The Wendigo is a demonic spirit rooted in Algonquin-based Native American folklore. In some scary stories, this supernatural creature can curse and possess humans, causing them to suffer from cannibalistic urges and psychosis that can never be sated. It’s believed many individuals can be infected by this single ancient evil, serving as multiple extensions of it.
Where did Wendigo legend come from? The myth originated as a way to prevent those facing extreme hunger in times of famine from resorting to cannibalism for survival. The Wendigo mythology later morphed into a way to encourage moderation and cooperation within tribes. Anyone guilty of greed or jealousy, or anyone who had ever tasted human flesh, was considered tainted and prey for the beast. Tribes began to appoint Wendigo-slayers-for-hire , and those who were believed to be transforming into a Wendigo would be slain.
The Wendigo Originated As An Evil Spirit Able To Possess Humans
When hunting for wendigo facts, you’ll need to sift out the actual history from the modern Internet lore. The earliest version of the Wendigo legend came from Algonquin-based Native American tribes and describes it as an evil spirit or demonic entity that was able to possess humans and, in some cases, even transform into human beings themselves. Those who had previously been driven to commit cannibalism as a desperate act of self-preservation could be affected by the evil entity – as could anyone harboring feelings of greed.
This malevolent spirit is driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Any human possessed by it would slip into a mindless state like some flesh-craving zombie.
The Wendigo Legend Evolved From Spirit Into Physical Form
While earlier Native American cultures spoke of the Wendigo as a spirit, eventually, it took on the shape of a physical beast. This beast can also infect a person tainted by greed or had committed the sin of consuming human flesh. Like the spirit, the creature was able to taint the minds of humans, turning them into a Wendigo and forcing them to constantly crave the meat of humans.
The emaciated creature has a stag skull head, sunken eyes, and skin stretched impossibly tight over its bones. This shambling skeletal beast is similar to a zombie not just in its seemingly mindless hunger, but also in its form. It is strikingly tall yet seems fragile and haggard, falling apart from decomposition as it moves.
The Wendigo Has Supernatural Hunting Abilities
Whether in the form of a beast or a spiritual entity, the Wendigo possesses supernatural abilities that make it impossible to escape. Despite its gaunt figure, it is unnaturally large, fast, and strong, with heightened senses and endurance. The Wendigo is a hunter immune to even the harshest climates.
It stalks its prey and can mimic human voices, so its favorite pastime is luring people away from safety and driving them mad deep in the wilderness in order to consume or possess them.
Wendigo Fever Drives People Mad Before Fully Possessing Them
Some say the Wendigo infects its host slowly, tormenting them as it takes over the mind and body. It begins with strange odors that only the target can smell. They are plagued with nightmares – their sanity melting away from their sleep-deprived minds. They’ll experience an unbearable burning sensation throughout their legs and feet and usually end up stripping down, running without clothes through the forest like a madman. This is usually the last anyone sees of those cursed by the Wendigo. The few who’ve returned from the woods after suffering Wendigo fever have been utterly insane.
Among the more Unsettling Wendigo Facts, It Doesn’t Matter How Much It Consumes. Its Hunger Is Never Sated.
According to Algonquian myth, once a Wendigo eats another person, it grows directly in proportion to the person it just consumed, making it impossible for it to ever be full. It is the embodiment of gluttony, constantly consuming yet never satisfied, always on the brink of dire hunger.
The Wendigo Only Gets Deadlier With Age
According to the lore, the longer a Wendigo walks the Earth, the stronger its powers become. The creature can eventually gain the ability to control the weather and to call upon darkness before sunset.
The Wendigo also gains the ability to manipulate other creatures of the forest: it can summon predators and force them to strike on command. Its speed and strength also grow with age, as does its ability to heal.
Wendigo Psychosis Is A Real Psychological Disorder
While the name stems directly from the lore, Wendigo psychosis is a very real disorder where people develop an appetite for human flesh. This form of cannibalism is not considered the same as those who consume human meat in survival scenarios as the lore originally describes.
Wendigo psychosis describes an individual who has access to normal food sources yet feels overwhelmed by the need for human flesh.
A Cree Man Claimed To Have Been Possessed By A Wendigo
In 1878, a Cree man named Swift Runner was near a Hudson Bay Company’s supply post when he was overcome with the need to slay and eat his entire family.
Runner did confess, but blamed his actions on a Wendigo. He was sentenced to execution by authorities at Fort Saskatchewan.
A Medicine Man & Self-Proclaimed “Wendigo Slayer” Took 14 Lives
In 1907, Jack Fiddler, a Cree chief and his brother Joseph, were detained by Canadian authorities for slaying 14 people. Fiddler claimed that the people had all either transformed into Wendigos or were on the verge of doing so. Fiddler was a medicine man considered to have great powers capable of stopping the ancient evil, which is how he got away with executing so many people.
After his detainment, Fiddler took his life before he could stand trial. His brother was sentenced to death as his accomplice. Members of his community pleaded for his release. Unfortunately, he wasn’t granted a pardon until three days after his execution.
Wendigo Facts Include Rituals. Tribes Were So Terrified They Held Ceremonies To Ward Off The Evil
Many tribes took the Wendigo taboo so seriously that during times of famine, a ceremonial dance would be performed. The purpose was to reinforce the threat of the evil creature in the minds of the people during harsh winters. It also encouraged cooperation and moderation during trying times. The ceremonies were performed in northern Minnesota at Lake Windigo.
Stephen King’s Wendigo Hung Out In The Woods Surrounding A Pet Cemetery
Master of the macabre Stephen King had his own take on the old Wendigo lore. In his book, Pet Sematary, the Wendigo was responsible for reanimating whatever animal (or human) was interred in an old Micmac cemetery (which the Micmacs stopped using because they believed the land was sour). The Wendigo manipulated events throughout the story, infecting the character’s minds as they become more “stone-hearted” and susceptible to the ancient evil.
Whether human or pet, the resurrected cadavers came back horribly altered. They were strange and vicious and smelled horrible; they were nothing more than hosts for the Wendigo lurking in the woods.
On ‘Supernatural,’ Wendigo Facts & Lore Were Reimagined.
Although the Wendigo is the embodiment of excess, the TV show Supernatural took a somewhat different approach. The wendigo facts and lore were reimagined. It became a hibernating monster who eats live humans little by little.
The Wendigo hunted by the Winchester brothers was once human but has since become pure monster. It stops its feeding frenzy to hibernate and instead of infecting as many people as it can, it hunts humans and stores them as live food so it can snack whenever it wants.
As Dean Winchester put it, “More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time. When it’s awake, it keeps its targets alive. It stores them so it can feed whenever it wants.”
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