#algonquian folklore

[squorttle-pox]

bisexual lighting ✨️

[mask131]

Cold winter: Wendigo

WENDIGO

Category: Algonquian folklore

Ah… the wendigo. A creature the whole Internet seems to have fallen in love with. Don’t know why but now you’ll sees wendigos everywhere, from movies to video games to strange drawings on DeviantArt, and it seems to the point that people forgot what a wendigo really is? Let’s take a look, shall we?

The wendigo is a creature from the folklore of the First Nations, whose legends and tales spread over a wide geographical area going from the Great Plains in the United-States to the forests of the eastern coast of Canada, passing by the Great Lakes. The Ojibwe, the Innu, the Cree, the Naskapi, they all have their tales and versions of the wendigo, and we can sum up this creature in five main traits. 1) Supernatural. 2) Evil. 3) Eat people. 4) A spirit of hunger, starvation, famine. 5) Associated with winter, cold, ice.

The wendigo is a murderous, ravenous entity that will kill everyone and everything in sight because it is hungry: the wendigo is a devourer that is forever famished and whose favorite meal is the flesh of humans. It can never be satisfied and is constantly on the hunt for his next “dish” – and this perpetual hunger shows on their body. You will never see a fat wendigo: wendigos are slender, skinny, gaunt, emaciated. Eyes deep in the sockets, ash-color skin, bones pushing through, they are basically a walking skeleton. But don’t be fooled! They might be just skin and bones, but they are abnormally fast and strong (some can even fly apparently!) Other main traits include how their lips are “tattered and bloody” from their gruesome feeding habits, and how they are dirty. Like really dirty. They never bathe, never clean, and in some versions their flesh is actually rotting, which means that a wendigo smells really bad – and in fact this is how you can sense a wendigo is coming, you’ll start sniffing out the stench of death and decay (some even claim that their mere breath carries diseases).

Another clue to know if a wendigo is coming is to check the temperature: wendigos typically bring with them cold air and wintery chills, they are sometimes described as missing lips, toes or entire feet (evoking victims of serious frostbites) and their howls are associated with the winter winds. For some it is because their heart is made of ice ; for others it is because they are themselves made of ice instead of flesh – but all in all, fire is one of the best ways to destroy this wintery monster. A final element important to the wendigo legend (and something that tends to be forgotten nowadays) is that wendigos are usually tall. Very tall. Giants sometimes. This fits with the whole idea of the “perpetually hungry”, because according to some tales a wendigo starts out a regular human size, but every time it eats someone it grows a little bit taller, a little bit bigger, to make sure that no matter how much he eats the wendigo will never be truly full.

Unlike the ravenous, rabid beast that people tend to make out of the wendigo nowadays, apparently in folktales wendigo could be sentient, intelligent entities able to speak human languages (even though it was usually to threaten or taunt their victim). We even find tales similar to European fairy tales where the wendigo will act like an ogre – for example there are stories of a wendigo kidnapping a child, but upon noticing the child was too thin decided to wait for him to grow fat, and regularly checked if he was fat by cutting his hand with a knife (but as with fairy tale ogres, the wendigo isn’t too bright as he travels around the country and forces the boy to follow him, not realizing that making the boy travel everywhere is precisely what prevents him from being fat).

Now, all of that being said, one of the big parts of the wendigo myth (that people took back gleefully to compare the wendigos to European werewolves and vampires) is that the wendigo usually starts out as a regular human being. In many stories the wendigo is either an evil spirit that possesses a human being, either a human that got turned into a supernatural being for one reason or another. Some claim that a human becomes a wendigo when they perform cannibalism – eating the flesh of one of your own kind is sure to turn you into the icy ghoul. Others rather claim that wendigos are humans who became consumed by their own greed or gluttony – living a life in excess dominated by your own appetites would curse you with the never-ending hunger. And some even claim that you can become “infected” by the wendigos simply by spending too much time alongside them, the wendigo’s mere presence corrupting everything around it. This part of the legend notably lead to the First Nations themselves considering the wendigo as more of a concept than an actual entity – as a metaphor for destructive greed and excessive consumption, as a symbol for the person suffering from a dangerous internal disharmony or breaking the order of a community, as a name to be given to sociopaths and evil people.

