Exploring the Prospect of an Unidentified Species

Exploring the Prospect of an Unidentified Species of
Reptile within Navajo and Hopi Lands:
In Search of
Tł’iish Naat'a'í
(Snake-That-Flies)
By Nick Sucik
Introduction and editing by Russell Bates
Illustrations by Aleksandar T. Lovcanski
April, 2004 (v2.0)
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INTRODUCTION
By Russell Bates
In 1896, American humorist Gelett Burgess wrote the following whimsical verse for THE
LARK, a small literary journal:
THE PURPLE COW
(Reflections on a Mythic Beast Who’s Quite Remarkable at Least)
I never saw a purple cow
I never hope to see one
But I can tell you anyhow
I’d rather see than be one
Like Burgess, most all of us never have seen a purple cow. In this age of instant
information and communication, if someone were to see or even to find one, or any other
’mythic’ beast, we certainly would hear about it. Instantaneously…
Mostly lost in the darknesses of human prehistory are scattered bits of subtle light and
shadow that we now dimly glimpse as the oldest memories from ancient tribal life. Back…then,
out…there, in furtive echoes and flickers, in interplay fleetingly seen and only fitfully recalled,
are the many beasts and creatures that once haunted man’s childhood, no matter the race or
nation or continent. Once they adrenalized our emerging anthropoid intellects and imaginations.
Now, coolly and bloodlessly, they have been relegated to myth and legend, fable and folklore,
and simple poetic glory. Yet, many of these animals still roam the collective unconscious and
still are capable of inspiring awe.
When nomads ceased their raiding and settled among villagers that once were their prey,
humanity left behind its wild origins and crossed new doorsteps into cities and civility and
civilization. Lore and spirituality were surrendered into order, form, and functionality. Rite and
ritual and oral history were given over to government and church and university. Those who
directed human futures quickly built bridges over parts of human knowledge which no longer
seemed appropriate for educated, enlightened society.
Yet, world over, the last unassimilated peoples still remember the old ways and may be the
last repositories of humanity’s mostly-abandoned ancient understandings.
In writings on evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin predicted that somewhere in this vast
world must exist remnants of older animal life that were the living proofs of his principles.
Some would be ’living fossils,’ as he christened them, that would evince the origins of one or
more other forms of life. Others possibly would be found as new species emerging from older
forms, as predicted by evolutionary studies, as evolution was and is an ongoing process. Still
others might justify both myths and legends by being ‘discovered’ as new species that exhibit
strange-but-recognizable forms in living beings. These, he reasoned, would be found on
mountain heights, in ocean depths, out in desert expanses, in untracked forests, and deep inside
jungle wilderness.
Darwin’s vision was vindicated over time as creatures regarded and dismissed only as
rumors or legends or folk tales emerged as real animals, despite an unlikely shape or size or
repute. Among these were the giant Panda, the Okapi, the mountain gorilla, the Komodo
Dragon, the Megamouth Shark, the giant squid, and that evolutionary shocker of them all, the
coelacanth.
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The simplest illustration of the principle best may be shown by telling a story.
Off the east African coast, fishermen had known for a thousand years and more of a large
black and ugly fish that they called ’Gombessa.’ It was edible but far from ideally so because its
flesh was filled with oil. If a ‘Gombessa’ happened to be among the fish they caught, it was sold
in port at a pittance to anyone who might want to eat it.
In December of 1938, in East London, South Africa, 31-year-old Marjorie Latimer went
aboard a fishing trawler as it docked, as was her habit. She was curator of a local natural history
museum and always would check over fishing catches in hopes of finding unusual specimens for
new exhibits. On deck, she spied a five-foot-long, oddly-shaped fish that she never had seen
before. Its head was armored and jointed past its gills; the body was armored with thick,
iridescent black scales; the eyes were sky-blue and huge. Still other matters genuinely had her
puzzled. The fish had a small nub of a tail and it had six fins on its underside, four of which
were limblike, each nearly the size of a human hand. Excited, she bought the fish and
desperately tried to find a way to preserve it. East London was a small coastal town and the only
place with any cold storage was the local mortuary. Its director, when he found Marjorie
Latimer wanted to store a fish in his morgue, said no, no, and hell no. At last, finding no way to
keep the fish from rotting, she had it skinned, stuffed, and mounted by a taxidermist, a move that
would see the poor woman unfairly criticized by scientists and other experts for decades to come.
Ms. Latimer contacted one J.L.B Smith, a professor at Rhodes University in Grahamtown,
over a hundred miles away. She sent a letter and a sketch of the odd fish and waited for his
response. When Prof. Smith read the letter and saw the drawing, he was electrified. Depicted in
the drawing was a type of fish he had seen only in fossil sediments found worldwide. It evolved
in the oceans before animals had left the sea to colonize the land and was known to have been
extinct for over fifty million years. Its structures, such as the four large ventral fins and a
primitive lung, had led scientists to speculate that the coelacanth was a species evolving toward
movement onto land.
In February 1939, Prof. Smith finally was free to travel to East London, where he
determined that, indeed, Marjorie Latimer’s fish was a coelacanth, one of the ‘living fossils’ that
Charles Darwin said must exist if his ideas and researches on evolution were true. When
announcement was made, the world public was caught up in an excitement that few other
scientific headlines ever had precipitated. Was it ’the missing link?’
Alas, the specimen was stuffed and painted and preserved, its internal organs and skeleton
long since lost. Not until 1952 was another coelacanth specimen captured and made available to
scientists. This came from the waters off the Comoros Islands, north of what then was
Madagascar. At last, the species was studied formally and proven to be a ‘living fossil,’ but not
a ‘missing link’ between marine and land animals after all.
