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Model Final Exam answers 2018 Complete Research Report Index to Sample Research Reports |
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Cynthia Cleveland
Legends of the Wendigo
Tales of cannibals are invariably common
in today’s popular culture, some of our more modern monsters include the Zombie
or the Vampire. However, there are much older accounts of such supernatural
creatures—and one of those is the Wendigo. The Wendigo is a supernatural
creature, originating from the folklore of Native American tribes in the Great
Lakes region of the United States—predominantly the Ojibwe and Cree tribes
(Dillon). Wendigo’s are described as evil spirits with enormous bodies: tall,
thin and possessing a heart of ice (DeSanti, 189). Their most defining and
horrific characteristic however, is their “insatiable appetite for human flesh”
and their ability to infect humans with cannibalistic desires in times of hunger
(DeSanti, 188; Dillon). With these awful characteristics of the creature, it is
hardly surprising that it has made its way recently into popular
culture—specifically genres of horror and the supernatural. Such adaptations of
this creature have appeared in television series, movies, and books. The
television show Supernatural is, perhaps, the most commonly seen
installation, as well as Stephen King’s book Pet Sematary (McCauley).
Fairly recently, in fact, a major video game was released in 2015, titled
Until Dawn, in which the primary foe is the Wendigo. Although, entertainment
has introduced us to these monstrosities, they hardly delve into the folklore or
origin of these supernatural beings. They are not simply monsters in the tales
of the Ojibwe, but a story that invokes the need for human morality and decency.
The Wendigo legend stems from the Algonquin, Ojibwe and
Cree peoples; all of them originating from the Great Lakes regions (Dillon). The
meaning of the word wendigo (a variation of one of the many spellings) is
still a subject of debate, but the closest terms translate to either “owl” or
“cannibal” depending on the dialect (DeSanti, 188). The legends describe the
Wendigo as a preternatural being that has an insatiable desire for human flesh
(DeSanti, 188). The physical appearance of the creature is one that “possesses
hideous features and immense physical and spiritual power.” (DeSanti, 188). The
Wendigo is said to be most active during the Winter and preys upon travelers,
hunters and villagers in the woods (Dillon; DeSanti, 188). Interestingly enough,
some variations of the legend insist that each time a Wendigo consumes human
flesh, the physical figure of the monster grows in size, thus “their hunger and
craving remained in proportion to their size” (Dillon). Legends also suggest
that a Wendigo is capable of “infecting” humans with its cannibalistic desire;
though they do not become animalistic in appearance, they retain their human
form, but the desire for flesh takes over (DeSanti, 188).
The origin of the Wendigo myth is a bit obscure, although
one telling suggests that the Wendigo originated through a pact with the devil
made by a tribal warrior (Dove). This origin story details that a warrior
desired deadly skills and prowess on the battlefield (Dove). He then made an
deal with the devil in order to gain superiority in battle in order to save his
tribe (Dove). In exchange, the warrior gave up his soul, but was then banished
by his tribe because of the loss of his soul—which Native Americans hold in high
regard (Dove). The loss of his soul also supposedly cursed him with
cannibalistic desires (Dove). Other such myths of the Wendigo are much less
mystical, in that they originated from the fear of cannibalism due to incidents
of starvation, in which the spirit of the Wendigo would possess a human being to
consume flesh. This telling is more common and Louise Erdrich’s fictional novel
does well in explaining its origins.
The Round House
by Louise Erdrich provides a fairly accurate account of the Wendigo legend. In
her novel, the main character, Joe, is told the tale of the Wendigo by Mooshum,
Joe’s grandfather. Erdrich’s telling details a particularly harsh winter in the
Great Lakes region, in which the protagonist of the story, Nanapush, saves the
life of his mother, Akii, when she is accused of being possessed by the spirit
of the Wendigo. During this period, the tribe was experiencing a difficult
winter and a food shortage; such a situation was believed to leave tribes
members susceptible to possession by the spirit of the Wendigo. The members of
the tribe believed Akii to be possessed by such a spirit and conspire to end her
life before she consumes a tribe member. Her son, believing she is not
possessed, then goes on a hunt for food to save his mother’s life. This is as
much of an origin tale as we are able to glean from Mooshum’s tale of the
Wendigo, but Erdrich alludes to a deeper meaning later on in the text, in which
the main antagonist of the novel, Linden Lark, is described as possessing the
symbolic characteristics of the Wendigo, he is seen as a consumptive force in
his desire to destroy Joe’s family—that is, his attempted murder of Joe’s
mother—and Linda, Linden’s brother, became ill having contracted an “infection
of the spirit” after spending time around Linden (Erdrich, 160). Most
interestingly though, after Joe and his friend, Cappy, murder Linden, Joe’s
father suggests that Linden “met the definition of a wiindigoo” (Erdrich, 386).
