LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Thunderbird
built 658 days ago
"Billy Standridge's sponsorship package on his No. 47 Thunderbird is Team Fans Can Race. And it's not just paint and decals. Two fans will attend the Daytona 500 courtesey of a promotion with a Standridge associate sponsor, Piedmont Travel Network. Chris Lafferty, of Burlington, N.C. and Tony Swaim of Salisbury, N.C. will arrive on Friday. Lafferty is an honorary pit crew member. He will watch the race from the team's pit box area.
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The Thunderbird, not to be confused with the car and TV series, was a popular Native American myth. It was a bird that was so large, it could create thunder just by flapping its wings, hence the name. This legendary creature actually still persists in American folklore, with several individuals claiming to see one. Some researchers split the "Thunderbird" into two geographic categories, East and West. The Western version is very poorly known, and is believed to be reptilian or pterosaur-like in appearance. One of the most famous case involves two stories from the
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"The Thunderbird 2 features page has more details about the new features in Thunderbird 2. The Thunderbird 2 Release Notes have more specific information. The Rumbling Edge has a list of notable bug fixes in Thunderbird 2.
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Part of the link between heyoka and Thunderbird comes from Iktomi, the Trickster figure. Iktomi is said to be heyoka because he has seen and talked with Thunderbird. Iktomi is the first-born son of Inyan (rock), and is said to speak with rocks and stones. Like Coyote and other Trickster figures, Iktomi likes to pull pranks on people, but is just as often the victim of tricks and misfortunes. This makes him at once a culture hero, and a figure to be feared and avoided. Iktomi was thought to be a hypersexual predator, one who frequently pursued winchinchalas (young virgins) who bathed in streams, through various methods of deceit.
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At the time of the Great Flood, Thunderbird fought a long, long battle with Killer Whale. He would catch Killer Whale in his claws and start with him to the cave in the mountains. Killer Whale would escape and return to the water. Thunderbird would catch him again, all the time flashing lightning from his eyes and flapping his wings to create thunder. Mountains were shaken by the noise, and trees were uprooted in their struggle.
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In Plains tribes, the Thunderbird is sometimes known as Wakinyan, from the Dakota word kinyan meaning "winged." Others suggest the word links the Thunderbird to wakan, or sacred power. In many stories, the Thunderbird is thought of as a great Eagle, who produces thunder from the beating of his wings and flashes lightning from his eyes. (Descriptions are vague because it is thought Thunderbird is always surrounded by thick, rolling clouds which prevent him from being seen.) Further, there were a variety of beliefs about Thunderbird, which suggest a somewhat complicated picture. Usually, his role is to challenge some other great power and protect the Indians - such as White Owl Woman, the bringer of winter storms; the malevolent Unktehi, or water oxen who plague mankind; the horned serpents; Wochowsen, the enemy bird; or Waziya, the killing North Wind. But in some other legends (not so much in the Plains), Thunderbird is himself malevolent, carrying off people (or reindeer or whales) to their doom, or slaying people who seek to cross his sacred mountain.
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