The Wendigo

Wendigo

The Wendigo (also Windigo, Wiindigoo, and numerous other variants, since the word appears in many
different Native American languages and dialects) is a spirit in Anishinaabe mythology. It has also become
a stock horror character much like the vampire or werewolf, although these fictional depictions often do
not bear much resemblance to the original mythology.
Nature


Etymology

The word “Wendigo” (pronounced wehn-dee-go) comes from the Native American Algonquian language,
meaning “evil spirit that devours mankind.”
Other names include Windigo, Witiko, Weedigo, Weeghtako, Weeghteko, Weendigo, Wee-Tee-Go,
Weetigo, Wehndigo, Wehtigo, Wendago, Wenigo, Wentigo, Wentiko, Wetigo, Whit-Te-Co, Whittico,
Wiendigo, Wihtigo, Wiitiko, Windago, Windiga (possibly a female version), Windagoe, Windagoo,
Windego, Wi’ndigo, Windikouk, Wintego, Wintigo, Wi’ntsigo, Wintsigo, Wi’tigo, Wittako, Wittikka, and
Wihtikow (seeing any similarities here?). Tribal names for the creature include Atcen, Atschen, Cheno,
Djenu, Ithaqua, Kokodje, Kokotsche, Outiko, and Vindiko.

Description/Morphology

The Wendigo is a terrifying beast. But because they are so swift, it is extremely difficult to get a good look
at the monster. Most are tall, have long limbs, and are extremely thin (because they are always hungry).
Most have no hair at all, but those that dwell in extremely cold climates can sometimes be found with
snow-white, gore-stained fur or matted, bloody hair. Its maw is filled with sharp yellowed fangs, and its
hands and feet end in razorlike talons. The Wendigo’s twisted lips are flecked with blood, and their long
tongues are a disgusting dark blue. Its eyes are one of its most frightening aspects, which range in color
from glowing red to bright yellow.
The lore on this beast is enormously diverse, all of which emphasize its size. The Wendigo is so big that
the human mind is unable to fully comprehend it, and the beast’s sheer size is enough to make the
human heart stop. The Wendigo is a hideous, abhorrent beast. Its gigantic maw is filled with needlelike
teeth, made all the more disturbing by its lack of lips (some say that the creature’s hunger is so great that
it devoured its own lips!)
Although vaguely human in appearance, it is nonetheless what most would call terribly deformed. Its
enormous eyes are yellow and protuberant like an owl’s (although some say that the eyes are pushed
deep into the sockets, and all that one can see is the terrible yellow glow). They are far larger than human
eyes, and are said to roll about in blood. It has massive, pawlike hands that end in talons that are a foot
long, while the beast’s feet are said to be three foot in length and have but a single toe, tipped with a
daggerlike nail. These the Wendigo uses to slash and tear at its victims. Some legends say that the
Wendigo may be missing toes, due perhaps to frostbite.

