Quileute Legends

The Quileute: A People of Legends

The Quileute, sometimes known as the Quillayute, are a Native American tribe located in Washington State in the USA. There are only about 750 tribal members left in existence and they live on a reservation known as La Push. The tribe also has its own language, which is currently in danger of going extinct.

Perhaps the best known modern mention of the Quileute tribe comes from Stephanie Meyer’s use of the tribe in her popular book series ‘Twilight’, where they are able to shape-shift into wolves. While the actual Quileute tribe may not have the same shape-shifting powers, the role that wolves play in the Quileute history is just as important in real life as in Stephanie Meyer’s world.

Quileute legends contain many popular characters that have been carried over into other cultures, such as the Raven, who is characterized as a trickster. One of the most important characters is Q’wati, who is both the creator and protector of the Quileute people.

Quileute Legends

Quileute Legends

According to the legend, it is Q’wati who creates the first Quileute. The story goes that, in early times, Q’wati traveled the world teaching people how they should act and giving instructions for their futures. One day on his journeys Q’wati came across a beaver, who was busy sharpening a stone knife. When he asked the beaver what he was doing, the beaver said he was planning to kill Q’wati, so Q’wati took the knife and stabbed the beaver in the tail. Q’wati then told him that he would live in the water and slap it with his tail.

When Q’wati reached Q’wayi’t’soxk’a River he didn’t see any people around, so he rubbed his hand together, rubbing dead skin into the water, and made people appear. He called these people the Queets. And when Q’wati reached the Quileute land, he, again, saw no people. The only thing he saw was two wolves, so Q’wati transformed those two wolves into people and dubbed them the Quileute people and said, “For this reason you Quileute shall be brave, for you came from wolves”.

Another very popular tale of the Quileute legends is the legend of the Thunderbird. A long time ago, the Quileute were having a difficult time. There were a lot of storms with snow, ice, hail, sleet, and rain that devastated the land and killed people, animals, and plants. The storms made it so the Quileute were unable to fish because of the rough water and they had already eaten what little flora was left after the storms had destroyed most of it. The Quileute were starting to starve and many of their numbers had already starved to death.

The Great Chief told the tribe that they would make one last appeal to the Great Spirit for help and if they were meant to survive the Great Spirit would save them, otherwise they would die bravely because the Quileute were brave people.

The Great Chief made one last prayer to the Great Spirit and then the tribe were quiet and waited in the darkness. Before long, there came a loud sound and flashes of lightening cut the dark. They heard the loud whirring of wings and a large bird flew towards them from over the sea. This bird was called Thunderbird and in its talons was a large, living whale that it deposited on the land in front of the tribe before returning back to the lightening from which it was born.

The Quileute are a people known largely for their legends and many other cultures draw off these legends or have heard of them since they are quite popular.

Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    I want to buy this book

  2. panji stele says:

    I LIKE THIS STORY MAYBE SOME ONE LIKE IT TOO
    THANKS
    ASSALAMMUALAIKUM

  3. Scary

  4. Molly Cullen says:

    Jag vill veta allt som går att ta reda på om vampyrer, vänligen mail a mig molly-02@live.se

    • tierna jugnee says:

      WHEN I READ THIS 3 TIMES ALOUD THERE WAS BANG ON MY DOOR RIGHT NOW WHAT WAS IT? I KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WAS TELL ME I AM A WEREWOLF

      • Tierna jugnee says:

        Dear past self,
        WTF U R TALKING ABOUT TIERNA WHAT THE HELL WHEN TF DID I WRITE THIS WHAT I DONT REMEMBER THIS AT ALL ????

  5. Anonymous says:

    want to know about vampires ? okay SLEEP ! HAHAHAH

  6. madalynn says:

    i love vampires and i want to be one

    • madalynn says:

      i am a vampire don’t tell any one or you will be sorry i can hear you i got good hearing and i saw edward. And he gave me a kiss on the cheeck and i moved next to him i play at his house because he is my knew babysitter and i am 8 so i can’t stay home by my self until i’m 12 i’m so happy.

      • you are stupid says:

        you are a retard ..get a life !!

