The Quileute Legends of the Cold Ones is Fiction

The Quileute Tribe can be found in La Push, Washington, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, tribesmen having inhabited this area for centuries. A lot has changed for the past hundred years, but the culture of the tribe is passed on through the Quileute Elders, as well as its tales and folklore.

One disclaimer is worthy of note. The Twilight book series, authored by Stephenie Meyer, delves deeply into the Quileute myths, and among them is the legend of “The Cold Ones”. This is the only fictitious legend that Stephenie Meyer states she has invented, only adding the story of the the Cold Ones, also known as vampires, in context to the novel plot. The Cold Ones are therefore not truly a part of the Quileute myths that have been passed on through time. All other characters in the novel, however, have been based according to her research regarding the Quileute tribe.

The Quileute Folklore contains several interesting characters. Q’wati was the greatest among them, being a sort of God, or Creator. Not only that, but to the tribe, he was their protector and mentor. It was said that he created the first men by changing two wolves into people – man and woman. Further in their legends, he was the reason why deers have antlers and beavers have tails. Aside from these, he was also said to have created the Neah people, the Queet, and the Hoh people. In fact, he has been the source of credit for the legends of six tribal societies originating from the the elk hunter, the whale hunter, the fisherman, the medicine man and the weather predictor.

The Basket Ogress, Dask’iya, is a cannibal woman the Quileute believed to capture children in her basket and carry them home to eat them. The legends about her are most often used to scare children from bad behavior. It is more likely than not that the modern stories about the bag lady originated from this particular Quileute folklore.

The Thunderbird as described by the Quileute, is an enormous avian large enough to carry a whale in its claws. It was said that he rescued the Quileutes from starvation by bringing them the whale to feed on. The Chief, as the legend states, prayed to the Great Spirit for assistance, and they believe that the Thunderbird was the manifestation of this prayer. They regard the Thuderbird with respect as the it was their savior in the time they were starving.

The Raven, is the trickster in the legends not exclusive to the Quileute tribe, but also spanning the surrounding tribes. It was through his mistakes that he learned. As described, he was lazy, arrogant, deceitful, and generally behaved badly. In one of these legends, he deceived his wife so that he can eat all the food that was given to them. These tales gave way to the selfsame fables read to children today in order to convey the right and the wrong.

Up til now, Quileute legends have influenced their tribesmen, and through additional hype in modern literature and cinema, have once again tickled the interest of many.