Thunderbird
Referenced in 2 episodes
Definition
A large mythical bird in Native American folklore, known for its immense size and ability to create thunder. Sightings typically describe it as a powerful creature soaring in the skies.
Related episodes
Episode #381: Dinosaurs and Mythology
Brothers of the SerpentJul 30, 2026
Wildlife management expert and paleontology enthusiast Leah Clane joins the Brothers of the Serpent to explore how ancient peoples may have interpreted dinosaur and megafauna fossils as mythical monsters. The centerpiece is Adrienne Mayor's book The First Fossil Hunters, which argues that the legendary gold-guarding griffin of Scythian lore was inspired by Protoceratops skeletons eroding out of the Gobi Desert. The hosts then weigh a paleontologist's blog rebuttal of the idea, debating whether myths like the griffin, cyclops, and thunderbird could be rooted in real encounters with ancient bones.
The Beasts of Vietnam
Expanded PerspectivesJul 21, 2026
Hosts Cam Hale and Kyle Filson revisit the legendary 'rock apes' of Vietnam, sharing soldiers' accounts of upright, hair-covered creatures that stalked patrols, ran through firefights, and allegedly left an enemy soldier torn apart. The episode also covers listener stories of ant-like beings contacted through meditation in Joshua Tree, thunderbirds and a juvenile Sasquatch vanishing into invisible portals, a black-eyed child that turned into a mantis-like creature, and sinister fairy-like visitors. It closes with a Florida family who claim they shot and secretly buried a nine-foot Bigfoot in 2004, and a Sequoia park ranger who says he was fired after reporting an attack by a massive ape-like creature.