What else to say… Some people claim that saying the name “wendigo” or speaking about it will attract it. For others the wendigo is a nocturnal entity, hunting its victims at night and stopping its activities with dawn (and notably the wendigo has been associated with the owl). The wendigo is so hungry that it can actually commit self-cannibalism (it is one of the reasons wendigo’s lips are “tattered and bloody”, they chew on it ; and if you cut a wendigo’s limb it is will just suck the marrow from its own protruding bone). Killing a wendigo can be a hard feat, and is usually done either through fire, or cutting the wendigo’s body into little pieces – when the werewolf myth arrived in North America, the idea that silver could kill a wendigo also manifested itself. And other spellings of “wendigo” include “wiindigoo”, “windgo”, wendego”, “widjigo”, “wijigo”, “wentigo”, “wintsigo”, “wetiko” and many other… While I used “wendigos” as a plural for the article, know also that it is wrong as the proper plural is actually “windigoag” (or variations such as “windegoag” or “windikouk”). Oh, and according to Cree folklore a person turning into a wendigo can be cured if they are forced to ingest specific fatty animal meats and drink animal grease – during this “curing process”, which is basically a fattening cure, the victim might vomit pieces of ice, a sign they’re rejecting the wendigo spirit.

- - - - - - - - -

Now I need to bring up the elephant in the room.

The habit people have nowadays to depict the wendigo with antlers. He’ll be a half-beast half-human entity, usually depicted with a deer skull or a rotting stag head instead of a human face. You see that everywhere nowadays. And yet this element is NOT present in ANY of the original folkloric tales or legends of the First Nations. So where does it come from?

Well, it comes from a little movie called “Wendigo” and released in 2001. This movie was the first one who depicted a wendigo with the head of a deer – but it wasn’t actually an “artistic freedom”. In this particular movie the wendigo isn’t a “real” entity as rather a creature whose presence is ambiguous – the main characters seemingly becomes unhinged and loses his sanity throughout the movie, and the wendigo appears in his hallucinations as a malevolent entity torturing him. The reason the wendigo has a deer head? Because the movie’s plot begins when the main character gets into a fight with local hunters after killing a deer. The wendigo having a deer head was just another sign of how the entity embodied the very events and troubles the main character was in.

However somehow this depiction became massively popular – and after this movie, all next movies treating the wendigo had a deer head or stag head for the creature, and from the movies it spread to the fan-arts on the Internet, and then… well you know the rest. But what is even more ironic is that the 2001’s “Wendigo” was actually made by Larry Fessenden. The man behind the game “Until Dawn”. The game that has been hailed as the one who “finally got right” wendigos and who restored the wendigos “true appearance”. Fessenden accidentally created the very fake image that people praised the video game for combatting. Quite an irony X)

And even more interestingly, Fessenden actually did a third and even different depiction of the wendigo between his 2001 movie and his video game – because Fessenden LOVES the wendigo myth. It was his 2006 movie “The Last Winter”.

[pebblegalaxy]

The Chilling Legend of the Wendigo: Exploring Algonquian Folklore and Its Modern Relevance

The Most Unusual Folkloric Story: The Tale of the Wendigo from Algonquian Culture Folklore has always fascinated me, especially the stories that stand the test of time, passed down through generations. Every culture has its own set of myths and legends, often used to explain the mysteries of the world, human behavior, or even the supernatural. Among the many tales I’ve come across, one that has…

[paranormal-playground-podcast]

The Wendigo: The Cannibalistic Spirit of the North

The Wendigo stands as a notorious figure in the folklore of the Algonquian-speaking peoples, symbolizing the dark consequences of cannibalism and human greed. This fearsome entity, believed to prowl the forests of northeastern United States and Canada, captivates those interested in the paranormal and cultural legends with its eerie presence. Origins and Significance Originating from the rich…

[bigfootbeat]

Bigfoot or Wendigo?

Both Bigfoot and the Wendigo are interesting paranormal creatures of folklore that are mentioned in legend. Each of these monsters has a unique history, set of attributes, and cultural significance. While this is true, there are also some fascinating parallels between them. There is a connection between the Wendigo and the indigenous cultures of the Algonquian tribes that lived in North America. It is frequently portrayed as an evil ghost that is linked to harsh conditions like starvation, cold, and cannibalism. A gaunt, emaciated figure with glowing eyes and a heart of ice is what the Wendigo is said to be like after being described. According to mythology, it is a symbol of unquenchable greed, as well as the taboo of cannibalism itself. Especially in harsh winter conditions, when resources are few, this creature acts as a warning against the perils of unrestrained impulses and the collapse of social taboos. This is especially important to keep in mind during this time of year.