Behavior

The Wendigo is a purely anthropophagous beast, hungering for human flesh. It will go to any lengths to
procure this food, no matter the risk or possibility of injury. The Wendigo craves human flesh and is
constantly starving for it (indicated by the beast’s lean, wiry frame). The Wendigo is known to have its
preferences: the sweet fat of children, the soft skin of women, the course muscles of men (especially
warriors and hunters), or the brittle bones of the elderly. In preparation for long winters (when few
travelers are out and about), the Wendigo will stash away large pots filled to the rim with human remains
in the highest tree branches. On rare occasions, it will take humans alive and hide them away in its lair,
allowing the beast to feed whenever it wants. The Wendigo is more intelligent than many humans, and
thus understands the value of storing and saving its food. However, it will only resort to this when food is
scarce and it becomes desperate.
Since the Wendigo constantly hungers for human flesh, it wreaks destruction in its pursuit of its chosen
prey. It crashes through the forests, all the while uprooting trees, causing game animals to stampede, and
causing whirlwinds. The monster is often thought to be the cause of ice storms, tornadoes, and violent
winds. All of these weather-related phenomena are believed to signal the Wendigo’s presence.
When the Wendigo hunts, it stalks the victim for long periods. The chosen victim only has a dreadful
feeling of being followed. However, the Wendigo has a sadistic streak. It prefers to terrify its victims before
moving in for the kill. When it has had enough of stalking the victim, it lets out a growl or a shriek, which
resonates through the forest and terrifies the beast’s prey. They panic, firing weapons haphazardly into
the brush as the dense forest closes in on them. Eventually, the intended victim succumbs to insanity,
running wildly into the forest with abandon. In such a state, they are easy prey for the Wendigo.
The Wendigo has been known to enter cabins and other dwelling, unlocking them from the outside and
slaughtering the inhabitants, then proceeding to convert the cabin into its own lair. The Wendigo tends to
hibernate for long periods, ranging in length from a few months to years at a time. Once they awaken,
they go into a feeding frenzy, and after having eaten enough humans, it retreats to its lair and falls back
into hibernation once again.
The Wendigo inhabits the forests of the Great Lakes and Canada. The dreaded Wendigo King lives near
the Windigo River in Quebec. Kenora, Ontario is thought to be the “Wendigo Capital of the World”
because so many sightings and incidents have taken place there, and it attracted Wendigoes originally
because it used to be tribal grounds, with many Native American settlements scattered throughout the
area. Most caves, gullies, and canyons in central Canada will provide shelter for the Wendigo.
A Wendigo is rumored to live in the Cave of the Wendigo, near Mameigwass Lake in northern Ontario.
Any other area named after the Wendigo, such as Windigo River and Windigo Lake in Ontario, is bound
to be inhabited by this monster as well.
The Wendigo’s territory is vast, stretching from the Canadian Rockies and the Arctic Circle in the north, to
the Great Lakes regions and the Dakotas. It reigns supreme across the whole of Canada.

The Wendigo is a supernatural entity of enormous power, the embodiment of insatiable hunger, gluttony,
unbridled evil, and the savage predator. Befitting its bestial nature, the Wendigo possesses supernatural
strength, speed, endurance, and senses. The beast is able to rip a human apart with little effort, and the
Wendigo moves so quickly that it cannot be seen by the human eye. Any wounds that are inflicted on the
Wendigo’s body are healed very quickly, although wounds caused by silver tend to heal very slowly. It is
invulnerable to most conventional weapons, excluding arms incorporating pure silver. The Wendigo
thrives in even the harshest climates, immune to extremes of cold.
The Wendigo’s senses of sight, smell, and hearing are greatly enhanced, comparable to those of many
predatory animals. The Wendigo can see clearly in total darkness, and it may have some kind of infrared
vision, enabling it to see its prey by detecting its bodily heat emanations. Once the Wendigo has its prey’s
scent, it is able to follow it swiftly and precisely, no matter how far away the victim may be. It’s hearing is
so keen that it can hear the pounding of its fear-filled victim’s heart, which causes the beast’s own heart to
pound with joy and anticipation.
Besides sheer strength and animalistic ferocity, the Wendigo is armed with formidable array of weaponry:
its dreaded claws and fangs. The beast’s claws have been described as icicles, reflecting its utter
dominion over its freezing territory. These talons are designed for ripping through flesh with the slightest
touch, and one swipe from the Wendigo’s powerful claws can disembowel or decapitate a human. The
beast’s mouth is filled with long, needle-sharp fangs, made for slicing through flesh and sinew, as well as
for breaking bones. The Wendigo’s fangs can easily puncture a human skull. Far from being a stupid
beast, the Wendigo has a man’s intelligence and cunning, as well as the predatory instincts of an animal.
It is mystically attuned to every single tree, bush, rock, hill, or cave within its territory (which can be
considerably vast). The Wendigo uses this advantage to stalk its victims for hours on end, never being
seen or heard unless the monster chooses to reveal itself by means of a growl or a shriek. There is no
way to hide from the Wendigo, and it will not stop hunting until the victim’s broken, mutilated body lies at
its clawed feet.