In the years since, many more coelacanth specimens have been taken and even have been
observed in Indian Ocean depths. Coelacanths also recently turned up in Indonesian waters and
represent a subspecies that scientists are certain must mean that coelacanths exist in a large swath
of the Indian Ocean, from Africa to the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Incidentally, Indonesian
natives were happy to receive sizeable rewards for their catches, noting that the otherwise
detestable ’Rajah Lauti,’ or coelacanth, was a fish that few ever had wanted to buy in the
hundreds of years that it turned up in their nets.
Today, new species are discovered with some regularity, even in areas that science
complacently regards as all ‘fished-out.’ In the first issue for 2004 of “Copeia,” the official
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journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, is an article on the
Chickasaw Darter, a seemingly inconsequential little fish recently ‘discovered’ to be native to the
Forked Deer River in Tennessee. Now called Etheostoma Ulocentra cervus, a name almost as
long as the fish, its discovery in late 2003 took many scientists by surprise as they were confident
that they had found, named, and classified every species of fish in American streams.
Thus it is that such discoveries have inspired adventurers and scientists alike to search for
new animal species, especially those that may have been the bases of fables and stories but in
truth really may exist.
An interesting example of such a possible new species is to be found in many reports of
flying snakes. While sightings and observations of ‘snakes-that-fly’ can be cited through history
and in many parts of the world, it is in the Americas that the creature carries a special focus. In
the lore of Native Americans are the most compelling hints of such a creature. Just as there are
over 500 tribal names for a creature that may or may not be the “Bigfoot,” there also are many
such names for a flying snake, and its usage as an artistic motif fairly is widespread. Examples
are the Uktena of the Cherokee people of Oklahoma, and then there is Kukulkan of the Mayas,
Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs and Xatopecs, and Varicocha of the Incas. In the burial mounds of
the Caddoan peoples of Texas through Alabama are found pottery and basketry and other
artifacts emblazoned with a winged snake design. As a Plains Kiowan myself, I know that my
own tribe’s winged snake is associated with the Thunderbird myth and that sightings of flying
snakes have occurred here in Oklahoma where I live. Investigation of this aspect and these
reports may offer the greatest opportunity for the ‘discovery’ of yet another mysterious species,
and offer perhaps the most exciting event of the early Twenty-First Century. It is time for such
exploration/explication, be it fish or fowl, legend or legion, truth or dare.
---Russell Bates, April 2004
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This report is the culmination of more than a year of independent research. In this presentation
to the department of Fish and Wildlife, it is my intent to create an awareness of the potential
presence of an as-yet-unidentified species of reptile, in specificity referred to as a type of snake,
existing within (though not necessarily exclusive to) the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. In
disclaimer I should state that, while this animal may be unidentified by academic science, it long
has been known to, and recognized by, the Navajo and Hopi peoples both. The significance of
this animal exceeds simply that it is alien to Western science, in that it exhibits a most
remarkable feat of biomechanics in many ways unprecedented when compared with all other
known terrestrial organisms. This biomechanical ability perhaps has been its own best defense
from scientific investigation, classification, or even interest, simply because the very concept of
such a creature initially seems absurd. The reptile in question is referred to in Navajo as either
Tł’iish Naat'a'í (pronounced: kleesh-not-ahee), which transliterates as “Snake-That-Flies” or
Tł’iish Naat’Agii (pronounced: kleesh-not-agee), roughly meaning “the snake amongst the flying
animals.”
With this report, I intend to establish a case for the fact that Tł’iish Naat'a'í existence is not
limited to being a mythological figure, nor as a simple symbolic representation of hybridized
elements as anthropologists may conclude, nor as a resident of the spirit world, nor as a mere
concoction of elder-stories, but in reality as a rare form of reptile that through the course of
evolution somehow has evolved a successful means of achieving true flight via limbless wings.
By presenting a case for Tł’iish Naat'a'í being a natural member of the above region’s fauna, I
intend to inspire interest in the species in question to the extent that the Navajo Nation would be
willing to use its own already-established resources to confirm the serpent’s existence. Such an
official confirmation not only could serve to benefit the tribe in various ways but ultimately
would set in motion the measures to ensure the continued survival of this most unique creature.
During my research among rural residents familiar with the serpent, I gathered the impression
that it is in decline and may already be extinct in many areas. There are varying theories as to
the exact cause of its demise but the concern arises that the animal may be lost before it ever is
found.
RUMORS OF EXISTENCE
Since March 2003 I have been employed as a member of the Peace Keeper Project assigned to
survey and to assist with the needs of Navajo families living within the Hopi Partitioned Lands.
I also serve as a liaison for the attorneys contracted to the Nation to represent the HPL families.
Being originally from Minnesota myself and having been stationed in Hawaii with the US
Marine Corps, I found it extraordinarily easy to take great interest in the comparatively unique
landscape and ecology of northern Arizona.
During my stay in the Hardrock area, and while working throughout the HPL, I have overheard
stories or rumors of strange animals being sighted from time to time in various areas.
Considering that these vast stretches of terrain relatively are uninhabited it would not seem
improbable that there yet may exist fauna undocumented by modern science. Interested, I made
careful inquiry among the locals to see if there was not more to these rumors, that is, beyond
mere loose gossip. In turn I came to hear of a long and rather colorful assortment of strange
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creatures. This anecdotal bestiary included within it hirsute wildmen said to haunt the high
grounds of Teesto, the presence of dog-sized scorpions on Navajo Mountain, a spotted “leopard”
stalking about Big Mountain, a pack of carnivorous “monkeys” encountered in a canyon in the
Inscription-House chapter, and giant black snakes that emerge from hibernation once every
several years.
