Hummingbirds have captivated humans for centuries with their diminutive size, iridescent feathers, and ability to hover and fly backwards. As a result, numerous legends and folklore have emerged around the world about these tiny birds.
Origins of Hummingbird Folklore
Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas, so indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America were the first to develop beliefs about these birds. Hummingbirds were incorporated into the mythology and spiritual practices of cultures like the Aztec, Maya, Zapotec, and Andean civilizations.
Early European explorers arriving in the Americas were amazed by these new winged creatures. As Christian missionaries sought to convert native populations, they attempted to incorporate local folklore into teachings about Christianity. This led to hummingbirds acquiring additional mythological significance in the Americas.
Aztec Legend – Huitzilopochtli
The Aztec civilization that ruled much of central Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries revered the hummingbird as a symbol of vigor and energy. Aztec legend tells that their patron deity of war and the sun, Huitzilopochtli, was born on Coatepec (Serpent Mountain). His mother was Coatlicue, the goddess of life, death, and rebirth. According to myth, Huitzilopochtli’s brothers, the 400 Southerners, slew his mother during the pregnancy. Just as Coatlicue died, the god sprang forth from her womb fully grown and armed for battle. He had painted his face like a hummingbird.
Huitzilopochtli slew his sister Coyolxauhqui who had led the Southerners in killing his mother. He also defeated his brothers, chasing them from the mountaintop. This legend explains why the Aztec people built their capital city of Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco – replicating Huitzilopochtli’s victory on the mountain.
The Aztec god’s name meant “Blue Hummingbird on the Left” or “Hummingbird from the South.” He was considered the patron god of Tenochtitlan, and his temple stood at the center of the city. Huitzilopochtli’s image often featured hummingbird feathers decorating his arms, legs, helmet, or the corners of his cloak.
Mayan Legend – Hunahpu and Ixbalanque
Mayan mythology also incorporated the hummingbird in various legends. One prominent myth tells the tale of the divine hero twins Hunahpu and Ixbalanque. Their adventures mirror stories in other Mesoamerican cultures about twin brothers combatting the powers of death.
In this legend, the god Seven Macaw pretends to be the true sun god and creator. He is revealed to be false when the twins knock him from his treetop perch by shooting him down with a blowgun. Seven Macaw loses all his teeth, which are replaced with white maize kernels to demonstrate the twins’ mastery over nature and life through agriculture.
Later in the story, the twins face several trials in the underworld to overcome evil powers and death itself. In one test, they must spend a night in the House of Bats where deadly creatures threaten to bite their heads off. Hunahpu and Ixbalanque escape by transforming themselves into hummingbirds and living to see the dawn.
Andean Legend – Illapa and Inti
In Andean folklore, hummingbirds feature prominently in legends about the origin of lightning and rain. A creator god named Illapa ruled over weather, rain, and thunderbolts. He was aided by lightning birds or thunderbirds, which were depicted as hummingbirds emitting flashes of light from their tails.
One story tells of a rivalry between Illapa and the sun god named Inti. Inti was annoyed by Illapa’s thunderstorms which interrupted his sunlight. So he captured Illapa’s lightning birds inside a clay jar and sealed it shut. This caused a great drought without rain.
The other gods begged Inti to release Illapa so that rain could fall again. Inti refused but one day a cunning little hummingbird managed to crack open the jar just enough so Illapa could escape. The rain god unleashed a furious thunderstorm to reassert his powers before retreating to the coasts and mountaintops where his lightning birds rejoined him.
Legends about Hummingbird Creation
Some South American cultures believed hummingbirds were created by ancient spirits or gods. For example, in Chilean folklore, a myth tells that the giant god Pillan created all the birds from his thoughts alone. When Pillan realized he had forgotten to create the tiniest bird of all, he took a spark from the fires of the earth and breathed life into it, thus creating the hummingbird.
According to Peruvian Quechua legend, Illapa constructed the first hummingbird from a spark. In Ecuador, the Shuar people tell that the god Arutam shaped hummingbirds from sun rays as embodiments of spiritual power.
Myths about Transformation
Legends sometimes portray hummingbirds as humans who were magically transformed into bird form. For example, in Mexican folklore, hummingbirds were valiant Aztec warriors who reincarnated as the birds after death. When the Spaniards invaded, these hummingbirds drank nectar from flowers in order to gain the energy needed to fight the conquerors.
In a Brazilian Tupi tale, a young married woman was magically transformed into a hummingbird by a powerful shaman as punishment for running away from her husband. The woman’s husband eventually remarried, but one day his new wife saw a spelling hummingbird collecting honey. The bird’s movements resembled how his first wife used to dance.
Some stories from Caribbean cultures also present hummingbirds as humans changed into bird shape by magical charms.
Myths about Inner Qualities
Various legends highlight the hummingbird’s inner strength, determination, bravery, devotion, and perseverance. Although tiny, the hummingbird is fearless in facing larger adversaries. Aztec warriors incorporated the hummingbird into rituals seeking to imbue themselves with similar qualities of vigor and fortitude.
Some South American cultures believed hummingbirds carried messages to heaven or could transport a person’s soul back to the spiritual realm after death. Mexican folk tales often characterize hummingbirds as determined, intelligent, and competitive. They outwit larger birds to claim their prize of nectar.
Andean legends depict hummingbirds as being emboldened by lightning or consuming fire. Within their small bodies, they contain the great power and passion of mighty natural forces.
Myths about Love and Joy
The hummingbird’s ability to hover in place gave rise to folklore and symbolism associated with love, joy, and happiness. Mesoamerican civilizations considered the hummingbird a messenger for sacred rituals related to matrimony and fidelity. Couples would adorn themselves with hummingbird feathers during wedding ceremonies.
