The tale of the Wendigo comes from Native American tribes residing in northern United States and Canada. While these tribes had slight differences with their descriptions, it was clear that the Wendigo was an evil, cannibalistic being of the supernatural. Always hungry but never full. They've become symbols for the cold winters and starvation one may face in the far north.
The appearance of a Wendigo changes a bit from telling to telling, tribe to tribe. Basil Johnston, scholar of the Owijbe tribe in Ontario, Canada, had this description of the being:
The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. What lips it had were tattered and bloody [....] Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.A commonality amongst the stories regarding Wendigo tells of how humans can become one. Sometimes, it is be the evil spirit of a Wendigo to compel them to eat flesh. Others, it is just the cannibalistic act is enough for one to turn into the monster, usually a means to stave off starvation during a long winter. Many have told the tale of the Wendigo as a deterrent from performing cannibalism, calling it 'taboo' in their traditions.
In our modern age, when stories such as these became more available, it wasn't long before the Wendigo would make an appearance.
For example, the Wendigo appeared in Marvel comics in 1973, first appearing in a comic starring the Incredible Hulk.
While the creature looks more white-furred and muscle bound than the source material, it still had a lot of the original aspects of the old story. The 'Curse of the Wendigo' was brought down by the Inua, the Northern Gods, to deter people from cannibalism. The creature has appeared many times since, fighting the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Canadian superteam known as Alpha Flight. Sometimes, this Wendigo is more animal than human, simply shouting the word 'Wendigo'. Occasionally, you'll find a few that retain their intelligence and can even speak like a regular person as well, usually because they made the change through magic.
An interesting take on a creature in the super hero stories. How about more into the horror?
In 'The Secret World', the Wendigos are present on Solomon Island, a fictional island in north-eastern United States. While the place also suffers from a fog bringing the undead and creatures known as Draug (think undead viking monsters) at the time, the Wendigo have been around long before.
Much like the folk stories, they were people corrupted by dark spirits to eat human flesh and turn into monsters. Some hunt alone, while others group into packs led by an alpha. No surprise that they also must consume flesh to sate their neverending hunger.
The tribe on the island, the Wabanaki (actually a confederacy of tribes in real life) have had a history hunting Wendigos. When the players arrive on the island, they also get the opportunities to fight and kill them as well. They encounter more loners in the beginning parts, mostly in Kingsmouth Town and the Savage Coast. When they reach the Blue Mountain area, that is when they'll encounter more of the packs.
So, we still got a heavy connection to the original material with a few shades of new takes on the creature. What about another, more recent game that has their take on the Wendigo?
(This heads into a bit of spoiler territory for those who haven't played the game. You've been warned.)
Released for PS4 near the end of August 2015, 'Until Dawn' is an interactive horror game where you can decide the course of how a story goes for the characters involved. They all could live or die thanks to your choices.
Anyway, as you can no doubt tell, the Wendigos make an appearance in the game, though not immediately. As the main characters are simply a group of friends getting together after a year of tragedy (short version, one guy lost his twin sisters on the same mountain they're going to again), we don't exactly learn the full story up front. We learn along with them, such as the very real appearance of the Wendigos.
Much like the previous entries, these Wendigos were born through evil souls of the mountain, causing those who become inhabited by them to develop a taste for human flesh. They transform into tall but wiry bodies, capable of incredible strength and moving fast in short bursts. Their claws can cut through flesh and bone like butter, with teeth capable of biting through flesh in one chomp. Their eyes, however, can only sense movement and not full on figures, making them quite dangerous in the dark.
Surprisingly enough, this take on the Wendigo is slightly more accurate compared to the previous entries. A note on the Wendigo's description in the Native American tales is of an emancipated figure, a sign of however much they try to eat, they will never feel full. They are also more feral hunters, often willing to fight each other over prey so that they can eat it instead.
Overall, looking at a few samples in today's use of old folklore and mythology, the Wendigo is one that has been treated fairly accurately. No real major deviation from the original source, the main message of the monster is well shown (cannibalism bad) and the overall designs are enough to be considered threatening.
Looking forward to seeing more appearances by the Wendigo. Certainly seems like a perfect alternative monster.
Tune in next week for another article for our Monster Month.
Until next time...
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