Despite my curiosity being aroused by such stories, I realized with fair certainty that most of
these alleged entities likely were only the results of misidentification, coupled with local
excitement (if not hysteria) and generalized exaggeration. Case in point: during June 2003, I
heard rumors of a “hyena” being seen by locals in the Big Mountain and Rocky Ridge area. The
beast was accused of devouring newborn calves and colts alike, along with having taken down a
few sheep and, most disturbingly, on one occasion being observed eating the carcasses of dogs.
A local man was said to have tracked and killed the beast, the carcass of which area residents
then came to view. Some said that in every way it was like a hyena while others said it more was
like a big cat. I reasoned that, if there were any questions left lingering over the identity of the
animal, its bones should be recovered and brought in for examination. Such efforts were proven
unnecessary for, when I spoke to the man in question, he promptly identified the animal as a dog.
It was a very unusual dog, both in appearance and behavior, but it still simply was a dog.
Despite this sobering example, there are some stories or accounts of particular creatures that
have such consistency in their cited descriptions that it raises the question as to whether there
may be factual basis behind them. Examples would be the numerous accounts throughout the
region describing snakes of unprecedented size. While it is practical of human nature to
overestimate a snake's size in moments of excitement, what is notable about sightings of any
giant snakes is that their coloration almost always tends to be black. The largest known snake in
the southwestern United States is the Bull Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus), or gopher snake,
which attains an average length of 5 feet. If giant snake sightings resulted from witnesses misidentifying Bull Snakes, mentally stretching their actual size, then one should expect the cited
coloration to be light yellowish-brown with dark markings. Adding more weight to this matter,
and somewhat countering the reaction that giant snake sightings are the product of hysteria, are
two accounts of events that transpired over the summer of 2003, wherein the witnesses were
aware of large objects yet initially had not connected them with snakes.
One incident occurred in the Jeddito area. While driving by a windmill, a woman noticed what
she thought was a stuffed black garbage bag. Thinking it might contain discarded clothing, she
drove nearer the object and was alarmed to see that it was the coiled body of a huge black snake.
The incident was reported to the local chapterhouse as well as to the Hopi Ranger station.
The second incident took place in White Valley between Hardrock and Pinon. An elderly
woman out walking had stopped to rest near a water-site (a windmill or spring tank). While
sitting she noticed a long object laying in nearby vegetation; she described it as having the
thickness of a man’s thigh. The partially-concealed object abruptly moved and the woman,
apparently still unclear as to what lay before her, began tossing rocks at it. It then became fully
animated and actually reared up, revealing itself to be a very large snake. The woman did not
remain long enough to make any further observations.
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Gathering correct detail on these two accounts entailed sorting through several fanciful and
colorful versions that became more dramatic as they were passed around. Hence, I always am
wary of any account that comes from beyond a second-hand source and therefore was careful in
selecting the information to be used in this report.
Snake-That-Flies
Among rural Navajos, both traditional and modern, there is an enduring recognition of an
unclassified and unrecognized species of reptile known as Tł’iish Naat'a'í, better known to some
as Tł’iish Naat’Agii, or sometimes as “the dragon.” Briefly, it is described as a snake (or at least
as a snake-like reptile) possessing the ability to fly, as opposed to simply gliding, through aid of
membranes or expanded skin extending behind the head and fanning out along the body, not
unlike the exaggerated display of a cobra's hood.
Initially it may seem unlikely for such an animal to have escaped detection by science but such
reported reptiles are considered by many local people as a natural presence among the
indigenous fauna. In fact, during my discussions with area residents, interestingly, some of them
were puzzled as to why an outsider would hold special attention to this particular animal.
Knowledge of "Snake-That-Flies" by no means is limited only to the Navajo. I now understand
that such creatures likewise are known to members of the Hopi tribe as “Sun Snakes.” While
looking into this matter and also keeping my research colleagues informed of my pursuits it was
inescapable that comparisons would arise with descriptions and traditions that testify to flying
serpents from elsewhere in North America.
At present I have spoken with more than a dozen individuals who actually had sighted a
specimen themselves, or at least who knew of a close family member, friend, or acquaintance
who had experienced such a sighting. Aside from direct, second-, and third-hand testimonies, I
also sought out and familiarized myself with the local lore attributed to the animals, which time
may or may not prove accurate to the nature of the serpents. When speaking with witnesses I
have taken great pains not to lead or suggest details or descriptions or otherwise to risk
compromising the accuracies of their testimony. And while knowledge or awareness of the
serpents almost is common in certain areas, it would not appear to be a matter of conventionalknowledge so as to be openly discussed and widely understood. It has been difficult in a number
of cases to get people to divulge what they know, partly due to the traditional Navajo perception
of snakes generally being negative, if not perceiving them as outright evil. And while some
regard the serpents as a mere snakes despite their extraordinary characteristics, others sometimes
regard them as supernatural entities and therefore not a topic acceptable for open conversation.
The sightings in this report are by no means the extent of the accounts I have collected, but have
been selected as they comparatively have more to offer in describing particular characteristics.
MORPHOLOGY
General Appearance
Despite the flying aspect, the general consensus among witnesses and others well familiar with
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the lore, is that the reptiles are a form of snake, as is opposed to being a 'snake-like’ animal. In
some accounts the witnesses cite the sole difference between a regular snake and the creature
they had seen was simply the fact that it steadily was traveling off the ground. Only in a cases
where the animals were seen at close range was the presence of 'wings' noted. Sizes of the
creatures tended to vary anywhere between 8 inches long to12 feet in length, while the most
common response was that they were “snake-sized”.
Witness’ composite sketch (though the wings almost always are
described as transparent, whereas in this image they are colored).