        • Anonymous says:

          who sould get a life

          • Anonymous says:

            stop being MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          • Anonymous says:

            Vampires don’t age… Sorry to burst you bubble. They may add years but they cant physically mature or age anymore. lol…

          • BITCH PLEASE says:

            damn why are all of you being so mean if she wants be a ‘vampire’ let her be one what harm is it . At least she still has an imagination unlike every other child

          • OKAY !!!!!! for everyone saying they are vampire a vampire wouldnt go o to a site and say ‘ hi im a vampire’ if you read the book you would know that they dont tell anyone that doesnt need to know and thats the exact same for the other people saying the are werewolfs and hybrids i think ye stay inside most of the time and watch to many movies and tv shows about vampires and werewolfs point 2 they wouldnt fight over who is married to edward cullen and who owns the daughter because everybody knows that they are characters on a book \ movie
            edward cullen is played by robert patterson
            bella thorne is played by kritsten stewart
            so you cant say they are real so you all need to get ur heads out books and stop watching silly movies all the time im not saying stop watching them im just saying you have to have a little more cop on and grow up and act your age its just called common sence something ye need to learn

    • You know what you can be one If you believe in Vampires and also I might be both vampire and wolf because i might never know i’m a hybrid.

    • Anonymous says:

      MMM HMM…………..

  7. Michelle Vampyra Cullen says:

    Vampires aren’t real wish!!! suck my blood

  8. Anonymous says:

    I AM A VAMPIRE

  9. prasanthi chava says:

    I loooovvveeeeee vampiresss…….sooöoooooooo much….

    • I know right I am a vampire you know how,I got bit by something and the next day my throat was very dry and burning and I couldn’t sleep that night.When I looked in the mirrow in the bathroom I seen 2 bite marks on my neck and then I knew what it was.Ha,when I went outside I tried to run but I flew across the yard instead.I was like”OMG”then I went to hunt.IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME DON’T,BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I AM BUT I REALLY WANTEDTO LIVE TO BE OLD.But i knew what i was because i love vampires.MAYBE YOU’RE ONE.

      • ar mjera…

      • Anonymous says:

        i am descended from a tribe and i hate vampires, i have wolf running through my veins, had some signs of being a wolf, golden eyeys, accidently got angry and had fangs, umm growld loudly, hope i am a wolf cuz i love them and ill get all u vampires.

      • lycan nightshade says:

        only like the werewolves in twilight they r much better than vampires, im a werewolf like jacob, wish he could be my boyfriend and imprint me, :p

      • quileute says:

        es ist völliger quatsch wenn man meint in vampir zu sein ….die erste regel lautet es keinem zu sagen und darum seit ihr keine !!!lassst es diesen quatsch zu posten !! ^^

  10. Do vampire still exist?

  11. yes. Ieshia Cullen. I am also a vampire. The same exact thing happened. it was a little wierd at 1st but then i got used to it.

  12. EdwardandIcey says:

    The thing is that Amber you didn’t get bit by Edward Cullen Like I did.

    • Amber Cullen says:

      lol yes i did

      • EdwardandIcey says:

        No Carlisle must bit you instead but Edward is my life to me and he said that I’m his life to.
        Anyways my husband will not like to but your crusty neck.

        • Amber Cullen says:

          lol no that’s my husband. we just got married a few months ago. & we had our honeymoon on esme island. it was beautiful and we had a great time. and no he told me i was his life and he would love me forever. lol you dont even know him. you have never seen him before or talked to him. me and him live together and we have kids.

          • EdwardandIcey says:

            Excuse me but we had Renesmee Carlie Cullen our baby that I had.

          • quileute says:

            renesmee ist neicht echt sie heißt ganz anders und darum wisst ihr nichts darüber !!! es tut mir leid aber ihr wisst nichts was es heißt vampir oder quileut zu sein !! außerdem ist es quatsch!!! 🙁 ^^^^^^

          • Anonymous says:

            ‘EDWARD CULLEN’ JUST PLAYS IN A BUNCH OF MOVIES WHICH GRANTED ARE GOOD BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT REAL…

        • you do realise that Edward Cullen was played by Robert Patterson soooooooooo ya’ll need to get a reality check …… in the face ……. with a chair

  13. Amber Cullen says:

    no i had her. she looked just like me and her gorgeous father. your ugly and would never like something like you. so dismiss yourself little girl before i tear you apart and burn you in a fire. you dont wanna fight over him because i will win. i already killed bella. shes long gone.

