The Great Storm Bird

Nubbin clan members know well in advance of weather changes. This is due to both many years of observation, and also their auditory system is sensitive to changes in the barometer. Thus, they feel oncoming storms well before they arrive.  

The sudden warmth brought by the southerly wind of the last few days had Hantar and his tropers out exploring the kames and kettle holes* of the north, checking the leaf buds of bayberry, beach plums, and other vegetation.  It was on their return from this scouting that a sudden sense of a storm came upon them. Hantar led the little patrol to the top of the bluff, and from here they could see the dark clouds of an approaching cold front far across the bay.  They could now hear the distant thunder, which they referred to as tarranu.**  Hantar recognized the building clouds and knew the oncoming storm would bring strong winds and much of the bright light which leads tarranu to the ground.   

The squall line was moving quickly and the little men ran back to the lodges to warn the others; but they had already sensed the change in pressure, and were preparing for the storm. Kettles and drying furs were brought in and lodge entrances were secured. Atnas took his staff and walked to the top of the little hill behind the lodge, and from here he scanned the skies, hoping that perhaps he might see the great bird, known to them only through legend, which held that a giant bird glided on the strong updrafts of storms. This bird was known to take sheep and other creatures, and it is told that even some children of the tall ones have been taken.  Nubbins have not seen the creature, but the natives who roam the woods to the west know of the giant bird, much larger than the spring eagle.***  

The black cloud line was almost above them when a great flash of light brought tarranu rolling to the ground. No bird could be seen, but an unknown piercing screech was heard by all just as the downdraft roared at them. Atnas scampered along the hill trying to see the source of the sound, but leaves were being picked up and blown ahead clouding the sky.  Several large pine branches near where he stood broke off and flew into the air as if they had wings, and it was then that he thought he saw the very large bird flying just above the nearby farm, but it was immediately gone into the low dark clouds. Another screech was heard, as tarranu crashed down around him. He stopped and looked back and could see that the front was passing as quickly as it had come. Then a cold wind came from the northwest, and the skies began to clear. As to the bird, Atnas could not be sure, and so it was not reported to the others.

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*Kames & kettle holes are geologic terms for the small hills (kames) and associated small valleys (kettleholes) which were created as the ice retreated across the Cape landscape during the last great glacial period. These are very evident on the bay side of south Truro and elsewhere.

**The Nubbin term tarranu is very close to the Welsh term taranu, which means to thunder. See also Taranis.

***There are many stories and legends about this giant bird, known to many Native American tribes as the thunderbird, often depicted in totem poles, and usually associated with western and plains tribes. See the legend of the thunderbird.