[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Summer Weather / monolingual / Questions for JKR

[Silverthorne Dragon]

Catlady

(Rita Prince Winston) 2) Why aren't Thunderbirds (aka Quetzalcoatls) in
FANTASTIC BEASTS?

My guess would be because the quetzalcoatl is a real bird.  I've seen
one.  It was very beautiful.  I don't know if they have any magic
powers, but I didn't notice any.  (Then again, I wouldn't, would I?)
Are they really called thunderbirds


{Anne}

There is a real bird called Quetzalcoatyl.

Quetzacoatyl is also the name of an Aztec god (AKA, the Feathered Serpent),
who was the kindest and most benevolent of that blood thirsty group's
pantheon. Many Mexican legends state that he is a protector of the people,
and is the antithesis to "Smoking Mirror", or Tetzcalepolca  (sorry, I cant
spell the Jaguar God's formal name properly--that was a phonetic attempt at
spelling it...^^;). One legend states that some day he would ride out of the
eastern ocean to save the people in thier time of need...Cortez took
advantage of this myth when he and his men landed in Central America looking
for gold, and let the natives believe he was indeed thier risen god to make
it easier to gain access to thier lands....

The Thunderbird is a North American entity believed to be made of Spirit and
Thunder. They appear in the sky when Evil is around in order to fight
it--thier most common description is that they have pale heads, silvery eyes
that flare lightening, and dark bodies--rather similar to the Northern Bald
eagle, actually (A sacred bird in its own right). You cannot summon a
Thunderbird (They are considered both a single entity as well as an entire
race)--they will only come to you if Great Spirit deems it necassary.

My guess is that neither creature is included because they are Native
American myths, and Rowling has little source material for them...unlike
with entities such as Trolls, the original race of elves (little people,
brownies, etc), centaurs and the like, which are all deeply engrained in the
myths and legends of Europe where she lives. She spends very little time in
developing anything from the Americas in fact, and the longest mention I've
seen of them is in 'Quidditch Through the Ages' where she basically states
that thier sports are vastly different...