Appendages
The “wings” undoubtedly are the most peculiar feature, even if they technically may fall short of
the definition. Those only having heard of the snakes tend to assume they sport bat-like wings,
whereas witnesses mostly have described something far differing. Instead of possessing limbs,
the animals sport a retractable membrane that emerges from behind the head and then trails back
to either side along a significant portion of the body length. Some have likened it to the
expansive display of a cobra’s hood, though both much larger and longer. This membrane is faint
in color, almost to the point of transparency or, as one woman put it, “like they were made of
plastic.” Thus, the membrane may tend to go unnoticed, creating the surreal image of a snake
magically ‘slithering’ through mid-air.
The serpent’s membrane is often unnoticed until the animal is in
close range or flying directly overhead.
In three separate accounts that I have collected, one first-hand and the other two by second-hand,
the membranes or “wings” were noted as being “very beautiful” with a collage of “rainbow”
colors. From these descriptions, such a spectacle sounds as if it only may be observable when
light hits the membrane at certain angles.
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Coloration
Accounts vary where the animal’s color and/or colors are concerned. This feature seemed quite
secondary in reports by observers and, as most sightings take place from a distance, color seldom
is discernible. One elder told how while herding sheep in Blue Canyon as a teenager, he had a
rare glimpse of a specimen laying motionlessly on the ground (actually poked its wings with a
stick) and cited the color as being a dull gray which he compared to the bottom of a soda can.
Another elder explained to me that a poisonous variant of "Snake-That-Flies" could be identified
by its “red” belly. This may not necessarily be on account of a potential subspecies but instead
may indicate a form of sexual dimorphism. Others have described the serpents’ scales as
“sparkling” in the sunlight as they fly.
BIOMECHANICS
That such an animal could persist so long beneath the radar of modern zoology perhaps is
creditable to the simple fact that the concept of a flying snake likely is an oxymoron. In many
cultures, including the Navajo, snakes are deemed dirty or vile due to their earthbound and
slithering nature. Flight, in many ways, would be the very opposite of their lowly disposition.
Symbolism aside, comprehending how a limbless animal actually could achieve true flight
demands a feat of mental acrobatics. And that perhaps is the creature’s greatest defense against
discovery. Their very existence would defy not only our present understanding of herpetology
but even basic concepts of biophysics.
Flying
Officially, the only “flying snake” recognized today is Chrysopelea ornata, a canopy dweller
found in Southeast Asia. Its given title is unfitting, as the snake’s aerial feats are limited to
partially-controlled downward gliding. Its flattened ribs serve to make the animal ribbon-shaped,
thus slowing the descent. Not since the pterosaurs of the Mesozoic Era are reptiles thought to
have achieved legitimate flight. The possibility of a true flying snake here in northern Arizona
has significant implications beyond that of being a “new” species. Its means of accomplishing
flight entirely would be exceptional to all other known forms of flying animals. Tł’iish
Naat’Agii, if confirmed and formally documented, would be the only animal known to achieve
flight without conventional wings.
Most sightings involve the snakes traveling steadily through the air, though some accounts cite
gains and changes in elevation, sometimes drastically so, confirming their time in the air is not
limited merely to gliding. Most notable are three separate accounts that involve the animals
achieving and then maintaining a circular course.
•
Workers building a hogan were startled one evening when a snake “flew” inside the
structure and proceeded to fly madly about in a circle, seemingly unable to find its way
out. The workers cautiously tried to kill the creature but it finally escaped.
•
Two women related a memorable incident that had occurred when they were teenagers
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sneaking out of the Tuba City high school dorms late one night. The two had made their
way through a canyon and arrived at a reservoir when they heard a hissing noise
overhead, which both likened to the sound made by a passenger jet. Through the
moonlight they could see a snake-like object diving down toward the reservoir over and
again before lifting back up into the air. The object swooped down at the water until it
apparently noticed the girls as they sought to hide behind a bush. Much to their horror, it
then flew in their direction, as if it were aware of their presence, until it was flying in
circles above them. Eventually it flew off and the two, considerably shaken, fled back to
their dorm.
•
In the 1980s, a teenage boy was reported as having shot a flying snake that repeatedly
would swoop down at him whenever he neared its rock dwelling.
Propulsion
The mechanics of propulsion remain the greatest mystery of an already mysterious creature,
though all reports coincide in citing how the entire body is in motion during the animal's flight.
The puzzling aspect of the described motion is that it frequently is described as being exactly that
of a snake slithering on the ground. One could assume that these exact motions only are being
compared in memory to the more standard spectacle, but I have encountered firm insistence that
the contortions in every way were like those of a typical snake, only differing by occurring in
mid-air. Such claims defy logic, however, as anything that becomes airborne and remains so
must force air forward, downward, and aside for aerodynamic lift. The horizontal undulations of
reptiles would be worthless in this manner. It is not impossible for a snake to undulate vertically
to some degree but it is difficult to imagine one doing so long enough or vigorously enough to
lift its own body weight, even with a membrane.
As to the role of the membrane, given what I’ve been able to gather so far I mostly have been
under the impression it serves as a passive sail, directing and somehow forcing air downward to
generate lift. One report, however, would suggest they hold a far more active function. In a
story told to me since I began this report, a woman related a brief encounter experienced by her
grandfather and uncle. The men were in the midst of building a shade when a flying snake
landed atop a nearby branch. Perceiving its arrival as a good omen, the grandfather reached out
and seized the creature behind its head. While in the man’s grasp, the serpent began to flutter its
semi-transparent (“like plastic”) oval wings at such a rapid beat they faded from view (a la the
wings of a hummingbird). The man then released the animal and instantly it shot up into the air
and flew out of sight. (The story also offered some insight as to the size of the snake. She
explained that her grandfather was a tall man, over 5’11", at least, and while he held the snake at
his chest level, its body still reached the ground.)
Taking Off
Most sightings describe the serpents traveling along in midair and landing, sometimes in a tree or
between rocks. One elder I spoke with actually had observed, apparently on more than one
occasion, the manner in which the snakes take off.