    • EdwardandIcey says:

      Plus you didn’t have Renesmee I did so say away from my husband.

      • Amber Cullen says:

        lol no. he is my husband. he IS NOT urs. & renesmee is my baby girl <33

        • lycan nightshade says:

          dudes why would u lot even wanna be a vampire, serously werewolves r much better, reply back to tell me why u wanna be vampires so much

    • Anonymous says:

      I wish I wa a vampira cn anyone change me my life sucks I belive its real

    • Anonymous says:

      JEEEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  14. anonomus says:

    here is the thing amber Cullen and edwardandice Edward, bella and rnesmeeare charecters out of books and films so I highly doubt that eather of u’s are Edwards husband and had renesmee

    • Amber Cullen says:

      how are you gonna tell us what we are?!?! get off of here dude!!!! renesmee is my daughter and edward is my husband. you can stay out of it! and you can too icey because i dont know who yall are or what yall think yall are going to do about it! <3 i love edward and renesmee forever and ever and no one is going to change that!

      • EdwardandIcey says:

        I know right get off of here.And Amber you stay away from my daughter you monster and leave my husband alone!Anyhow anonomus how about you shut up and leave us to be.

        • Amber Cullen says:

          No “icey” ; YOU need to stay away from my daughter Renesmee and MY husband Edward. We don’t need you in our wonderful life! It is perfect just the way it is. Now “anonomus” you need to leave us alone because we don’t even know you and we don’t care to know you. And by the way, you didn’t spell anonymous right. Haha 😀

          • I think you forgot to take your meds 🙂 because are dumb ass idiots and need to get a life like pronto

      • U guys are a bunch of retards

    • Anonymous says:

      I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • in a earlier post death and ilelnss is something I feel like we will all face no matter what specialty we choose to work in, but oncology must see more than its fair share of sadness. I have heard from nurses and doctors that they seem to become numb to it or push it out of their minds, but I also think I would have a hard time dealing with it.

  15. Laurel Drescher says:

    I’m half and half.(half Alaskan native and White)

  16. Anonymous says:

    What the heck, you’ll are kidding.

  17. you guys have major issues. I thinlk its retarted how you can call yourselves vampires. I know they’re interesting creatures but damn stop lying to yourself and other people.

  18. I think its retarted how you can call yourselves vampires. you have major issues. you aint gotta lie to yourself and other people. I know they are interesting creatures but damn stop pretending.

  19. [Alex]:031456 says:

    werewolves are better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • lycan nightshade says:

      Ikr werewolves much better

      • You made some great points in susntgeigg a medical assistant start working for a family practitioner. I had never thought about it the way you put it, but I think it would be a great opportunity to see the many reasons why patients come in, and maybe later on decide which specialist you’d like to work along side. I share your same feelings with respect to working with a Proctologist, I think I would also have to have added incentive to make it work for me.

  20. I’m a vampire .. I’m in 264 of my life
    I’ll fire the world .. yeah i’ll do it next 36 years

  21. Amber Cullen says:

    yall can shutup because yall don’t know me . I am a vampire ! ok thanks 🙂

  22. I don’t either though they r really fascinating 2 me

  23. Ruby Soho says:

    These are honestly THE most idiotic comments I have ever read…first of all…they are SHAPESHIFTERS not werewolves…second of all…vampires don’t sparkle…third of all…THEY ARE ALL MYTHICAL CREATURES!!!

  24. Anonymous 14 says:

    This stuff is so stupid none of this exists and you all need to have a reality check, all of this stuff is myth, and the Quileute Legends need to be found out from one of the tribes people, i am a descendant of the Quileute tribe, and this is just dumb and the Twilight movies and books are exactly that movies and books if they were real, which they aren’t, then you should just leave this stuff alone, God, why do people do this

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