The windigo legend existed in Algonquian oral history for many centuries, long before Europeans arrived in North America. That only a knowledgeable First Nations spiritual leader, a shaman, can dispatch a windigo with a Other legends claim that the windigo has to be somehow subdued, its icy heart cut out and then melted in a roaring fire. Said to move with the speed of the wind and have the ability to walk across deep snow or even over open water without sinking.Īccording to some legends, windigos can be killed with a conventional weapon, such as a club or firearm. Windigos are usually credited with exceptional eyesight, hearing and sense of smell. The windigo is usually, but not always, endowed with powers, such as superhuman strength and stamina that allow it to stalk, overpower and devour its victims. Sharp and pointy teeth, extremely bad breath and body odour are also often traits of a windigo. A windigo’s eyes haveīeen described as sunken or glowing like hot coals. According to other legends, the windigo has pointed or animal-like ears with antlers or horns sprouting on its head. Other stories describe the windigo as a well-fleshed giant who gets proportionately larger the more it eats. Sometimes, windigos are described as exceptionally thin, with the skull and skeleton pushing through its ash-coloured, mummy-like Just as there are different versions of the word “windigo,” there are many variations on the creature’s appearance and powers.
Other names, such as atchen, chenoo and kewok, are also commonly used to refer to the windigo. Wendigo, wheetigo, windikouk, wi’ntsigo, wi’tigo and wittikka are all alternative Mi’kmaq, Algonquin, Ojibwe and Innu, the spelling and pronunciation of the word “windigo” differs. In other legends, humans become windigos when possessed by a prowling spirit during a moment of weakness.ĭepending on the many First Nations that speak an Algonquian language, including the Abenaki, Siksika, In most versions of the legend, a human becomes a windigo after his or her spirit is corrupted by greed or weakened byĮxtreme conditions, such as hunger and cold. DefinitionĪccording to most Algonquian oral traditions, a windigo is a cannibalistic monster that preys on the weak and socially disconnected. Norval Morrisseau, Windigo, tempera on brown paper, ca.
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