It’s an Algonquin cryptid / monster with an insatiable hunger for human flesh and a love of murder. Generally greedy and evil. Also known to smell bad.
Honors our native heritage and says something about our beloved country’s strength of character.
The more I read about it and learned about these stories as a kid from my parents and Elders … the more I realize that it is also a metaphor or life lesson about who we are as people and humanity as a whole.
Wendigo in many legends was originally just a man or woman like you or me or anyone. They are infected or affected by a mysterious force and changed to become a hunter of people. Many of the legends talk about how Wendigo is basically just out hunting, doing things like a hunter does, tracking, following, hiding, creeping towards their prey … but the prey are humans, people, families, children, etc. They are intelligent, speak, understand, communicate, can trick people but they can also be tricked, they can also be dumb, silly, wise or completely wild.
The metaphor is that we are all capable or prone to becoming infected with dark forces if we allow them and change us into beings that will take from others and even kill them to enrich ourselves or prolong our lives.
Many believe that Wendigos still live and prey on people all over the world … but instead of hunting and preying on people in the forests and wilderness … they live and work in corporations and governments.
Yeah, it’s definitely a powerful metaphor for greed. The image of something constantly starving, never satiated no matter how much it eats, miserable and ravenous and destructive is clearly not something to strive for. I was reading that in some legends Wendigo just grow in proportion to how much they consume, so they never feel less hungry, they just get bigger. Kinda reminds one of how corporations function, with a constant drive to acquire and grow, but they never reach a point of satisfaction, where they’re big enough. They just take and take as much as they’re capable of.
That’s the other difference with Windigo legends across North America. I’m Ojibway from northern Ontario and I grew up with my own variety of stories from my family about this creature. But I’ve heard of other variations from the prairies, from Hudson Bay, northern Quebec, the American midwest and around the Great Lakes region and all the stories are different and unique to their regions. Some similarities and common themes but all different. Then you mix in there the Hollywood marketing and imagery of deer skulls, loose flesh and all that scary stuff.
But I always enjoyed the core metaphoric message that this is a greedy, flood thirsty animal that was once a man and now wants to consume everything and everyone.
Wendigo
It’s an Algonquin cryptid / monster with an insatiable hunger for human flesh and a love of murder. Generally greedy and evil. Also known to smell bad.
Honors our native heritage and says something about our beloved country’s strength of character.
The more I read about it and learned about these stories as a kid from my parents and Elders … the more I realize that it is also a metaphor or life lesson about who we are as people and humanity as a whole.
Wendigo in many legends was originally just a man or woman like you or me or anyone. They are infected or affected by a mysterious force and changed to become a hunter of people. Many of the legends talk about how Wendigo is basically just out hunting, doing things like a hunter does, tracking, following, hiding, creeping towards their prey … but the prey are humans, people, families, children, etc. They are intelligent, speak, understand, communicate, can trick people but they can also be tricked, they can also be dumb, silly, wise or completely wild.
The metaphor is that we are all capable or prone to becoming infected with dark forces if we allow them and change us into beings that will take from others and even kill them to enrich ourselves or prolong our lives.
Many believe that Wendigos still live and prey on people all over the world … but instead of hunting and preying on people in the forests and wilderness … they live and work in corporations and governments.
Now I need to go watch “Prey”, again.
Yeah, it’s definitely a powerful metaphor for greed. The image of something constantly starving, never satiated no matter how much it eats, miserable and ravenous and destructive is clearly not something to strive for. I was reading that in some legends Wendigo just grow in proportion to how much they consume, so they never feel less hungry, they just get bigger. Kinda reminds one of how corporations function, with a constant drive to acquire and grow, but they never reach a point of satisfaction, where they’re big enough. They just take and take as much as they’re capable of.
That’s the other difference with Windigo legends across North America. I’m Ojibway from northern Ontario and I grew up with my own variety of stories from my family about this creature. But I’ve heard of other variations from the prairies, from Hudson Bay, northern Quebec, the American midwest and around the Great Lakes region and all the stories are different and unique to their regions. Some similarities and common themes but all different. Then you mix in there the Hollywood marketing and imagery of deer skulls, loose flesh and all that scary stuff.
But I always enjoyed the core metaphoric message that this is a greedy, flood thirsty animal that was once a man and now wants to consume everything and everyone.
“It’s just a prank, Han!”