Legendary Native American Figures: Binesi (Pinesi)
Name: Binesi Tribal affiliation:Ojibwe, Algonquin, Ottawa, Cree Alternate spellings: Pinesi, Bnesi, Bineshi, Bneshi, Pinesì, Pinesi, Pinessi, Pnesi, Bineshii, Binay-sih,
Piyesiw, Piyêsiw, Pinesiw, Pinesi, Pihesiw, Pithesiw, Pilesiw, Pithisiw, Payasew, Peyasew, Peyaasew.
Plural forms are Binesiwag, Pinesiwag, Pinesiwak, or Pinesik. Pronunciation: Varies by dialect: usually bih-neh-sih. Also known as:Animiki, Chequah Type:Thunder, giant bird Related figures in other tribes:Thunderbird, Thunderer, Thunder-Beings
Binesi is a giant mythological thunder-bird common to the northern and western tribes. Thunder is caused by the beating of their immense wings.
Although Binesiwag are very powerful beings, they rarely bother humans, and are treated with reverence by Ojibwe people.
Binesi literally means "the great bird." (Animikii means "thunderer" in Ojibwe, and Cigwe' means "thunder" in Potawatomi.)
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Ojibway Tales:
Good collection of traditional folktales told by an Ojibway author.
Algonquian Spirit:
Excellent anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Ojibwe and other Algonquian tribes.
American Indian cultures
How the Birch Tree Got Its Burns:
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