The Wendigo - An Aboriginal Nightmare
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Aboriginal folklore is filled with stories and tales both fascinating and intriguing. The vast majority of this passed down through oral tradition, and this has been the case for thousands of years.
Many of these stories have a moral which connects to the lifestyle of that specific Aboriginal tribe or community, to such an extent that spiritualism and lifestyle are merged as one. A fine example of this is the wendigo, which tells the moral that isolation and selfishness are to be avoided, and the importance of community is paramount.
The Wendigo, or Windigo as it is also spelled, is a type of malevolent spirit belonging to the Algonquin tribe of North America. According to most oral traditions, the wendigo is a monstrous cannibal who preys upon the weak and socially disconnected, killing and eating its victims to sustain itself and stave off an evil hunger.
There are a few different interpretations on how a wendigo is born, however, the two most well known are as follows. The first is that a human becomes a wendigo after their spirit is corrupted by greed, and/or weakened by extreme conditions like famine and cold. The second is that a human becomes a wendigo after being possessed by an evil spirit during a moment of weakness. The final interpretation is that a human will become a wendigo after resorting to cannibalism.
Just like how there are a few different interpretations for how a wendigo is made, there's also a number of different variations on what the creature looks like. Sometimes a wendigo is described as extremely thin, with its bones and skull pushing through its ashy skin.
Other times a wendigo is believed to be well muscled and giant, growing larger each time it consumes a victim.
Lastly, certain legends state that a wendigo has pointed animal ears, with horns or antlers sprouting out of its head. Its eyes are sunken deep into the skull and glow like red hot coals on a fire. Their teeth are sharp, pointed, and are accompanied by horrifically bad breath and equally bad body odor.
In most cases of the legend, a wendigo is endowed with supernatural powers and abilities which allow it to better hunt, kill, and eat its prey. The first two are superhuman strength and stamina, which allow it to overpower and outrun anything it comes across. More often than not, the wendigo has enhanced eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell.
Perhaps the most eerie of all, however, is the ability to move with the speed of the wind and run across deep snow and water without sinking.
To kill a Wendigo has varying levels of difficulty depending on which legend you choose. According to some, the Wendigo can be killed by conventional weapons such as a club, blade, or bullet.
On the other hand, certain legends claim that a wendigo can only be killed by being subdued, its frozen heart cut out of its chest and then melted upon a roaring fire. Lastly, some legends say that only a highly skilled aboriginal spiritual leader, also known as a shaman, can dispatch a Wendigo with a specific spell or ritual.
No matter which legend you choose to believe in, the wendigo revolves around a number of ideas, which speaks volumes about the culture that made these stories. One way to create a wendigo was becoming possessed after suffering extreme cold and hunger, which the Algonquin people dealt with each winter. Food becomes rare, the cold bites day and night, and isolation can drive people mad.
The legend of the wendigo highlights the importance of community, generosity, and selflessness, and what can happen to those who are left outside of said community. Most stories about wendigo’s begin with a group becoming isolated and food running out, which gives clarity to the historical origins of the legend.
In the end, the wendigo shows us that greed, selfishness, and isolation can cause terrible things to happen. Families can be broken, people lose trust in each other, and worst case, people die due to a lack of empathy.
Conor Bruce
Conor is an aspiring professional writer. Interested in a variety of genres from fantasy, science fiction, and action. In his free time he often reads, enjoys a video game or two, and writes his various ideas on the side.
