Wendigo: Winter Cannibal Monster, the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary

The Wendigo (or Windigo) is a spirit strongly associated with the north country, winter, cold, famine, and starvation. It has its origins in Algonquian (Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Cree, Naskapi, and Innu) folklore. A Wendigo imbues its victims with a feeling of insatiable hunger, the desire to eat other humans, and the propensity to commit murder.

This entity is notably large, with a height ranging from ten feet to that of the pine trees commonly found in northern forests. Described as humanlike, but emaciated, its face is blackened by frostbite and missing lips and cheeks because it chewed them off in its hunger for human flesh.

George M. Eberhart succinctly describes the Wendigo diet in his book Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology: “Eats people, especially children.” Truly it is a personification of the ice, hunger, cold, death, despondence, and desperation that rime the winter wastelands of North America.

From Wendigo Creature - World History Encyclopedia

In some traditions, humans overpowered by greed could turn into Wendigos. This version encouraged cooperation and moderation in an environment where trust and teamwork are critical traits for survival. Other traditions claim Wendigos originated from humans who practiced cannibalism. Finally, humans could also transform into Wendigos by being in prolonged contact with them.

Wendigo has been a literary figure since the early 1900s. And it often appears in the work of contemporary North Woods author and novelist William Kent Krueger.

Recently, Wendigo is portrayed as a winter spirit resembling a humanoid deer with antlers. You can enjoy a Cannibal Burger stuffed with tenderloin and bacon at the Wendigo Restaurant in Stoughton, Wisconsin. You can also visit Windigo Fest every October in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to enjoy haunted attractions, a spooky parade, live music, and sideshows.

From Pinterest "Wendigo" by Roman Sachnow

The Shot

It was a dark, chilly, gloomy November 7 morning when our photography group walked to Artist Point in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Our destination was the rocky shore lined with interesting shapes and leading lines.

Friend and fellow photographer Jon Christofersen caught me setting up my image.

After that, it was a matter of waiting for the sun to hopefully peek between the clouds and the horizon. Glancing at the nearby pine tree studded shore, I found myself thinking about the approaching winter and what it must have been like to face the depravations of winter and the influence of the Wendigo in the north country.

Thanks for looking,

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