A Native American Myth About Tornadoes

Native Americans had myths, legends, and stories to explain virtually everything in nature. Although most of them surrounded animals or plants some also dealt with natural catastrophes like high winds, thunder storms, and tornadoes.

Growing up in Oklahoma, in the midst of Tornado Alley, I learned about the deadly storms at an early age. The first one hit new our hometown when I was about four years of age. 

As my family and I hid under mattresses in my grandmother's garage, my grandfather would tell me stories about the storm. One of my favorites was how the tornado came to be.

As the story goes, a young Indian brave was shunned by his people for his volatile temper. He made no attempt to control it. In his daily rage he would lash out, hurting anyone and everyone he found along his pathway.

The tribal council met to try and determine how to handle the misbegotten youth. Some wanted to banish him from the village. However, his mother's cries for mercy stopped others from allowing that to happen.

The medicine man tried to help the young brave, teaching him meditation techniques and using herbs to calm his unbridled anger. Alas, nothing worked.

Eventually, the tribal elders decided that the boy must be confined; locked away from everyone so that he could not hurt anyone else. Together, the people built a strong prison of wood, brick, and metal. Once finished, they locked the boy inside.

The brave begged to be let out, promising to be good, but the elders knew that they could not risk it. Although they continued to try and find a way to cure the boy of his temper tantrums, nothing helped. With each passing day his anger continued to mount.

Having nothing else to do in his small prison, the brave spent the days circling his cell, getting angrier and angrier with each turn he took. Before long, he was moving so swiftly around the cell, that he looked like cloud of dust as he circled.