Erdrich’s telling expands upon the
legend of the Wendigo more accurately than most common popular culture, in that,
she elaborates more on the Wendigo spirit’s ability to infect human beings. This
addresses the symbolic nature of the Wendigo spirit, which is the fear of human
consumption in the more literal sense. According to the Ojibwe culture, the way
we interact with our community is governed by the concept of “minobimaddiziwin”,
which DeSanti loosely defines as “living a balanced life according to cultural
protocol” (187). Part of this ideology dictates that human beings interact with
human and non-human life in a respectful manner (DeSanti, 187).
The tale of the Wendigo serves to function as a moral and
cultural warning against living an “unbalanced life”, which includes, but is not
limited to, cannibalism (DeSanti, 187; Dove). It is no secret that long-ago
winters were often mortal, as people were at risk of starvation. There are
countless tales, even to this day, of starvation pushing people to the limits of
their humanity. When it comes down to death or survival, most people would
choose survival, by any means necessary. Then it should come as no surprise that
instances of cannibalism are often linked to food shortages or famine—especially
during the winter months, in which the hope of harvesting crops or hunting is
minimal to non-existent (DeSanti, 188). Historically, evidence of cannibalism in
the face of starvation has been found, which can be evidenced by the newly
discovered instances of cannibalism in the original Jamestown colony—discovered
in 2012. Another such instance that is common knowledge is the Donner party and
other similar situations in which hikers or travelers become stranded with no
source of food. Although, this isn’t the only interpretation of the Wendigo
legend.
Several other interpretations of the Wendigo exist as
well, outside of starvation. Another such interpretation, which Erdrich
addresses in her novel, serves as a warning to excess and gluttony (Dillon).
This is evidenced by the Wendigo’s insatiable appetite and appears to be
accurate in reference to Erdrich’s portrayal of the Wendigo in her novel. Linden
Lark does not consume in the literal sense but indulges in the excesses of his
own desire. Linden has a malicious grudge against Joe’s family and “consumes”
them symbolically in his attempt to murder Joe’s mother. Although, this is
symbolic, the legend can be taken much more literally in the sense that Native
Americans lived in harmony with nature and taking anything in excess to include
“non-human” elements, which include plants, animals, water sources, etc., and
abusing those resources would put one out of harmony with nature (DeSanti, 187).
Although
there are many different versions and interpretations of the Wendigo legend,
each telling can agree on one thing: it is a warning to maintain a balance with
nature and humanity. Whether that means you should keep your teeth to yourself
or respect the land that you live on, one should work to maintain that balance
and live a wholesome life. Popular culture often fails to assert this particular
message that the legend is meant to relay, but nonetheless, it makes for a
fascinating tale you can really sink your teeth into—but you probably shouldn’t,
just in case.
DeSanti, Brady. “The Cannibal Talking Head: The Portrayal
of the Windigo “Monster” in Popular Culture and Ojibwe Traditions”. Journal
of Religion and Popular Culture.
Dillon, G. L. (2014). Windigo. In J. A. Weinstock, The
ashgate encyclopedia of literary and cinematic monsters.
Surrey, UK: Ashgate Publishing
Dove, Laurie. (2018). “How Wendigoes Work” How Stuff
Works.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/wendigoes.htm
McCauley, Elizabeth. (2016). “The Mythology and
Misrepresentation of the Windigo”. Backstory.
https://www.backstoryradio.org/blog/the-mythology-and-misrepresentation-of-the-windigo/
