: She could not tolerate dirt upon her person, [2] which caused her to even live apart from her own kin in a separate room. [3] Even this trait, however, would prove no issue had the village not been so near a sacred spring of water, a spring now called the Pool of the Apaches. [2,3]
The spring was sacred to Kolowissi, the Serpent of the Sea. The maiden spent so much time in the spring, cleaning her cloths and herself, defiling his waters, that he sought a means to punish her. [3] When the maiden returned yet again to the sacred waters, she found a small baby, alone, in the waters. [1] She took the baby home with her and went straight to her room, separate from her kin for her intolerance of dust. [3]
Her father, the priest-chief, sent one of her sister to find her for dinner. When the sister could not find her at the spring, she returned home to her sister's room, where she discovered the baby. The maiden explained where she had found him and would not leave the baby's side. The father knew that this matter could not be simple, for what mother would leave a baby in a spring? But, knowing the mistakes had been made, he simply waited to see what fruits they would bring. [3]
The maiden set the baby to sleep, and she herself drifted into sleep shortly after. When she had been asleep long enough, the baby began to transform back into his true self, Kolowisi / Kolowissi, the Serpent of the Sea. He lengthened himself slowly, coiling around and around the room, centering around the maiden, his giant head near hers as she slept. Finally, he reached his full size, but needed to hold his tail in his mouth. [4] (The symbol of the ouroboros is evoked here.) And the night passed like this, the maiden sleeping in the giant serpent's coils.
The "baby" was really Kolowisi, who then transformed into his true shape. He stole the girl and took her back to the spring. There, he made her his wife.
In another story, however, Kolowisi held back the floodwaters for a family to get up the mountain. By doing this, Kolowisi allowed these people to live, and then allowed the floodwaters to fill the valley.
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Physical Description
This is a huge serpent with horns on its head, an enormous mouth, and has fins along the length of its entire body.
- ability to controls floods
- sacred sea serpent
- "giant serpent", "huge serpent with horns". Horns are sort of what many E Asian dragons have. And they are Gods of waters too (even though E Asian dragons fly in the sky as well)
- doesn't eat maiden, but like other sea serpents, (steals and) marries her
blackdrago.com/fame/quetzalcoatl.htm
Quote:Type/Species: Amphiptere
Origin: Toltec and Aztec Mythology
About Quetzalcoatl / Kukulkan / Ehecatl
This was the Aztecs great feather serpent god. (Kukulkan was the name used by the Mayans for this creature.) As one of the most popular gods, this creature appeared in many forms of art as well as in tales. Not only this, but he was the only god that did not require human sacrifices. [1]
In addition to his popularity, he seems to have been god of many things. He was a Creator god, the god of twins, the god of the Evening and Morning Star, protector of craftsman, a rain maker as well as a fire-bringer, teacher of the finer arts, and the god of twins. As Echecatl, he was the god of winds. Furthermore, he is know as the god that created the calendar. [1]
Often, he was seen soaring throughout the sky creating a rainbow. Occasionally, he would take the form of a man or the sun, and eclipses were said to be caused by the Earth Serpent swallowing him.
The Quetzalcoatl was opposed to regular human sacrifices. So much so that when the god of war, Tezcatlipoca, appeared and asked for sacrifices, the Quetzalcoatl tried to dissuade others from agreeing to it. He failed, however, and decided to leave. [1]
How and where the Quetzalcoatl left has a bit of mystery to it. There are different variations of this tale. In one version, it is said that he proceed to the Gulf of Mexico and there burned his body. After which, he was reborn as the planet Venus. [1]
The more common ending is different. It has been suggested that the Spanish used this ending to aid in their conquering of the Aztecs. It said that the Quetzalcoatl left, promising his most loyal that he would return. He left on a raft that was supported by snakes. With this, he headed East.
It is believed that the second version was used by the Spanish because there are many depictions of the god becoming Venus, but slim to none of them depict him on a raft. [1]
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Physical Description
This creature was an amphiptere, meaning the creature only had two wings and no other limbs. Also, this creature possessed multicolored scales and feathers. Occasionally, The Quetzalcoatl would shape-shift to become a man. [1]
- Fire-serpent as well as rain-serpent and soars through the sky/sky serpent
Quetzalcoatl is to have taught the native Americans of Mexico maths and astronomy, while the lizard-like Mayan God Itzamna was the divine father who gave man life and is depicted as half-man, half-serpent.
blackdrago.com/fame/msikinepikwa.htm
Kinepeikwa / Msi-Kinepeikwa of the Shawnee Native Americans
Quote:a large serpent, much like a snake, that inhabited a lakethat could shape-shift (see at link).
Sea serpents, sky serpents, giant snakes, dragons - some multi-headed - occupying waters and associated with them, with floods, with rain, with storms/weather control, with fire, seems to be very common.
[Whirlpools were of course easily conceived of as sea monsters waiting underneath and wanting to snatch at people who ventured too near - again, in the conclusions/speculations of populations for whom there is otherwise no evidence of contact between them. E.g. the whirlpool sea creature Charybdis that was encountered during The Odyssey. And the whirlpool serpent of the Piute Native Americans, see blackdrago.com/fame/ancientserpent.htm ]