ORIGIN: Algonquian Indigenous folklore.
The Wendigo is a creature from Algonquian Indigenous folklore, deeply rooted in the cultures of tribes across the northern United States and Canada, particularly in regions like Minnesota and Quebec.
The legend speaks of an evil spirit that is in close association with greed, starvation, and cannibalism.
It is often described as a, skeletal looking figure with decaying skin stretched thinly and tightly over its showcased bones.
It also has glowing eyes, sharp claws, and an insatiable hunger for human flesh.
In some versions, it has the head of a deer with large antlers, in between the image of man and beast.
The story of the Wendigo is believed to have originated as a cautionary made up tale to prevent cannibalism during harsh winters when food was scarce.
According to legend, when a person resorted to eating human flesh to survive, they would be cursed and transformed into a Wendigo, forever doomed to roam the forests in unending hunger.
Seeing a Wendigo's has been believed said to bring misfortune, death, and disease, corrupting whoever sees it just as its own greed corrupted its very soul.