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He explained that while leaving the ground their wings would beat
rapidly and that they at first would fly in a circular course while
gaining height. The advantage of such a course is unclear and it
of necessity may not be performed for the benefit of aerodynamic
lift. As the man had seen the serpent before it took off, it would
seem likely the snake noticed him as well and that its flight in a
circular manner perhaps was a warning display used to
discourage predators and other potential threats. Whatever the
case might be, this sighting would confirm that the snakes truly
are capable of independent flight.
Corkscrewing
Some witnesses described seeing the snakes performing sudden twists or twirls in flight. One
elder explained how he had seen a snake fly in a sequence of spins followed by a sudden stretch
forward and then twisting once more, over and again.
SOUND PRODUCTION
Flight Noise
Often cited is a type of sound being generated by the serpents while in-flight. In a few cases it is
likened to a humming noise, though more often witnesses have referred to it as a type of hissing
sound, though separate from a snake’s threatening hiss. More often then not, the snakes are
heard before they are seen.
•
In the 1930s or 1940s, a Big Mountain resident was out on a morning walk when he
heard a growing hiss from off in the distance. His son, who related the story, likened
his father's description of the noise as very similar to a jet engine, like the drawn-out
blowing of air. The man looked around until he spotted a snake's outline in mid-air,
sparkling in the sunlight as it seemingly slithered well above the ground.
•
The two women who recounted their nocturnal encounter near Tuba City described
hearing first a hissing noise which they likened to that of a passenger jet.
•
In 1996 or ’97, a Hardrock area teenager out walking near his homesite heard a
snake's hiss and immediately froze in place. He stood unmoving and carefully
looked about. The sound grew louder but he saw nothing on the ground. When he
looked up, he saw a snake with thin extended transparent flaps “twisting” its way
through midair before it finally landed in a tree.
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•
An elderly woman related how while on a walk she’d once heard a strange humming
noise which led her to look about until spotting a winged snake in a tree. The
creature, though attached to a branch by its tail, appeared to be floating the front
portion of its body in the air while its membrane vibrated. The fluid appearance of
the wings in operation with the body reminded her of a jelly-fish.
Thus far it would seem the cited sound somehow is related to the activity of the membrane
during flight.
Voluntary Noise
Further distancing the serpents apart from standard snakes is the claim that 'Snake-That-Flies'
emits sounds other than the reported hissing or humming, such as a kind of growl. The only
specific example I can cite involved one woman’s account of what she saw and heard when she
was a young girl. While that specimen flew through the air, she recounted that it made a “nice”
hooting sound, like “looht, looht, looht,” each such hoot seeming in time to the reptile's side-toside contortions.
BEHAVIOR
Habitat
A) Nests
Aside from a capability for flight, the dwelling aspect of the reptiles almost is as remarkable.
The creatures are reputed to construct cylindrical nests composed of small twigs and that are
erected like towers against cliff walls. At present I have been guided only to one such structure,
a collapsed nest in White Valley between Pinon and Hardrock. I have been informed that there
are other such nests in Big Mountain and another is said to be along the edge of a mesa near
Hotevilla. I personally examined the White Valley nest and am enclosing photos taken at the
scene [see Former Dwelling Sites on the CD]. I also have spoken to Big Mountain residents who
claim to have seen the tower-shaped “dragon” nests (apparently there are three in one single
spot) in their area but so far have failed to inspire anyone to lead me there, as they traditionally
and purposely avoid the site. The mesa nest near Hotevilla supposedly is known to (but not
exclusively by) an elder residing in Tuba City. Apparently he once shepherded for a man who
lived in Hotevilla and on various occasions had watched the nest and its airborne inhabitants
from a distance using binoculars.
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White Valley Nest
Originally dubbed “Nest-ThatStands” and built entirely of small
twigs, the structure, until relatively
recently, stood up along this cliff
wall in White Valley. Local
tradition maintains the nest had
been there possibly for 80 years
or more. Sheepherders
deliberately avoided the site on
account of the flying serpent that
inhabited the nest. Sometime in
the 1980s, rocks above the
structure gave way, collapsing the
nest over into its present position.
Exactly how snakes could construct such structures baffles one even more than trying to
comprehend their flight without wings. Still, that they “make” nests is repeated over and again,
even acknowledged in a Mexican reference that shall be included later in this. It may be that the
serpents actually do not build these nests themselves but, more probably, come to inhabit derelict
nests of predatory birds, mainly hawks or owls. Snakes are opportunistic animals and will
inhabit the underground burrows of owls or prairie dogs. However, I have heard two separate
references where the snakes allegedly were seen “carrying” sticks or twigs.
One woman related that her mother saw a flying serpent on the ground that somehow was
manipulating twigs with its body, though the exact manner somewhat is unclear. Oddly enough,
I have heard of another flying snake being seen with a small bundle of sticks that were
constricted in its tail. Near the Big Mountain nest is said to be a tree that the serpents had
denuded by using it as a source for their building material. Along that same line, a woman I
spoke with in a separate area said her grandfather had told her that one could tell where a Tł’iish
Naat'a'í had been in a tree, as it would peel off the bark, starting from the top of the tree and
working its way downward.
There are species of snakes that make nests for egg-laying, though in such instances little more is
involved than using their bodies to pull together surrounding dirt or gravel into a slight mound.
As far as manipulating objects, pythons have been observed “prey-handling," transporting
strangled prey in their coils to another location upon being disturbed. There even are
documented observations from the Philippines by Westerners, of pythons “hoisting” captured
boars up onto tree branches.
Though none of the cited nests are presently regarded as active, an official examination could
determine whether they are in fact that of predatory birds or whether they may exhibit unique
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attributes setting them apart from such. One would only suspect that given the special regard
owls, hawks and eagles have in traditional culture, their nests would be well recognized and not
mistaken for something built by a reptile. Until a specimen of Tł’iish Naat'a'í is formally
observed, these nests may come to serve as physical evidence for their existence.