The Wendigo excels in stealth, and it is said that the Wendigo moves on the wind and breezes in utter
silence. It can fill the air with an eerie, haunting siren by forcing the air through its blood-flecked lips. The
Wendigo is able to mimic human voices, which are most often cries for help. The beast’s roar is utterly
terrifying, and the fear it inspires cuts to the bone. When the freezing winds rise, it is said that the
Wendigo’s howls can be distinguished from the moan of the wind, letting people nearby know that a
monster lurks in their midst. For its prey, these warnings occur far too late to make any appreciable
difference.
Among the Wendigo’s host of supernatural abilities, the Wendigo Fever is perhaps the most feared. It is a
terrible curse, overtaking the mind and body of the unfortunate victim. The first symptom of the curse is a
strange scent, detectable only to the intended victim. After absorbing this disturbing odor, the victim
experiences a long night of weeping and horrifying nightmares. Upon awakening, the victim experiences a
burning pain in the legs and feet, which becomes so intense that the victim runs into the forest, shrieking
like a maniac, and discarding clothing and shoes all the while. Most of the curse’s victims never return,
although those who do return are irrevocably insane from their experiences of the curse and the Wendigo
itself. It is thought that most of the curse’s victims are devoured by the Wendigo.
The Wendigo, although a dire threat to mankind, shares a close kinship with the forest’s wildlife, mainly
predatory animals (such as the wolf, bear, raven, or eagle). The beast willingly shares its kills with these
companions, and these animals have been known to travel with the Wendigo.
As the Wendigo grows older, its powers over nature increase exponentially. The beast becomes a
shaman, extremely adept in the dark arts. With this power, the Wendigo can manipulate the weather,
creating storms of terrifying strength, and the beast can summon the midnight darkness hours before
sunset. The Wendigo may summon dangerous beasts from the deepest, darkest reaches of the forest
and command them to attack its enemies, traverse enormous distances in the blink of an eye, and heal
any wounds instantaneously (although injuries inflicted by silver may take longer to heal).
Despite the beast’s immeasurable amount of power, there are ways to protect oneself from the Wendigo.
If one is hunting this creature, a fire must be kept burning at all times. This will deter the Wendigo from
attacking, but only for so long. If burned, the wounds will quickly heal and will only make the beast angry.
Any means of mystical protection should be employed (amulets, protective spells, fetishes, and charms),
as these things hold power over the Wendigo. Headphones or earplugs must be used to block out the
beast’s maddening shrieks. However, one’s surest defense and greatest chance of survival during the
Wendigo’s attack is a firearm loaded with silver bullets, and a silvered blade (such as a sword or a knife).
The Wendigo cannot be hurt or killed by conventional methods or weapons, including blades or firearms.
However, silver is lethal to the Wendigo. Silver bullets or a pure silver blade (or silvered steel) can cause
the Wendigo great pain and can even kill the beast.
In order to permanently destroy the Wendigo, one must first find the beast. The Great Lakes region and
the forests of Canada are prime Wendigo territory. Beware, for the hunter may soon become the hunted.
After finding and incapacitating the beast (no easy task, be assured), a silver stake must be driven
through the Wendigo’s heart of ice, therefore shattering it. The shards of the Wendigo’s heart must be
securely locked in a silver box and buried in consecrated ground (such as a churchyard or a cemetery).
The Wendigo’s body must then be dismembered with a silver-plated axe, and each piece of the body
must be salted and burned to ashes (which must then be scattered to the four winds), or each piece must
be hidden in some remote, inaccessible location (i.e. the bottom of a lake, a chasm, the sea floor, or a
well). Failure to follow these procedures exactly will inevitably result in the Wendigo’s resurrection,
followed by its bloody vengeance. It will hunt down its killer, relishing and anticipating the taste of the
hunter’s blood in every single moment. Rest assured, the death that follows will be both slow and painful.
The Wendigo will take great pleasure in every single bit of agony it inflicts on its killer before finishing the
job and devouring the remains. Beware, as according to some legends, the Wendigo is indestructible.