On the other hand, Bigfoot (or Sasquatch), is a creature that appeared in North American legend and was primarily discovered in the Pacific Northwest. A big, ape-like monster that is covered in hair and resembles a giant bipedal primate is the definition that is most commonly used to characterize Bigfoot. In contrast to the Wendigo, Bigfoot does not possess an innate malevolence. The Bigfoot is frequently portrayed as a timid and solitary being who avoids interacting with humans, according to sightings and folklore. Bigfoot has become a symbol of mystery, representing the unknown aspects of nature and the possibility of species that have not yet been discovered. Both of these creatures have a way of connecting with the natural world. Bigfoot, on the other hand, is associated with the vast, unexplored forests of the Pacific Northwest, whereas the Wendigo is typically associated with the barren and icy forests of Canada and the Northern United States. The dread and fascination with the wild and untamed features of nature are both brought to mind by both of these experiences. Their narratives are illustrative of the human propensity to attribute supernatural elements to natural happenings that cannot be explained by scientific phenomena. Another similarity is that they both serve as emblems of their own cultures. There are a number of themes that are embodied in the Wendigo, including the repercussions of avarice, the disintegration of societal norms, and loneliness. On the other hand, Bigfoot is a symbol of the enigmas that exist in the natural world and the attraction that lies within the unknown. Both have expanded beyond their initial cultural contexts to catch the imagination of a wider audience, which has resulted in the creation of a multitude of stories, films, and even hoaxes.

The cultural influence and perception of the creatures are very different from one another, despite certain commonalities between them. The Tale of the Wendigo, a moral cautionary tale, is strongly rooted in particular cultural ideas and acts as a representation of those views. Bigfoot, on the other hand, has become ingrained in popular culture and is frequently regarded more as a topic dedicated to cryptozoology and amusement than as a monster that carries significant ethical repercussions. In a nutshell, the Wendigo and Bigfoot are two distinguishable monsters, each with their own different history and interpretations. Although both are related to the woods and serve as cultural symbols, the roles that they play and the ways in which they are portrayed in folklore are very different from one another. Bigfoot is a symbol of the secrets and wonders of the natural world, but the Wendigo is a figure that serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating the perils of living an excessive lifestyle and a moral decline. Through their combined efforts, they shed light on the everlasting attraction that people have with the supernatural and the unknown.

[guglielmofinaue]

Here's a woodland creature inspired by a Wendigo!💫

Wendigo is is a malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural originating from Algonquian folklore, strongly associated with winter, coldness and starvation.

It's seen as the embodiment of gluttony, greed, and excess: never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, they are constantly searching for new victims.

Searching for information I also found out that in modern psychiatry, there's a disorder known as "Wendigo psychosis" that is characterized by symptoms such as an intense craving for human flesh and fear of becoming a cannibal!

Ig || kofi || tiktok

[echantedtoon]

Demonstober Day 10 Wendigo

(In the folklore of some northern Algonquian peoples) a cannibalistic giant; a person who has been transformed into a monster by the consumption of human flesh.

Warnings for mentioning of death, dead animals, blood, and murders.

This is the design for the Wendigo I had in mind.

https://www.tumblr.com/rottencoreflesh101/712093224125251584/monster-gyutaro-for-my-monster-au-not-a-wendigo?source=share

Tagging: @lavenderdropp @six-eyed-samurai @trancylovecraft @shadyd3ar @cherrysuzaku

@nousija

Remember if you want to be added to the spooktober taglist lemme know

Also tagging @gyusimp and @mrsshabana because I also like their Gyutaro October writings

Beware of the winters that bring with them monsters. 

Beware of the cold winds that bring out the hunger of beasts. 

Beware of the Wendigo.

The cold winds on the outside of the shutters best them against the glass causing a rattling sound to fill the small house like winter itself was beating on your door DEMANDING to be let inside. The cold seemed to seep into your bones despite the fact that you were sat right in front of the fire crackling away, and a thick wool blanket draped over your shoulders. 