B.) Rocks
More common than nest references are accounts or stories describing Tł’iish Naat’Agii residing
within rock crevices. The serpents so far only have been cited in areas of rocky terrain.
Inquiries about relatively flat areas, such as Teesto or Sandsprings, always were fruitless. Stone
enclosures may serve as transient homes as certain area stories speak of the serpents suddenly
appearing but remaining in that area only for a limited time. (Some elders even claim they
migrate to and fro an area in New Mexico and the San Francisco Peaks.)
In the Big Mountain area is a conspicuous rock formation known as “Sitting Rock” to the locals.
Memory and tradition maintain that it once was the dwelling of a lone flying serpent. High in
the rock was a wind-eroded hole or 'window,' and the animal had settled within. Below the rock
was a well-frequented footpath but both travelers and shepherds learned to keep their distance as
the snake living there was renowned for its hostility. Eventually, in the 1920s, locals became fed
up with special detours on account of the snake and an effort to smoke it out was made by
starting a fire in one of the lower holes. Whether the snake was present at the time is unclear but
the attempt either to drive it out or to kill it was deemed unsuccessful. It is uncertain just when
the serpent moved on. Still visible today are discolorations where a fire once was set in a hole
below "Sitting Rock."
Former Dwelling Site on
Big Mountain
Sitting-Rock located off the
Hardrock bound road in Big
Mountain. Sometime in the early
1900s a specimen stationed itself
within the tunneled spaces of the
stone. A mark of discoloration can
be seen splashed around one
opening where, according to
tradition, locals set a fire to smoke
out the creature.
Aggression
Traditionally the dwellings of flying snakes, be they rock or nest, were avoided, not necessarily
as respectful custom but more so due to the snakes' aggressive behavior.
•
In the early 1900s, it is said that a man on horseback passed near Sitting-Rock,
apparently uninformed of its territorial occupant. The serpent flew from its hole
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toward the man and succeeded in biting him on the back of his head, peeling off his
leather cap. The rider promptly fled the area, without his cap.
•
Twenty years or so ago, a Hardrock teenager shot and killed a flying snake.
Whenever he happened to pass nearby, the serpent would emerge from its rock hole,
become airborne, and then swoop down threateningly at him. At last, he returned to
the spot armed with a shotgun and killed the snake. (The individual in question died
a few years after the event.)
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AND PERCEPTION
The Navajo generally hold snakes in negative temperament and this has been something of an
obstacle in my inquiries on the matter. If snakes as a topic initially are not considered ‘too’
taboo, then most times it seems that unprecedented focus on the subject begets hesitation.
Whereas traditional Navajos regard snakes as lowly, filthy creatures, I have heard three
references of offerings being made toward flying serpents or at least being left at spots where
they were seen or were thought to dwell. Likewise, in the story explained beneath Propulsion,
the sudden presence of a flying snake was perceived as a good omen. Exactly where this
perception originates or even how widespread it is among traditional Navajos remains unclear.
Of course, some encounters with Tł’iish Naat’Agii are received differently. A mesa resident of
Red Lake told of a neighbor who, many years ago, was caring for her sick daughter. As was the
custom when a child was sick, the woman brought the girl to a particular side of their hogan to
bask in the sunlight. While both were standing there, a winged snake flew down, landed on the
ground nearby, and immediately coiled its body. The woman apparently attributed the event as a
sign pertaining to her usage of peyote in the Native American Church and, as the story goes, she
became a pious Christian in response.
While Navajo elders' response to flying snake encounters may deem the experience positive in
some manner, it would appear that younger generations hold no such reverence as recent
accounts end with the creatures being killed after having been sighted. One individual I
contacted has concluded that the reason "Snake-That-Flies" is rare today simply is due to the
persistent habit of killing the creatures upon discovery. If this is true, urgent incentive exists to
identify it and recognize it as an endangered species before it is too late.
Ethnology
If such animals have been present in the region for an extended length of time, as opposed to
recent introduction or migration, then one should expect a form of acknowledgement within
tribal belief systems or in lore beyond mere anecdote. While I am unfamiliar with Hopi
acknowledgements at this point, I have been told that the Navajo rituals for the Wind, Rainbow,
and Lightning Ways all make reference to flying snakes or at least make representation in sand
paintings. At present, I have been unable to confirm this, though I am aware of their role in the
Bead Chant story.
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The Bead Chant
The story of the Bead Chant centers
around a boy named Scavenger who is
held as a slave to Pueblo Indians. His
captors decide to dispose of the him but
not before assigning him with a final task.
Scavenger was to assist with a ritualistic
practice that to this day greatly is detested
by many Navajo: eaglet gathering. The
night before the gathering is to take place,
Scavenger is forewarned in a dream not to
comply in delivering the eaglets. The
following day, after having been lowered
onto an unguarded nest, Scavenger refuses
to surrender the eaglets in spite of the fury of his captors. The parent eagles later arrive and for
several days sustain Scavenger while at the same time protecting him from the arrows of the
angry crowd below. Eventually the eagles attempt to deliver him up into the Sky World but
despite the assistances of hawks, they only are able to carry Scavenger to a certain altitude before
being overwhelmed by the burden. At last, they are forced to leave him stranded on a cloud
while they ascend up into the Sky World to ask for help. From there the birds approach the sky
serpents with their dilemma but the snakes respond at first with bafflement as to how they could
be expected to reach the boy seeing as how they lack the gift of flight. An arrangement then is
made where the birds provide each snake with four feathers, thereby enabling them to fly. Upon
being so equipped, the serpents descend upon the marooned boy. The snakes succeed where
eagles fall short, triumphantly delivering Scavenger into the Sky World.
