Among the monsters inhabiting the deep dark forests of the Great North in America, the Wendigo is one of the the scariest. This is a creature coming from the darkest corner. Compared to the cryptids as Bigfoot, this is far more intimidating, shocking, and sinister.
The Wendigo is described as “a mythological cannibalistic monster in the spiritual tradition of North American Algonquian-speaking tribes. It is associated with winter and described as either a fearsome beast that stalks and eats humans or as a spirit that possesses humans, causing them to turn into cannibals” (Britannica).
No surprise that the Wendigo is a popular motive in movies (Antlers, Ravenous, The Wendigo, and others) and literature: Algernon Blackwood’s “The Wendigo” is one of the most frightening horror stories ever written. The master of cosmic horror brings all the supernatural qualities of the Wendigo to the front.
The Wendigo as a physical beast is often an “emaciated figure” and extremely tall up to 4,5 meters. According to legends, it grows larger whenever it eats and devours its victims. Other dominant features are its antlers, glowing eyes, sharp long claws, and a horrible smell of rotten flesh. Their superior strength and speed leave their victims little chance of survival.
The interesting aspect here is the double nature of the Wendigo as a beast of the woods and an evil spirit. This is a bit similar to the Nantinaq. A Wendigo can possess humans after entering the person by biting him or through appearances in dreams. The affected person becomes a cannibal itself. There are some shocking stories about possession by a Wendigo as in the case of Swift Runner who claimed a Wendigo had told him to eat his family (Alberta, Canada 1879). He was hanged for his crimes later.
Most of all the Wendigo is a concept. It is an interesting case that proves again that the appearance and characteristics of otherworldly beings often relate to the land. The Great Northern with its endless wilderness caused many hardships. In the long winter, people were starving and isolated for months. Cannibalism and madness were a reality. The tough conditions on one side and historical developments as the gold rush were a breeding ground for corruption and greed. Some anthropologists claimed that the stories of the Wendigo were cautionary tales too. Their moral function was to impose a willingness to band together and share resources. No community can survive a greedy, selfish ego.
Certainly, the Wendigo is much more than a boogeyman invented to scare children not to go into the deep woods. The wendigo shares the same qualities as other supernatural beings and beasts. Most of all there is an ambiguity here: It is both physical and not physical. It is a shapeshifting demon. It is a monster but also a “demonic perspective”. The Wendigo can be something external or something psychological.
There is even a “Wendigo psychosis”. The term was used in the early 20th century for a “culture-bound syndrome among Native and First Nations” people” (Britannica). The psychosis leads to be belief in possession of an evil spirit and most significantly, a compulsion for human flesh – and in the end cannibalism. The existence of such a psychosis is however questionable.
There are several legends about the origins of a Wendigo. One legend says the first Wendigo was a lost hunter whose hunger drove him to cannibalism. Another story tells about a warrior who made a deal with the devil.
The Wendigo is an excellent example of how encounters with otherworldly encounters are transformed by cultural context. There is on one side a long tradition of powerful tales which gives the Wendigo credibility. Something must be out there in the Woods. On the other side, it shows that the stories may never tell what a Wendigo is. Any account has a certain perspective, a preset of the cultural belief system which in the case of the Wendigo seems to be driven by the landscape and its unique harsh conditions and last but not least the human condition.
The Wendigo has become again popular in recent feature films and on YouTube as creepypasta. If we remember that the Wendigo is also a symbol of insatiable greed and corruption it might be no coincidence that the Wendigo hunts our dreams. The otherworld mirrors ours.
