A quadrilogy I started write a while ago, Born From Blood, is about two native tribes and it has wendigos in it as well as skinwalkers. The lore and legend surrounding these creatures was something I really wanted to explore.
Both those creatures are fascinating and everything they represent. I'm sure you're deep in it. Skinwalkers from various cultures are really so intriguing.
Our brains must be connected in some cosmic manner. I used the wendigo in a story in my upcoming book. Gotta wonder about these old legends. How much is truth?
I think, like in most myths, legends, traditions, these entities are definitely a reflection of some type of truth or message that needs to be heard throughout time in different ways.
The Wendigo has always been, for me, the most terrifying of creatures. Probably because it is so easily made real, and of course, we see Wendigo behavior everywhere when we open our eyes to it. A deeply spiritual teaching, and one humans have always needed. This was a wonderful article!
Thank you, Liz. It really is one of the scariest because it is shows us a version of ourselves at our worst. I love the term wendigo economics about capitalism. So right on.
Really enjoyed this one, Jessica. I find the Wendigo fascinating and often thought about incorporating it into a story. Also, great shout out on The Only Good Indians. Read it recently and it was outstanding 👍🏼
Thank you! I have too. The Only Good Indians is so, so good. There are scenes in that book that I had to stand up and freak out about. I am trying to work my way through all his books.
Love the Wendigo lore! I know they didn’t get antlers until Blackwood’s story but honestly I think it’s a good addition to the folklore. And your book looks awesome!
The antlers do tie it into the hunt gone wrong. Or over hunting an area really well. I always want everyone to read The Only Good Indians. Just a really intense book. Really well executed. Thank you about my book! I am so happy. Your book looks great too! Love the cover.
The wendigog are fascinating. In addition to the psychological version (desperation and cabin fever induced psychosis), there are three distinct forms they can take, and they cross several tribal groups, though they are primarily an Ojibway thing. 1. The creature that manifest when a spirit of hunger possessed a person who ate human flesh. 2. A spirit creature who can cause hunger (but if it appears as your spirit guide and you can conquer it, you are guaranteed to become one of the greatest medicine workers/shamans of all time), and 3) the manifestation of a curse (one of the few Iroquoian takes on the legend has an infant turned into a giant cannibal monster due to a curse - and has one of the ones who defeated their own Wendigo as the shaman - which is how he identified it - who also defeats it)
I had not read about the curse manifestation before. I'll have to go find it. The manifestation where it causes hunger seems to have some parallels to the Gaki from Japanese mythology.
Wow, had not considered a gaki connection (though only know them through two very different RPG takes, and those are not known to follow the actual myths very well...)
My understanding is that you can write about the creature but not turn it into something it is not. I will definitely reach out to people who know better than me before considering writing any fiction on the matter. Are you in some way connected to the practice or an expert on this?
I am not but am adjacent to a few people who are connected. And have had discussions about various uses of it in media over the years which is where I’m getting this minimal understanding of how they want it to be treated. If that has changed or there is a clarification I hadn’t gotten, I’d love to be in the loop so I can continue to inform folks as it comes up.
I appreciate you commenting. The popularity of this creature or likeness of has risen over the decades in pop culture. I do want to be as informed as possible on these types of discussions and be respectful. If and when I get more information, I will for sure share it.
A quadrilogy I started write a while ago, Born From Blood, is about two native tribes and it has wendigos in it as well as skinwalkers. The lore and legend surrounding these creatures was something I really wanted to explore.
Both those creatures are fascinating and everything they represent. I'm sure you're deep in it. Skinwalkers from various cultures are really so intriguing.
As it is originally an Ojibway word, the "correct" plural is "wendigog" not "wendigos"
Fascinating. I had never heard of a Wendigo, and I certainly don't want to meet one!
It would be transformative that's for sure!
Our brains must be connected in some cosmic manner. I used the wendigo in a story in my upcoming book. Gotta wonder about these old legends. How much is truth?
I think, like in most myths, legends, traditions, these entities are definitely a reflection of some type of truth or message that needs to be heard throughout time in different ways.
Blackwood's novella is a brilliant piece of horror writing. "My burning feet of fire..."
Have you read The Only Good Indians? It is so great and also involves a hunt gone wrong. Definitely do if you love that novella!
A really well researched piece!
The Wendigo has always been, for me, the most terrifying of creatures. Probably because it is so easily made real, and of course, we see Wendigo behavior everywhere when we open our eyes to it. A deeply spiritual teaching, and one humans have always needed. This was a wonderful article!
Thank you, Liz. It really is one of the scariest because it is shows us a version of ourselves at our worst. I love the term wendigo economics about capitalism. So right on.
Really enjoyed this one, Jessica. I find the Wendigo fascinating and often thought about incorporating it into a story. Also, great shout out on The Only Good Indians. Read it recently and it was outstanding 👍🏼
Thank you! I have too. The Only Good Indians is so, so good. There are scenes in that book that I had to stand up and freak out about. I am trying to work my way through all his books.
It was genuinely one of the few books I’ve ever read that I didn’t want to turn the page as I was so afraid of what was going to happen next!
Me too! It was brutal and unpredictable.
Great article, Jessica. And how good does your new book look? 😍
Thank you! I am dying about the book. Really happy. So much work and stress, in a good way.
Love the Wendigo lore! I know they didn’t get antlers until Blackwood’s story but honestly I think it’s a good addition to the folklore. And your book looks awesome!
The antlers do tie it into the hunt gone wrong. Or over hunting an area really well. I always want everyone to read The Only Good Indians. Just a really intense book. Really well executed. Thank you about my book! I am so happy. Your book looks great too! Love the cover.
Good Indians is fantastic.
The wendigog are fascinating. In addition to the psychological version (desperation and cabin fever induced psychosis), there are three distinct forms they can take, and they cross several tribal groups, though they are primarily an Ojibway thing. 1. The creature that manifest when a spirit of hunger possessed a person who ate human flesh. 2. A spirit creature who can cause hunger (but if it appears as your spirit guide and you can conquer it, you are guaranteed to become one of the greatest medicine workers/shamans of all time), and 3) the manifestation of a curse (one of the few Iroquoian takes on the legend has an infant turned into a giant cannibal monster due to a curse - and has one of the ones who defeated their own Wendigo as the shaman - which is how he identified it - who also defeats it)
I had not read about the curse manifestation before. I'll have to go find it. The manifestation where it causes hunger seems to have some parallels to the Gaki from Japanese mythology.
Wow, had not considered a gaki connection (though only know them through two very different RPG takes, and those are not known to follow the actual myths very well...)
… hey, this thing is part of a Closed Native practice tradition.
Perhaps take it down until you poke research about that?
My understanding is that you can write about the creature but not turn it into something it is not. I will definitely reach out to people who know better than me before considering writing any fiction on the matter. Are you in some way connected to the practice or an expert on this?
I am not but am adjacent to a few people who are connected. And have had discussions about various uses of it in media over the years which is where I’m getting this minimal understanding of how they want it to be treated. If that has changed or there is a clarification I hadn’t gotten, I’d love to be in the loop so I can continue to inform folks as it comes up.
I appreciate you commenting. The popularity of this creature or likeness of has risen over the decades in pop culture. I do want to be as informed as possible on these types of discussions and be respectful. If and when I get more information, I will for sure share it.