The Giant Owl Witches Of Native American Lore Called Tah-tah-kle’-ah
Aquinah/Deviant ArtTah-tah kle’ -ah are giant owl witch monsters from Yakama tribal lore.
Owls hold significant meaning in Native American cultures, and many tribes have their own myths related to these mysterious nocturnal birds.
The Yakama, who live at the border between what is now Washington and Oregon states, say that the Tah-tah-kle’-ah were giant owl witches who once roamed the plains at night looking for people to devour. They most enjoyed feasting on children and could mimic the languages of the tribes to lure victims.
As Yakama tribe member William Charley told American farmer and honorary Yakama L.V. McWhorter in 1918:
“These people, the Tah-tah-kle’-ah, were taller and larger than the common human. They ate every bad thing known, such as frogs, lizards, snakes, and other things that Indians do not eat. They talked the Indian language, and in that way, might fool the Indians. There were five of them, all sisters. But at the last creation, they came up only in California. Two were seen there. They were women, tall big, women who lived in a cave.”
It is said that these Native American monsters were eventually wiped out and their cave-dwelling was blown up, though it’s unclear how that fateful mission was accomplished. According to this tradition, the owls that we see at night originated from the eye of one of the Tah-tah kle’ -ah sisters who drowned during the last battle.
Wikimedia CommonsMany native cultures have myths that mention beastly owl figures.
While the Yakama tribe speak of the Tah-tah kle’ -ah, other Indigenous cultures have their own mythologies linked to the owl. In Choctaw mythology, the owl deity is known as Ishkitini or the horned owl, which was believed to hunt men and other prey at night. Its blood-curdling screeches were an omen of sudden death.
In the tradition of the Seminole located in present-day Florida, there are the Stikini, which are essentially owl beasts that can shift between animal and human form. It is believed their shapeshifting abilities come from vomiting out their own souls, blood, and internal organs, which they hang up high in the treetops so they can not be reached by any man or animal.
Similar to how the Skinwalkers are regarded in Navajo culture, the Stikini is considered so terrifying that it is taboo to speak aloud of these monsters among the Seminole as it could attract their presence.
Then, among the tribes further south near Mexico, exists the legend of La Lechuza, massive owl-human hybrids with the faces of older women. They are believed to be shapeshifting witches, and their favorite meal — you guessed it — is small children.
History Uncovered Podcast Episode 63: La Lechuza, The Creepy Witch-Owl Of Ancient Mexican Legend Centuries-old stories speak of a fearsome witch-owl who prowls the border between Mexico and Texas — ready to devour everyone from little children to grown men. This is the terrifying tale of La Lechuza.No matter which myth or what tribe, it’s safe to say that the mighty owl monsters are ones to watch out for, according to these Native American monster tales.
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