Depictions of the serpents can vary in sand paintings done for the Bead Chant. In the first image
[1] the serpents are hybridized with bird features whereas in the second painting [2] they are
depicted as otherwise normal snakes with feather-like appendages emerging from their sides.
A proper interpretation of the symbolism of
the story and painting would require the
consultation of a medicine man specializing in
the Bead Chant. Until such can be arranged, a
few aspects of the paintings and story loosely
can be deduced based upon how they reflect
knowledge already gathered on Tł’iish
Naat’Agii. Most apparent is the role the
serpents play in the story in that they carry
Scavenger into the Sky World. Might this
reflect familiarity with the snakes’ ability to
carry objects as they are likewise believed to
construct nests? The presence of feathers, or
anything feather-like for that matter, has yet to be cited in any accounts. In all likelihood, as one
might expect, feathers are symbolic of flight or the capacity for flight. Interestingly, feathered
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serpents occur in the lore of traditional cultures in Mexico (mainly the Aztecs and Mayas) as
well as in Central and South America.
There also is a curious, though painfully short, reference to flying snakes in Gladys A.
Reichard’s “Navaho Religion: A Study of Symbolism” (Princeton Bolligen Publishing, 1950),
which states on page 467:
One of Matthews' informants states that when the animals were people, the birds and
snakes built cliff dwellings, and he asks the rhetorical question, "If they had not wings,
how could they have reached their houses?" He explained why the snakes were able to
help the Eagles and Hawks lift the boy to the sky in the Bead Chant story.
OUTSIDE REFERENCES
Flying snake references are by no means exclusive to Navajo and Hopi lands or to the
southwestern United States for that matter. Through the assistance of colleagues, I have been
apprised of a small number of written accounts pertaining to the presence of, or the presence of a
belief in, snakes capable of flight in other areas of the continent. Adding substantial credence to
the matter is how particular attributes discussed in this report find echoes in these outside
references.
Mexico
A) Leon
The first to be reviewed is titled The Serpent by Juana Pequeno and told by Nicole Ruiz, which
was found by a research colleague at:
www.sanbenito.k12.tx.us/Schools/BertaCabaza/READING%20DEPT/Carmona/Snake/The_Serpent.html
My grandmother grew up in the mountains of Mexico, near a town called Leon. There
was talk about a creature named "a serpe" or serpent. It was supposed to be a
rattlesnake that had gotten very old. It had wings like a bat, feet like an eagle with long
talons, and thick black hairs between some of the scales. Its head was just like a
rattlesnakes with huge fangs.
It built a nest like a birds, between large rocks. Supposedly, it was dangerous because it
could bite like a rattlesnake, and it was easier to get you because it could fly. When it
flew, it would make a strange humming sound. Whenever one was heard or seen, the
villagers would chase it until they killed it. When my grandmother was eight years old,
she was chased by a bull. To get away from it she climbed up on a big pile of rocks. When
she reached the top, she saw a bird's nest and there in the middle was a serpent. As it
started to uncoil, she jumped off the pile and ran to go tell her father what she had seen.
Everybody from the ranch came back and killed it.
Despite the puzzling mention of bat-like wings, eagle feet and “thick black hairs”, the nestbuilding affiliation and “humming sound” while flying certainly ring with familiarity. The
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additional features may be the result of confusion with features of another creature. It’s
interesting to note how the flying serpents were not regarded as a species unto themselves but
rather were rattlesnakes transformed in an advanced age. While in the Marines I’d heard of a
similar belief from a Mexican friend who claimed in his native providence it was widely
accepted that when snakes grew very old, they developed feathers. He even claimed to have had
friends who’d seen feathered serpents.
B) Florentine Codex
The Florentine Codex [3] was an mid-16th century encyclopedia of Aztec history and culture
authored by Fray Bernardino de Sahagủn, a Franciscan friar who is regarded by some as the first
great ethnologist of the New World. Sahagủn wrote how amongst coastal inhabitants of the
Yucatán, Quetzalcóatl, the name given to the Aztec deity often portrayed as a plumed serpent,
was also known as a type of a flying snake:
He was not only the god, or the King of Tollan [Tula], but also a particular, small
venomous snake from…the former region of the Olmec… Its toxicity and mode of attack
were similar to the arboreal palm viper. ‘In order to bite you’ [the Old Ones told
Sahagủn],’first it flies, quite high up, well up it goes, and it just descends, upon whom or
what it bites. And when it flies or descends, a great wind blows. Wherever it goes, it
flies.’
Illustrations of a flying and attacking Quetzalcóatl Snake from the Florentine Codex.
Oklahoma
In personal correspondence, Kiowa professional writer Russell Bates has told me that during the
Depression Era as cars were abandoned for the more feasible and affordable horse thus allowing
travelers a greater exposure to surrounding wildlife, stories began to emerge of flying snakes
being seen in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma.
To the Cherokee of Oklahoma, such stories may have been thought to be
referring to the Uktena [4], a serpent-like creature said to have sparkling scales
and being capable of flying higher than an eagle.
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Texas
In June of 1873 a flying serpent was seen over Bonham, Texas. After the incident was printed in
the local paper it was picked up by no less than the New York Times which published the
following article on July 6 of that year.
Bonham, TX --The very worst case of delirium tremens on record is one told by the
Bonham (Texas) Enterprise, which says that a few days ago a man residing five or six
miles from that place "saw something resembling an enormous serpent floating in a
cloud that was passing over his farm. Several parties of men and boys, at work in the
fields, observed the same thing, and were seriously frightened. It seemed to be as large
and long as a telegraph-pole, was of a yellow striped color, and seemed to float without
any effort. They could see it coil itself up, turn over, and thrust forward its huge head as
if striking at something.