Your grasp upon the blanket became tighter than before as you cowered ever further from the rattling sounds of the shutters against glass and the wind howling demanding entry. Your response was to try and block it out by cowering your head beneath the blankets and curling up hoping that it would spare you and leave you be. 

You didn't want this anymore. Ever since your nineteenth birthday it's haunted you. Again and again it's come for you every time the days grow cold and the snow overtakes the valley. Every year there is always new deaths of both people and livestock. No one could ever figure out the culprit but you knew what it was. 

Ever since that horrible day in winter four years ago now. Gathering more firewood for your first late one night on a cold winters night. Your arms full of wood you heard something behind your woodpile. You were stupid enough to approach it assuming it was nothing but a fox or other small predator to scare away.

Quietly you stepped closer to the pine tree with snow crunching under your feet silently. Slowly behind the tree you went and stopped. The wind blew swaying it's branches creepily and looked like thrashing arms. You grabbed a handful and silently and slowly pulled them back.

And you froze at what you saw-

The winds howled as the darkness crept across the skies. The darkness behind the bush shielded your form from the moonlight which cascaded down between the trees and clouds in the sky. The shadows danced and branches creaked as the wind blew them about. Like arms beckoning you closer to grab you away in their rough grip. Drag you into the shadows never to be seen again. The coldness of the air bit down hard on your skin, like painful bee stings pricking your flesh. The terror far greater than seeing a thousand wolves sunk in.

c r a c k

A snapping of bones crunched between teeth. A splatter of red laid across the grass. Feathers coated in the red liquid of life laid there discarded. Unwanted by the maw that consumed the flesh between its teeth. Purple irises shook, watered at the sight before them. A hunched shadow devoured everything in its claws. Chew. Swallow. Devour. Chew. Swallow. Devour. Down the gullet and never to be returned again. Never before seen by prying eyes. A low hiss of air gurgled from the frothing mouth. Like a wheezing choke. A second later a bone escaped from the maw with a choke, spat out to the ground thudding along. A sigh escaped the maw, as if the bone had been uncomfortable in its mouth. Your body felt rigid. Frozen in utter horror as your mind struggled to comprehend the mass sitting before you. The horrors of it all as your jaw opened up in terror and the smell of blood combed into your senses-

Sniff.

An ear flickered from the top of the head. The mouth paused mid bite into the small body and slowly raised up. Stringy black hair fading to green cascaded down it's spine.

SNIFF. SNIFF.

Loud questioning sniffs filled the air-

C R A C K-

An inhuman snap of its neck sounded as it snapped to you. And you froze as yellowed eyes stared at your very soul. And for a long moment neither of you moved for a long moment until there was a chittering noise and a half eaten chicken dropped to the ground from his claws.

IT WAS HER. THE WOMAN FROM THE HOUSE.

Bones crackled and creaked as the creature rose inhuman slowly. High. Higher. And then higher. Your head slowly followed the thing up as the bone crackling stopped and you found yourself staring into the eyes of a man's- No...Beast's...It- ..YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT!! It was like you were looking at a cross between a man's and animal's face red blood smeared his jaws from the chicken it had been eating however he stopped and stared down it's nose at you easily with it's height. Your hiding place behind the pine tree no longer secure as it continued to stare at your petrified form. There wasn't enough moonlight to fully see what it was standing in the shadows except for part of its face which tilted.... before a wide maw of fangs smirked down at you. Without warning it leaned down and you clamped your eyes shut on instinct. Surely this is the day you died.

SNIFF SNIFF??

You froze more as a warm breath blew over the top of your head and something heavy loomed over you. The only sounds being the thuds of wood that dropped to your feet into the snow. You didn't see it. But you sure as hell F E L T IT!! However a touch to your head made your eyes pop open. Your body didn't even move being too scared but your eyes opened to stare blankly at the leaves of the bush, too scared to look up and see what it was sniffing curiously at your head. The thing above had touched you, and currently had a strand of hair being held in his hands curiously.

What a pretty color. He's never seen a shade of f/c so pretty before. And it felt so soft and silky in his hands. And she even smells nice. Like flowers and fruit. Such a clean and fresh and pure scent.

It made him unintentionally release a growl. "You're lucky you know... Being able to have such delicious traits." A raspy voice spoke out of nowhere.

Your pupils shrank so much they nearly disappeared.