History

Exactly how and when the first Wendigo came to be is lost to history and legend. But ever since that time,
the Wendigo has haunted the Great Lakes woodland and the cold forests of Canada for hundreds of
years. Among all creatures in Native American legend, the Wendigo is the most feared and powerful. The
Wendigo was once a man that broke a tribal taboo and ate human flesh. A malignant spirit possesses the
cannibal, and the Wendigo is born.
How does one become the Wendigo? There are numerous ways among the Native American people, but
the most common method is for a man to willingly engage in cannibalism. Hunters, campers, and hikers
(not necessarily Native Americans) most often travel with a companion, someone with whom they are
good friends and are able to trust. Although a rarity, when these people become hopelessly lost and
eventually run out of supplies, they inevitably turn on each other. Morality has no part of nature’s law. In
the end, only the strongest live and kills the other. The victor then feasts on the flesh of the corpse. This
heinous, blasphemous act is all that is needed to summon a malevolent spirit of the forest.
The spirit forcibly possesses the cannibal’s body, forcing the human soul out. The moment the cannibal is
touched by supernatural forces, he is overcome by extreme nausea and pain. He starts vomiting
uncontrollably, for hours at a time. Eventually, the cannibal loses enormous quantities of blood, and
inevitably dies. However, the body undergoes a terrifying transformation. The body grows in strength and
height, growing a thick coat of white fur. The human’s strength and weight increases greatly, gaining
supernatural powers in the process. The head takes on the features of a predatory beast, including the
growth of prominent fangs and sharp teeth. The fingernails and toenails grow into sharpened talons,
completing the transformation. The cannibal is then resurrected by the evil spirit, no longer a man, but a
bloodlusting beast known as the Wendigo.
Although cannibalism is the most common and potent method, one can become the Wendigo through
other means as well. Another common means is when a tribe is faced with a dire threat, a brave warrior
prays to an evil spirit of the forest. The spirit agrees, possessing the warrior and transforming him into the
Wendigo. This new form possesses more than enough power to deal with the threat, and after eliminating
it, the warrior-turned-monster flees into the forest, never to be seen again.
The Wendigo’s spirit has been known to jump from body to body as its own body wears out, and
possessing an individual causes them to become the beast. Dreaming of the Wendigo is another method,
probably caused by possession during the night. Like other supernatural beings, the Wendigo is able to
infect humans by biting them, causing the victim to become another Wendigo. A sorcerer’s curse will bring
the transformation on as well.
However, there are depraved individuals who are willing to become monsters. They start by fasting for
days at a time, and then journey into the forest. There, they offer their flesh to the Wendigo. Instead of
devouring them, the Wendigo may decide to adopt the human as one of its own children. Over time, they
become hairy, start to grow claws and fangs, develop a craving for raw human flesh, gain supernatural
abilities, and become a Wendigo themselves (although these individuals are weaker than the monster
that adopted them).
The Native Americans once feared (and still do) the Wendigo so much that small groups of brave, armed
men once actively hunted the beast in the past. One, a Cree Indian by the name of Jack Fiddler, had
claimed to have killed fourteen Wendigoes during his lifetime. He and his son, Joseph, were tried for the
murder of a Wendigo-possessed woman on October 7, 1907. Both men pleaded guilty for the crime,
explaining that the unfortunate woman had been possessed by the Wendigo’s spirit. On the verge of
completing the transformation, the Fiddlers killed her with silver bullets, which they said had to be done
before she turned on the tribe. As one can imagine, the judge and the jury were probably more than a little
skeptical of the idea of the alleged “possession” of the woman.
In the end, the Wendigo is notoriously difficult to destroy, nearly impossible to escape, and will sooner or
later devour its chosen victim. Its howl echoes throughout the surrounding area for miles, turning the
blood of those who hear the Wendigo’s cry into ice. Not a monster that one could encounter and hope to
survive.

