by Rissa Watkins

Created on: February 10, 2008

Hummingbirds have long been part of myths and legends. The Mayans believed the bird to be the sun in disguise courting a beautiful woman who is the moon. Hopi and Zuni legends tell of hummingbirds convincing the gods to bring rain to help humans. Aztecs believed the god of music and poetry took the form of a hummingbird and went into the underworld to make love to a goddess, who then gave birth to the first flower. The Chayma people of Trinidad believed the hummingbirds to be dead ancestors so there was a taboo against harming them. After recent events I am inclined to believe the Chayma.

I had always thought hummingbirds were pretty little birds and nothing more until my wedding. After losing my mother had ten years earlier her absence was greatly felt on this day. We were married outside next to a fountain. What I didn't realize was that a hummingbird stayed near the fountain during the whole ceremony.

Hummingbirds like water so this wasn't too surprising. What was surprising is that in every picture that included my father, one hummingbird was beside him. In the pictures with my in-laws, there was no hummingbird. The hummingbird appeared only in the pictures where my mother would have been. To me it seemed she was there with me on my special day.

Just recently my three year old little boy had to have surgery. After he bravely walked away to go into surgery we were escorted into the waiting room. I glanced out the window and all of a sudden a hummingbird showed up by the flowers. It hovered for a moment and then flew up over the building towards where my son was taken.

It came back a short time later and hovered some more. It did this a few more times and then it was gone. I was still looking out the window for it when they called me to the recovery room. My son's surgery went well and he recovered very quickly. It was as if my mother was watching out for him and keeping him safe.

Whether or not these hummingbirds were the spirit of my mother doesn't really matter. What matters is they helped me feel close to her when I needed her. This is my own personal myth about hummingbirds that I share with you. The next time you see a hummingbird, smile and remember she is a symbol of a much beloved mother. At least to this writer.

Sources:
http://hummingbirdworld.com/h/native_ american.htm

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