The Wendigo: An Indigenous American Demon Born from Human Greed

Long before the tropes of Hollywood monster films were established, this cannibalistic creature haunted humans and feasted on their flesh. Created out of greed, the wendigo is typically described as an emaciated being with sharp, pointy teeth.

Various Algonquian-speaking First Nations in North America describe the wendigo (or windigo) as bloodthirsty with the capacity to spread evil among individuals or communities.

Psychiatrists in the early 20th century used “wendigo” to describe patients who believed they possessed cannibalistic desires. The medical community is still in disagreement over whether the condition actually exists.

How Does One Become A Wendigo?

Wendigo legends reveal the beliefs, lifestyles, social structures, and traditions of the First Nations. In most myths, humans become wendigos after becoming greedy or becoming weak due to harsh conditions like hunger and cold. In other stories, people turn into the creature when possessed by a sly spirit.

Most tales begin with a person or a small group who were stranded and starving in the wilderness. The monster would kill lone travelers or a group member, temporarily adopt their personality, and then kill other humans it comes across. In essence, these legends are warnings about loneliness, selfishness, and the value of community.

What Does A Wendigo Look Like?

Just as there are spelling variations of “wendigo,” there are numerous versions of the monster. Some stories describe it as having ash-colored, mummy-like skin with protruding bones. In other tales, it is a well-fleshed giant that grows proportionately bigger the more it consumes victims. Other myths describe it as having horns or antlers sprouting from its head, as well as pointed or animal-like ears.

The creature, in most stories, possesses supernatural strength and endurance that allows it to pursue, overwhelm, and devour its prey. Typically, it also has exceptional hearing, eyesight, and smell.

Some who claim to who have witnessed the mythological creature say it’s related to Bigfoot while others believe the creature is more akin to a werewolf. The creature resides in cold areas, so wendigo sightings tend to occur in Canada and occasionally in northern states like Minnesota or the Great Lakes region.

Wendigos In Pop Culture

The wendigo has appeared more recently in pop culture compared to other creatures such as vampires and werewolves. It is a major antagonist in several of Stephen King’s novels, with the author describing it as an “ancient ghoulish demon” that has “gleaming eyes with ram’s horns for ears.”

There are also comics and graphic novels about the creature such as Marvel’s “Wendigo” and Mathieu Missoffe’s “The Curse of the Wendigo.” It also appears in TV shows such as “Supernatural,” “Charmed,” and “Grimm.”

In the game “Until Dawn,” those who turn into a wendigo become skeletal and yet stronger. They appear to prefer hunting prey alone as opposed to in packs. Since they can use some human-like tricks to entice their prey, they don’t seem to completely lose their humanity.

Read more about myths and legends.

Photo by Chase Norton (CC BY 2.0).

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Gillan Ropero

Hi! I'm Gillan, a digital journalist and web designer who loves learning new things, reading books, gaming, and my 6-year-old dog named Chewie.