The Wendigo in Native American mythology

In the mythology of the Algonquian-speaking tribes of Native Americans, the Wendigo is a malevolent
supernatural creature. It is usually described as a giant with a heart of ice; sometimes it is thought to be
entirely made of ice. Its body is skeletal and deformed, with missing lips and toes. According to Native
American mythology, it can be killed by shattering its heart of ice.
The first accounts of the Wendigo myth by explorers and missionaries date back to the 17th century. They
describe it rather generically as a werewolf, devil, or cannibal.
The Wendigo was usually presumed to have once been human. Different origins of the Wendigo are
described in variations of the myth. A hunter may become the Wendigo when encountering it in the forest
at night, or when becoming possessed by its spirit in a dream. When the cannibalistic element of the myth
is stressed, it is assumed that anyone who eats corpses in a famine becomes a Wendigo as a result. The
only way to destroy a Wendigo is to melt its heart of ice. In recent times, it has been identified with
Sasquatch or Bigfoot by cryptozoologists, but there is little evidence in the indigenous folklore for it being
a similar creature.
Perhaps this myth was used as a deterrent and cautionary tale among northern tribes whose winters were
long and bitter and whose hunting parties often were trapped in storms with no recourse but to consume
members of their own party. It could be indicative of starvation that the Wendigo is said to consume moss
and other unpalatable food when human flesh is unavailable. Its physical deformities are suggestive of
starvation and frostbite, so the Wendigo may be a myth based on a personification of the hardships of
winter and the taboo of cannibalism.
Actual Wendigo murder trials took place in Canada around the beginning of the 20th century. The
anthropologist Morton Teicher has described the alleged clinical condition of believing oneself to be a
Wendigo, which he calls Windigo Psychosis (note the spelling in this context: Windigo, rather than
Wendigo).
In some stories a Wendigo will follow a lone wanderer for a long time. When the prey becomes suspicious
and turns around the Wendigo always manages to get out of sight by hiding behind a tree. After a while
the followed person starts to become hysterical and runs until he makes an error. The Wendigo then
strikes. If someone actually survives a Wendigo attack they get the Wendigo-fever: after a night of
nightmares and pain in their legs, Wendigo-fevered people strip themselves naked and run into the forest
screaming.
In Cree mythology, the Windigo was a man-eating monster that was killed by the trickster hero
Wesakechak and an ermine which he persuaded to help him.

Windigo Psychosis

Windigo Psychosis is the medical term given to those people presumed "windigo" (cannibalistic). The
term applies to the Algonquin Ojibway, as well as Cree (Witigo). It is hard to pin down any real biological
causes, as hunger seems to be the only one. Rather it is more likely that windigo psychosis was a cultural
disease. The most commonly known cure for windigo psychosis is bear fat or bear grease.

