Last time I did a Mythical Creature Saturday, it was about a fully local myth. This week, I’m going to do one on a myth that is exclusively North American, and more specifically, native American: The Wendigo.
What is Wendigo?
A Wendigo is usually portrayed as a creature that was once human but became an evil spirit after consuming human flesh for one reason or another. This causes them to continuously crave human flesh, ignoring all other sources of food. They are thus changed into immortal beings, eternally cursed to wander the earth, searching for human flesh to devour. As they consume flesh, they grow in size proportional to their meal, so that not matter how much they eat, they are never filled. Despite their large size, they have the appearance of being extremely emaciated with taunt skin, sunken eyes and blistered, bloody lips.
Wendigo Origins
The wendigo is a myth native to the Algonquian-speaking tribes in Northern American. The wendigo was strongly associated with the harsh conditions of the northern winter and the famine that sometime accompanied them. The legend reinforced that fact that the eating of human flesh was taboo even in the most desperate of situations. Some viewed the wendigo as an entity separate from humans, being a cabalistic, malevolent spirit or manitous
Wendigo Abilities
Accustomed to roaming the rugged terrain of the forests of the northern United States, the wendigo is a master hunter. It is said to have supernatural speed and strength as well as stealth, being able to easily hide itself amongst the forest foliage. Its large size also gives it a formidable advantage. Some stories even claim that that wendigoes can control the weather by means of dark magic. It is also posited that a human can become a wendigo by being possessed by the spirit of one, usually through a dream. Once possessed, the person would go mad and begin eating human flesh, until they themselves became a wendigo.
How to defeat a Wendigo
Though the traditional Native Americans had no method to kill a wendigo, popular culture claims that one can kill the creature by using silver weapons, similar to those that can be used to kill werewolves. It is also said that if you can get close enough to the creature, you can set it on fire and burn it to death
Why Wendigoes are awesome
1) They are immortal. That’s always a plus.
2) They have super speed, strength and stealth.
Why Wendigoes suck
1) You have to eat human flesh to become one… @_@
2) Being eternally starving is no way to spend your immortality
I think that wendigoes are perhaps one to the darkest and most hopeless myths in existence. What do you think? And if you want, recommend a creature for me to do next week. See ya!!
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