Thunderbird
Kwakwaka'wakw · deity · mythic perennial · deity
Male thunder-being and crest figure; deity-class. His seasonal adversary is Qaniqilak, the summer spirit often identified with the sea-god Komokwa. Anglicized forms include Kwankwanxwalige'; the Lekwungen/related crest pole figure 'Kwanusila' is a cognate.
Domains
- thunder and lightning
- winter ceremonial season
Powers
- cause thunder with its wingbeats and lightning with its eyes
- set giant cedar house-beams in place for ancestors
Epithets
- Kwanusila
Relations
- rival: Undersea Chief