Starting Locally

The Wendigo

Since this is the first detailing actually mythology on this blog I believe it would be best to start with a story based in the area where I live and the most famous of these I know of is that of the wendigos. The word itself and all its variations can be roughly translated to "the evil spirit that devours mankind." According to the legends wendigos are a monster found around the great lakes region that hunt and eat humans out of both gluttony and famine, as they grow every time they eat a wendigo's hunger can never be satisfied. The monster was described as being exceptionally tall being at least 15 feet, a few rarer stories even reporting them to grow larger than mountains, being extremely malnourished as if the creature had not eaten anything in weeks. They were said to be superior to humans in all physical aspects being much stronger and faster than the average man. The creature was also reported to give off a smell of decay and appear to be rotting away while still alive. Wendigos hearts were said to be made of solid ice and the only way to kill them was to pierce the heart with a silver weapon which would render it stunned and then burn the monster to death.

Creation of a Wendigo

According to the legends Wendigo's were created when someone participated in cannibalism or was possessed by a evil spirit known by the same name but sometimes spelled as Windigo instead. In some less popular versions of the legend simply being excessively greedy could result in transforming into one. In all cases the resulting was the same less than human creature that would then stalk the forests until someone killed it.

Purpose of the myth

 The story would serve as a powerful deterrent against cannibalism if a group of native americans ended up without enough food to survive a harsh winter. This was especially true as the monsters were said to be eternally hungry living every moment as if starving for the rest of eternity or until killed. It also served as a warning against being overly greedy and a reminder of the importance of cooperation with others.

Modern Influences

Wendigo sightings were most popular in the early twentieth century when many settlers reported seeing them in and around communities often just before a death would occur.While rare wendigo sightings have continued into the modern day and there are even a few people who are self proclaimed "wendigo hunters." Additionally there is a rare medical condition referred to as Wendigo Psychosis in which the afflicted person has a strong craving for human meat even if other foods are available. The condition is extremely rare and believed to be a culture bond syndrome. The myth is also extremely popular in the media with references to them in many television shows and games such as Charmed, Grimm, Supernatural, The X-files, Hannibal, and Warcraft.