T H I S   T H I N G   C O U L D  T A L K?!

"Do you find me scary? Ugly?", the voice rasped out, like a man with a severely sore throat trying hard to speak after smoking for a hundred years. "It must be nice...Having a roof over your head. A warm meal in your stomach. And a soft bed to sleep in." A growl escaped his throat like a dog. "A pretty thing like you. I have trouble finding any food as your kind constantly hunts me. I can't even catch a break sometimes...Hehe. I suppose it's only fair to eat THEM as my meals instead."

What was it talking about?! What did it want?! ...Food. It mentioned food right?! Your mind flashed back unpleasantly to the..the... whatever it was that it had been eating. It was hungry. Whatever this thing was...It. Was. HUNGRY. WERE YOU NEXT ON THE MENU?! Your scared mind raced at a hundred miles a minute. You were going to die and no one would ever know what happened to you. That thought alone was terrifying enough but you hadn't any idea what 'it' even was that was going to be harming you...Wait. It..It wanted food right? That's why it was here. You then felt the weight of a thing in your pocket. There was a piece of cooked meat in your pocket. A mere hunk of meat you intended on snacking on later. Perhaps you could use it to distract it. At least long enough for you to get back inside. There wasn't any guarantee it was full proof..but what else were you going to do? Ever so slowly, your hand reached for your pocket-

"What are you doing, Pretty thing?" A small tug on the strand of hair still in it's class reminded you of how close it was.

"You're hungry. Right?"

Have you ever experienced an emotion of fear so strong it rendered you completely numb? That's why you came off so calm when in reality you were absolutely terrified. You felt the eyes of whatever it was locked on your hand as it reached into the pocket and wrapped around a hard object folded in paper. Numbly it was pulled out and held up near your head where you heard more sniffing.

"Pork?"

You shakily nodded. The strand of your hair still between it's claws. "It's yours if you want it."

There wasn't a hesitation before it was snatched from your hand and there was a pleased hum and a moment later you heard a loud tearing noise and messy chewing. The same smacking and chewing noises you heard from the thing eating the dead thing, only you didn't hear the sickening cracking of bones...And the touch finally left your hair. The form of whatever it was leaving to stand up too preoccupied with the delicious meat melting in his mouth. Such a beautiful taste. With the looming form partially gone. A numb stiff leg slowly stretched out and took a step back. Nothing happened. She took another soft, quiet, and careful step back. Another one. Another step. And another. Your numb form made it past the tree slowly and then to the middle of the backyard not daring to look up at whatever it was-

"Where are you going, Pretty Thing?"

Your body again froze at the voice. But you were SO CLOSE to your open backdoor. SO CLOSE TO SAFETY!! But you didn't even know how fast this thing could move. One wrong move and you could be dead.

"... I'm going inside. It's getting late and I'm very cold. I don't have the survival instincts to support myself in the cold like you."

There was a silence as the thing stared at the women... intrigued. No one had really given him an answer like that before. It made him chuckle after a moment. "You must be pretty bold to want to take your leave right now while I'm standing in front of you...And so hungry ~ A pretty little thing like you might make for a decent dinner.~"

There was more silence and after a moment purple eyes rose to stare at the yellow ones shining from the shadows. You saw a wide fanged grin but could barely make out the rest of the tall body.

"... Your hunger is not my problem." In an instant, the smile vanished and the eyes blinked. "I gave you my own food and there's plenty of leftover kill behind you. If you're still hungry, go have your fill there. I won't stop you from taking it. Now I'm going inside."

You felt the eyes still stock still as you both stared down at each other before you heard the thing make a questioning noise. "...Eh?"

"You heard me. Take what you need from there but I refuse to be anything's food."

Again there was an awkward silence and you faintly saw the thing eventually tilt its head at you. As if confused. "Hmph...Bold words for someone so brave...or stupid?"

"I'm not stupid. But I am cautious about you. You're hungry so you can go hunt."

"Hmm. Tempting. But what if I want meat from here?"

"By the looks of it you already ate and I already fed you. If you want more meat then there's a stream with fish in it behind you too. I'm not going to feed myself to you." You continued to stare down the creature. "Just take your fill and leave please."

"...And what if I don't want too, Pretty Thing?'

"Then I'll just not talk to you, Pretty Eyes.~" You cooed back to him which... REALLY caught him off guard a he just stared at you.