The skepticism expressed by the Times does not come as any surprise. Though the size of the
specimen is gigantic in comparison with standard reports, it may have been due to an optical
illusion, as an object in the sky has nothing but empty space against which to compare size.
Adding credence to the sighting is the description given of how the serpent flew: coiling itself,
turning over and then thrusting forward. Such described motions coincide well with the citations
of twisting or twirling some witnesses described as the serpents performed corkscrew
maneuvers.
Caddo depictions of flying “water” serpents engraved on the
bottom of a conch shell cup [5].
The spectacle the farmers beheld likely would have had a much different reception to the Caddo
Indians of Texas, for their familiarity with winged serpents is evident by engraved images
displayed on their pottery.
Alabama
The Caddo weren’t the only ones who found flying serpents as a suiting design for pottery.
Amongst artifacts excavated at Moundville are pots depicting winged snakes [6].
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South Carolina
Fifteen years after the article on a sightings of a giant flying snake in Texas was published, on
May 30, 1888, the Times reported yet another flying snake, this time seen in South Carolina.
Columbia, S.C., May 29. – Closely following the appearance of the hand of flame in the
heavens above Ohio comes a story from Darlington County, in this State, of a flying
serpent. Last Sunday evening, just before sunset, Miss Ida Davis and her two younger
sisters were strolling through the woods, when they were suddenly startled by the
appearance of a huge serpent moving through the air above them. The serpent was
distant only two or three rods when they first beheld it, and was sailing through the air
with a speed equal to that of a hawk or buzzard, but without any visible means of
propulsion. Its movements in its flight resembled those of a snake, and it looked a
formidable object as it wound its way along, being apparently about 15 feet in length.
The girls stood amazed and followed it with their eyes until it was lost to view in the
distance. The flying serpent was also seen by a number of people in other parts of the
county early in the afternoon of the same day, and by those it is represented as emitting a
hissing noise which could be distinctly heard. The negroes in that section are greatly
excited over the matter. Religious revival meetings have been inaugurated in all their
churches, and many of them declare that the day of judgment is near at hand.
The article notes how to the witnesses the snake seemed to fly “without any visible means of
propulsion” just as other witnesses also have described the reptiles as seemingly flying without
any discernible wings. The Times also cites that the snake produced a “hissing noise,” a
characteristic closely associated with flight, as covered earlier.
Florida
Richard Muirhead, an English researcher with a particular interest in reports of unusual reptiles,
came upon an interesting passage in a book called “Myths of Ancient Science” by Edmund
Goldsmid, published in 1886: ‘Hieronymu Benzo, in his account of the New World and of the
French expedition to Florida, in chapter 4 on page 480 it states:
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“I saw a certain kind of Serpent which was furnished with wings, and which was killed
near a wood by some of our men. Its wings were so shaped that by moving them it could
raise itself from the ground and fly along, but only at a very short distance from the
earth.”
It may have been such encounters by early European explorers that, during the early
seventieth century, served as the inspiration for Dutch artist Crispijn de Passe to
include a winged serpent in an engraving entitled “America” [7].
Winged serpent of Crispijn de Passe’s America.
CONCLUSION
Pursuing evidence of "Snake-That-Flies" may have become a race against time. The majority to
whom I have spoken on the matter believe the animals are on the decline, if not already extinct in
some areas. What contributes to their demise, beyond human agency, is unclear. What becomes
clear is that, without acknowledgement or proper recognition, and without subsequent
monitoring, the species very well may be lost even before it is 'found.'
Seeking out the serpents need not necessarily entail lengthy search and survey efforts into areas
of previous sightings. If an open atmosphere were created that conveyed official interest in the
animals, say, via local media, it might inspire those familiar with active dwelling sites to step
forward and submit their knowledge of potential locations. People may also be more willing to
cooperate if given reassurance that researching the animals does not have to result in capturing or
killing a specimen. Whereas zoological discovery has always mandated a kill be made for close
study (even to the point where already limited populations where brought to near extinctions to
satisfy scientific interest as with the Great Auk) the department of Fish and Wildlife would be in
a unique position to set a new standard by acknowledging the cultural reverence towards the
reptile and thereby ensuring appropriate respect for the snake is placed foremost, thereby
replacing the rifle, cage and dissection table with the camera, binoculars and patience.
Scientific implications aside, the greatest merit to such a discovery is that such an animal's
acknowledgement would vindicate the rationality of traditional tribal knowledge and culture.
Historically the tendency has been to dismiss native conceptual understandings of matters
pertaining to nature, only to have many of them validated years later. The symbiotic relations of
humans and animals, the medicinal values of particular flora, and even the intertwining
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complexities of ecosystems in the New World are just a few examples. As well, acknowledging
and proving such a creature, which long has been known to tribes of the Southwest, would serve
to remind that Indo-European science has observed these continents only for five hundred years.
And that there remains a lot of catching-up to do with those native peoples whose devoted study
of this land outstrips the 'civilized' scientific observations by twelve thousand years and more.
Which would leave us with the pressing question as to what other forms of special knowledge
remain with the traditional native peoples of this continent that may be lost to time and enduring
prejudice before having ever being sought or understood.
Nick Sucik
P.O. Box 306
Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039
(928) 380-1302
[email protected]
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Reference Sources:
1. http://www.ubu.com/ethno/visuals/navajo04.html
2. http://www.ubu.com/ethno/visuals/navajo03.html
3. Neil Baldwin. Legends of the Plumed Serpent: Biography of a Mexican God. New York:
PublicAffairs, 1998.
4. http://www.cherokeeheritage.org/chpottery/dinnerware/dinnerware03.html
5. http://www.texasindians.com/spiro1.htm
6. http://museums.ua.edu/oar/stolenartifacts/bottles/NED10.htm
7. http://www.psyeta.org/sa/sa2.1/sax.html
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