The Wendigo in literature

Algernon Blackwood's 1910 Horror fiction|horror story The Wendigo introduced the legend to horror
fiction. Blackwood's story eschews the aspect of cannibalism in favour of a more subtle
psychological horror; a central theme is that whoever sees the Wendigo becomes the Wendigo
(or at least something rather like it). The reader never sees the Wendigo, though we witness the
progressive dehumanization of a character who has seen it. Blackwood based his story, he
claims, on an actual incident of Wendigo panic in a lonely valley while he lived in Canada. He
worked many details of the Native American legend into the story. Blackwood's Wendigo:
stalks hunters in the forest
can be heard crashing through the trees
leaves distinctive tracks
has a terrifying voice
is associated with insanity
eats moss.
However, Blackwood's Wendigo is not a former human, but a primordial pre-human spirit, in keeping with
Blackwood's private nature mysticism.
The Canadian poet George Bowering wrote a poem 'Windigo'. In it, he describes the Wendigo in
some detail:
His huge round eyes
bulge out of his head, lidless eyes
rolling in red blood of pain,
always rolling, blood sockets
behind them.
Ogden Nash wrote a humourous poem about the Wendigo, where the appearance of the Wendigo is
characterized with the lines:
Its eyes are ice and indigo!
Its blood is rank and yellowish!
Its voice is hoarse and bellowish!
Its tentacles are slithery,
And scummy,
Slimy,
Leathery!
Its lips are hungry blubbery,
And smacky,
sucky,
rubbery!
As Canadian author Margaret Atwood points out, Nash's description is only partly true to the legend, since
the Wendigo does not have blubbery lips, much less tentacles.
Windigo Psychosis features prominently in Thomas Pynchon's short story "Mortality and Mercy in Vienna"
· [1 ]
In the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft and his contemporaries, the Wendigo is another title
for Ithaqua the Windwalker, one of the Great Old One|Great Old Ones who seems to be restricted
to those parts of the earth that are predominantly cold, favouring Alaska and North America. This
is derived, via August Derleth, from Blackwood.
In Stephen King's novel Pet Sematary, the eponymous graveyard marks the path to another, older
burial ground, which in centuries past had been cursed by the Wendigo. Any corpse buried there
would be re-animated within the day, but as a cannibal. At one point in the novel the protagonist
believes that the Wendigo has passed in front of him in the woods; but it is a foggy night, and he
is fortunately unable to see it. The Wendigo is also presumably the form that the God of the Lost
takes in Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
The 1944 mystery novel Rim of the Pit by Hake Talbot features a windigo as a possible explanation
for a murderer who appears to be able to fly.
In Alan Moore's story "Allan and the Sundered Veil", which accompanied the graphic novel League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen, Allan Quatermain's body turns into a Wendigo during an astral travel
induced by a drug called Taduki.
In Michael Crichton's The 13th Warrior (originally titled Eaters of the Dead), the Wendigo myth is
linked to the Grendel character from Beowulf. Crichton even implies an etymological evolution
from 'Grendel' to 'Wendigo.'
In the juvenile-oriented Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark by Alvin Schwartz ScaryStories|Alvin
Schwartz, the Wendigo was described as "attract[ing] victims by calling to them in an irresistible
way, then bears them away at great speed, finally sweeps them into the sky, then drops them,
leaving them with frozen stumps where their feet once were, As they are carried off, they
characteristically scream, '...My fiery feet, my burning feet of fire!'" This quote as well as the other
details are taken straight from Blackwood's story.
Another children's book of scary short stories, Giant, Short, & Shivery, has a short story about a
Wendigo. In it, a group of sailors arrive on an island and are met by a native orphaned boy, who
warns them of "the thing that's watchin' - watchin' from the trees." Eventually, the Wendigo comes
and takes away the cruel captain by grabbing him through the door of their cabin with a giant
hand made of snow with ice for fingernails.
In Alan Sullivans' s short story 'The Essence of a Man', a Wendigo preys upon the mind and will of the
protagonist Tom Moore, a Native American. Tom is able to overcome the power of the Wendigo,
when another (unnamed) spirit calls out to him.
In Linda Hogan's Solar Storms, a main character's estranged mother is possessed by the windigo.
The characters are Native Americans so the depiction is powerful. When the main character was
a child her mother tried to eat part of her face because of the windigo. The mother doesn't
overcome the spirit.

