Big Thunder
Big Thunder
1st Prize Winning Entry at the Navajo Tribal Fair
18" X 24"
On-line Store Big Thunder
This is a Navajo Indian sandpainting of the Big Thunder, made during the cereony called "Male Shooting Way" chant.
Rainbow bars decorate the body, wings and legs for strength.
Under the wings are the lightnings and black water spouts. On the body are four small thunders.
They have lightnings and water spouts and rainbows.
Their caps are beaver pelts.
At the top are the Big Fly Messenger and the Bat Messenger.
Surrounding Big Thunder are black and white lightnings.
By: Grey Squirrel (Fred Stevens, Jr.), Navajo Indian Medicine Man and Sandpainter
About Big Thunder
The Thunder Bird carries all the clouds in his tail and all the rains under his wings. Twenty-four waterspouts are released from Big Thunder's wings, twelve spouts from each wing. Villasenor says these spouts are symbolic of the four elements, the four seasons, and the four directions from which the 'Little Thunders' (upon his Body) can, and often do appear.
The interchanging of color on the wing tips of the Little Thunders is symbolic of the smaller figures working intimately together. This guarantees a mutual cooperation between the directions of the four quarters of the earth and sky, as well as the four seasons of the year. Therefore, thunder and lightning can appear in any direction, or at any time of the year.
The tremendous quantities of torrential rains and floods which covered this globe in the beginning of time are symbolized by the overpowering waterspouts on their wings. Rainbow bars decorate the body, wings and legs for strength.
The zigzag arrows of thunder and lightning guard this painting. Big Fly and the Bat Messenger are shown at the east opening.
The Navajo Medicine Man uses this chant for a patient who has been struck by lightning or for someone who has been injured in some other way during a thunderstorm. Legend teaches that on the top of Changing Woman's house there is a multi-colored thunderbird, larger than any that has ever been seen, who is the chief of all thunderbirds. On his back he carries small thunderbirds of all the ceremonial colors.
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BACK Created on December 12, 2003 by RedMin Productions All Materials Copyright © 2003 by Nizhoni Cards, all rights reserved
