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Native American Meadowlark Mythology

Meadowlarks play a variety of roles in the folklore of different Native American tribes. The Sioux tribes feel a great affinity for meadowlarks, seeing them as a symbol of friendship and loyalty, and take care never to kill them. The musical song of the meadowlark is believed to be good luck by many Sioux people, and in the past, meadowlark whistles were thought to summon buffalo. The Arikara Indians, on the other hand, consider the meadowlark's call to be scolding, not melodious. The Arikara name for "meadowlark" literally means "woman's nagging." And in the Blackfoot tribe, meadowlarks are a symbol of peace and the presence of meadowlarks was said to be a sign that a camp or village would be safe from attack.

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Native American Legends About Meadowlarks

How the Buffalo Hunt Began:
    Cheyenne legend telling how Meadowlark helped to win leadership over the animals for humans.
*The Bird Tribes:
    Cherokee legend about the creation and symbolism of the meadowlark and other birds.
*Chipmunk and Meadow-Lark:
    Sanpoil legend about two animal children menaced by an owl monster.
*The Big-Foot Bird:
    Cherokee legend about a meadowlark ashamed of his big feet.

Recommended Books of Meadowlark Stories from Native American Myth and Legend
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Skylark Meets Meadowlark: Reimagining the Bird in British Romantic and Contemporary Native American Literature:
    Interesting book comparing lark lore from Europe and Native North America.
Flights of Fancy: Birds in Myth, Legend, and Superstition:
    A good book on the meaning of birds in world mythology, including North and South America.



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