The Wendigo in film and television

Due to the prevalence of Native American themes and beliefs in Twin Peaks, some fans have
speculated that the main villain Bob (Twin Peaks)|BOB is actually the Wendigo.
A creature called Wendigo also appears in episode twelve of the supernatural dramedy television
series Charmed under the guise of FBI agent Ashley Fallon, who later attacks Piper Halliwell,
which causes the main character to transform into a Wendigo herself. Charmed's Wendigo mixes
elements of the original Wendigo myths (e.g. the heart of ice, the causing of fever on the victim
and the cannibalistic origin) and werewolves of modern fiction (e.g. transformation in connection
with the full moon, aggressivity, losing morality and becoming the creature by means of being
scratched). The creature itself was given a look that is a cross between a werewolf and a
sasquatch. The defeat of the Wendigo is a quite literal use of the melting of the heart of ice—the
creature is killed with a flare gun. After the defeat, Wendigo Piper returned to normal, but ended
up naked (the transformation ripped off her clothes) and freezing.
Despite the title, the movie Wendigo (film) · [2 ] does not bear much resemblance to the legend, since
the Wendigo in this movie was part man, part deer.
The movie Ravenous is arguably closer; the term windigo is mentioned by a Native American
scout. In that film, a crazed cannibal preys on the staff of a military outpost in the Sierra
Nevadas.
The werewolf curse in the Ginger Snaps movies originates from the Wendigo.
The new WB series Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural has the lead characters encountering a
Wendigo in episode 2. Its first airdate was September 20th, 2005. Wendigo behaviours in this
episode include cannibalism, a frightening roar, and extreme speed and strength. However, this
version also has the ability to mimic other peoples' voices and climb trees. It is also a dark green
color and highly flammable. Centuries earlier, this Wendigo had been an Ancient Pueblo Peoples|
Anasazi who was on a hunting expedition. The members of the hunting party were starving. One
man ate his fellow tribesmen and gained special powers, becoming a Wendigo.
In the second season of the Scifi series The Invisible Man, a creature called a Wendigo is
encountered in the episode Legends. It was very much like a sasquatch, and Gigantopithecus
blackii was referred to as well. The creature was able to make itself turn invisible at will and was a
precursor to the government's creation of an invisible man.
Other culture
In the MMORPG The Five Pillars, Wendigoes are units summoned by forest-affiliated mages. They
have little in common with the traditional Wendigo, as these are benevolent forest spirits. They
serve mostly as damage-absorbers, as they have high health and resistance, but low attack
power.
In the role-playing game Shadowrun, the Wendigo is an ork infected by the HMHVV (Human Meta
Human Vampiric Virus). He feeds on human flesh and looks like a white Sasquatch.
In the role-playing game Werewolf: The Apocalypse, the Wendigo (World of Darkness)|Wendigo are a
tribe of Garou (werewolves) with almost exclusively Amerindian kinfolk. They claim Canada and
the northern United States as their homeland, and are locked in the almost hopeless struggle
against the encroachment of Wiktionary:Wasichu|Wasichu society and its effects. This same tribe
follows the spirit of "The Great Wendigo", a mighty spirit of the winter and the wind who takes the
form of a great white wolf and aids his people in their times of need. The spirit is known to be a
cannibal spirit, and many garou of the wendigo tribe are likewise reputed by outsiders to have a
temptation to eat human (or garou) flesh.
In the role-playing game Deadlands Wendigo is one of the main bestiary features and its origins and
looks are much like those from Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American legends- It is
very powerful creature looking a bit like Yeti. It is rumored that Wendigos are humans that were
lost in the mountains during a blizzard, forced to cannibalize their comrades to stay alive, and
because of that terrible sin they are turned into beasts.
Wendigos are also featured as monsters in various computer and video games. In the first-person
shooter heXen, Wendigos live in arctic environments and they can shoot ice shards from their
wrists. The computer role-playing game Diablo II features the Wendigo as a large and weak yetilike
creature, commonly found in grasslands and deserts. In the Warcraft Universe (as seen in
Warcraft III and World of Warcraft), a Wendigo is a large and powerful Yeti-like creature found in
snowy areas such as Northrend and Northern Lorderon. In Final Fantasy VIII, a Wendigo is a
random encounter enemy located just outside of Deling City. Wendigos also appear in Final
Fantasy X. They make another appearance in Final Fantasy XI as a skeleton-type creature.
Wendigo is also a boss battle in "The Legend of Dragoon".
In Marvel Comics, the Wendigo (comics)|Wendigo is created by a curse that may have derived from
the Arctic Gods or "Elder Gods". Anyone who eats human flesh while in the Canadian woods
becomes a Wendigo. This Wendigo is a huge, apelike being of white fur, without human
intelligence. Its strength is great enough to battle Marvel heroes like The Incredible Hulk or
Wolverine (comics)|Wolverine. The curse can be transferred from one person to another by a
shaman who knows the appropriate spell; the former victim of the curse will not remember what
he or she did as a Wendigo.
In another reality of Marvel Comics, Earth X, there is a creature that has struck fear into the
mutant populace. This variation of Wendigo is not like the rest, typically characterized by
only one Wendigo present, but rather forms an army of Wendigo, due to the curse
afflicting Multiple Man
A Wendigo creature appears in N°8 of Italian western-horror comic book Magico Vento, spelled
Windigo.