The Cologne totem pole is crowned by a thunderbird. When they see it, many visitors initially think it is an eagle. However, the tufts of feathers on its head are a sure sign that it is a thunderbird.
The thunderbird originates from Native American mythology. It is a giant bird that dwells on the summits of the highest mountains, from where it watches over and protects the world. When it opens its beak, there is thunder. When it blinks its eyes, there is lightning. After a week’s work, the head and the legs with their claws on the Cologne totem pole are almost complete. The plumage on the breast and wings still needs to be finished. To complete this work, the thunderbird will be painted with acrylic paint.
Thunderbirds on Canadian totem poles often have outstretched wings. However, this is not possible with the Cologne totem pole due to its design, as the diameter of the giant tree of life is not quite as large as that of its Canadian counterparts. The thunderbird therefore has its wings folded. However, this is also very common in Canada, for example on the totem poles in Duncan!
Last Wednesday, the first woodcarving workshop for children took place, during which 10- to 13-year-olds were able to carve their own thunderbird from a small piece of the giant living tree under the guidance of Harold Joe and George Rice. This was met with great enthusiasm! Below the thunderbird, the she-bear is already beginning to take shape. But we’ll tell you more about that in our next blog post!
Text: Brigitte and Miriam Heyduck
Photos: (c) Ole Schulz, Brigitte Heyduck, Ellen Weiland