Some South American cultures believed hummingbirds carried love messages between village youths. European colonists viewed hummingbirds as symbols of affection due to their courtship dances. Because they linger over flowers, hummingbirds were natural symbols for the sweetness of love and romance.
Joyful things like music, laughter, sweetness, and tenderness became linked with hummingbirds in myth. Their nimble flight and energetic movements inspired comparisons to carefree children at play.
Myths about Afterlife and Resurrection
The hummingbird’s sudden disappearance and reemergence from torpor became associated with resurrection in native folklore. During torpor, a nocturnal hibernation-like state, hummingbirds appear dead by human standards – being cold with extremely slow breathing and heart rate.
Some cultures saw this as the birds traveling to the spirit world each night. Their awakening every morning was a sign of moving between worlds and overcoming death. The god Huitzilopochtli was linked to resurrection after Coatlicue’s murder and his own eventual death.
Andean folklore portrayed the hummingbird as able to regenerate itself and defy death. While torpid, the spirit leaves the body each night and must return by morning. Some North American legends report that dead hummingbirds were resurrected by lightning storms.
Folklore about Loving Freedom
Hummingbirds came to represent freedom in myth and legend. Their ability to evade cages and traps became symbolic of an indomitable spirit. The rapid flight of hummingbirds between blossoms exemplified nature in its wild and unrestrained form.
Anthropomorphic stories portray hummingbirds as rejecting captivity or demanding their freedom once confined, often enabling other animals to escape as well. Their boldness and courage in standing up to adversaries is further intertwined with ideals of freedom and liberty.
Legends about Healing or Medicinal Powers
Hummingbird parts were sometimes ascribed healing properties in folk medicine. For instance, Aztec practitioners used poultices of hummingbird brains to treat lethargy, singing problems, stuttering, and speech impediments. Mexican folk medicine prepared a tonic made from hummingbird heads, agave syrup, and alcohol to treat consumptive coughs and lung ailments.
Some South American cultures ground hummingbird heads into a powder for various medicinal purposes – curing pains, infections, and fever. More gruesomely, some Central American traditions directly prescribed drinking blood freshly squeezed from a hummingbird’s body to restore vitality.
Myths about Being Guardians of Natural Treasures
Legends in some South American cultures describe hummingbirds as guardians of precious metals or secret treasures deep in the earth. For example, a Colombian tale tells that hummingbirds vigilantly guard a lost underground mine abundant with gold. Their mystical knowledge allows them to find buried riches hidden from humans.
A legend from Ecuador describes tiny hummingbirds as the keepers of magnificent gems and gold nestled between the roots of a giant tree. They prevent greedy humans from taking more than their fair share of nature’s wealth.
Folklore about Shape-Shifting Tricksters
Some folk tales present the hummingbird as a mischievous trickster. For example, in Brazilian folklore, hummingbirds might lure unwary night travelers into swamps by calling out in human voices and impersonating lantern lights. Or they might steal from humans by shape-shifting into more innocuous forms to get close to food, honey, or sugar.
In a Mexican legend, a vain young girl ignores suitors and wants only rubies and emeralds. A deity transforms her into a delicate hummingbird, allowing her to live among the beautiful flowers she loves. But her ruby throat is also a reminder that outer beauty fades, teaching a lesson in humility.
Significance in Native American Culture
Hummingbirds held much significance across the diverse Native American tribes of North America as well. They often served as clan totems and spiritual guides. For example, the Pauite tribe of Nevada tell of a hummingbird that led sacred healers called Dreamers to herb patches.
Within some tribes, only healers and medicine men were allowed to wear hummingbird feathers due to the bird’s mythic powers. Ceremonial rattles, charms, totems, and regalia incorporated hummingbird parts or images. Hummingbird motifs were also prominent in rock art, textiles, jewelry, and pottery.
Legends emphasized the hummingbird’s vigor, determination, bravery, and joyfulness. In a Cherokee story, the hummingbird earned its tiny size after valiantly surviving a raging storm and fire sent by the Thunder Being when larger birds all perished. Some tribes viewed hummingbirds as messengers communicating with the spirit world.
Folklore in Art, Literature, and Film
The rich store of hummingbird myth and legend has been adapted across various creative works and popular culture:
- The Aztec god Huitzilopochtli is a prominent antagonist battling the heroes in the 2007 action film Apocalypto set during the Spanish conquest.
- A key character in Laura Esquivel’s 1989 novel Like Water for Chocolate observes a hummingbird by the flower garden during her romantic encounters.
- The main protagonist in Pablo Neruda’s epic poem The Heights of Macchu Picchu invokes Illapa’s lightning birds.
- Hummingbirds feature prominently in poems by Emily Dickinson who uses them to symbolize vitality amid adversity.
- Two operas by Mexican composer Daniel Catán are based on hummingbird folklore – Florencia en el Amazonas (1996) and Rappaccini’s Daughter (1991).
- A population of magical hummingbirds protects a secret paradise in Eden’s Garden, a children’s book by Chilean author Francisca Solar.
This small sampling demonstrates the enduring cultural impact of mythic tropes and spiritual symbolism surrounding the hummingbird throughout the Americas and beyond.
Conclusion
Hummingbird legends reveal the longstanding human fascination with these smallest of birds. Their incorporation into indigenous folklore often reflected local terrain, customs, and belief systems. But some universal themes also emerged – freedom and joy, bravery and vigor, sacred knowledge, resurrection and afterlife. The hummingbird’s captivating characteristics inspired imaginative myths that evolved across cultures and survived through artistic expression.
