Hurray! You found the Wendigo cryptid cache at Hemlock Crossing!
History of Wendigos:
Wendigo folklore is found in Algonquin speaking people, primarily from the Ojibwe, Cree, Innu, and Saulteaux tribes. Many Wendigo myths are cautionary tales about the importance of prioritizing your community rather than focusing solely on yourself. Primarily seen as a gaunt humanoid creature with glowing eyes and fangs, and occasionally antlers, a Wendigo is a human who transforms into a terrifying monster due to spiritual possession or as a punishment for cannibalism. During the transformation, Wendigos exhibit selfishness, violence, hunger, and greed.
Modern day:
Most modern Wendigo depictions lean into the horror side of the Wendigo myth and rarely focus on the moral lessons that come from traditional folklore. Wendigos appear in books like Pet Sematary by Stephen King and Solar Storms by Linda K. Hogan and in TV shows such as Supernatural, Teen Wolf, and Grimm. Most of these depictions see the Wendigo only as a monstrous creature that stalks through heavily wooded areas.
Fun facts about Wendigos:
- Wendigos show up in Marvel Comics! Marvel created a character called Wendigo, a cursed monster that appears when someone eats human flesh in the Canadian wilderness. It has fought characters like the Hulk and Wolverine.
- American writer Louise Erdrich’s poem “Windigo” (1984) tells of a man trapped inside a Wendigo who abducts a young girl, then releases his spirit. Her novel The Round House (2012) centers on an Ojibwe boy in North Dakota seeking justice after his mother is harmed. He uses the Wendigo legend to explore views of retribution and justice among the boy’s tribe versus those of the U.S. government.
- In Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toro’s movie Antlers (2021), the Wendigo is a deerlike creature. The story combines supernatural horror and generational trauma in a small-town setting.
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