"....E-EH?!"

Oh?...Was that a stutter?....Wait... Maybe catching it off guard would give you a chance to escape!! It didn't seem to be used to its assumed food talking back. That could be a good thing. Oh how in hindsight you wished you didn't do that.

"You must be rather lonely. Calling me pretty at least four times now. I honestly don't know if you want to flirt with me or just jump straight to the kissing bit."

You jumped suddenly hearing a choked dear bleat cut off by a wheezing noise from the creature. "K-K-KISS?!"

"Yes. That's why you're complimenting me right? Although your eyes are rather pretty too. They remind me of shiny gold coins or sunflowers. So pretty." Another weird inhuman sputtering noise was choked out before you fared to turn around as it seemed distracted. "But never the less, I'm cold. Good night."

You then turned and walked to your door. Not run. If you ran them it might've identified you as prey like any other predator. You got into the doorway snow crunching with every step you took and turned to close the door behind you. It slid shut as you slowly reached over to click the lock shut. There you stood quietly as silence ensued. And then all the panic and fear hit you at once. THUD!! Your body slumped against the door as your arms pressed against the hard wood as you collars to your knees. However your encounter was far from over when you heard it. A snort. A loud snort like an annoyed horse sounded out just behind the door where your head was lying on it, and then there was a louder sniffling noise as you dared not to move. Then there was a humming noise.

"You don't mean those things. My eyes aren't that pretty...Are they?"

"Yes." You didn't know why you answered that. Maybe it was out of fear or automatic politeness but the voice fell silent for a second time.

"...Are you a human? You're really soft looking for one. Are you sure you're not a cupid or Angel?"

"..No."

"Figures as much. You smell human enough....You don't smell of any males either. That means you're not taken are you?" That was more of a statement than question.

"....Why?"

"Why not, Pretty Thing?~ You're definitely pretty enough to drive those crazy enough to fight over you.... Usually pretty girls likee you only want attention. Y'know."

Despite your fear an annoyance bubbled out. "I don't. If all they want from me is my looks when that's superficial. Looks aren't everything."

"Hm...That hadn't been my experience. Most people go for looks first-"

"I don't." Your stern voice cut him off. "I'm not shallow."

Again another hum. "....Not shallow huh? I bet you're lying about that. I bet you'd marry the first handsome face to walk down here. Wouldn't you? It wouldn't even matter if he was a bad person as long as he had a beautiful face and nice body!"

"I promise you I'd marry a beast before I did that."

There was silence behind the door before there was a hiss and something pressed against the wood in the area you were from the other side. The breathing had gotten slightly heavier than before. "A beast..like me?"

"Not without being courted I wouldn't. I won't marry a stranger."

A cheek pressed against the wood as if he could see your every detail. "Is that a promise?"

"....a promise..." What you said wasn't a yes or no but it was something you repeated a bit disoriented by the paralyzing fear.

However someone did take it as a yes. Someone who couldn't believe his ears. Someone who froze and shook in shock. He couldn't believe it. Someone as beautiful as her...and someone as ugly looking as him. He couldn't believe it.

And it was all for him.

She was so pretty. So soft. So PERFECT.

A L L   H I S

He wanted to feel her soft cheeks on his hands the moment he saw her days ago. She was so pretty. HIS PRETTY LITTLE THING. An involuntary growl escaped from his throat as he pawed at the stupid wood. Not as pretty as his precious sister but she was still more beautiful than any human he's ever seen. He wanted her. His pretty. But he had to wait. He needed to proof he had some worth to give if not any beauty.

"Pretty Thing. You don't know what you do to me... I'll be back. Soon."

You didn't hear his last sentences. Slumping against the door and letting the darkness claim you.

You awoke the next morning with a gasp and terror shooting through you veins. You pushed yourself away from the door rapidly with a shout of terror and scrambling back away from the still locked door. But soon calmed down realizing that you were alone. A quick look out the window was enough to convince you to carefully open the door and look out seeing no signs of anything. No strange creatures with yellow eyes and blood on their face. You were beginning to think that maybe last night had been nothing but a dream until you investigated the area around the tree following your own footsteps and froze at the sight of fur and specks of blood scattered all over the ground. There wasn't any remains, but the fur and blood droplets was enough to convince you that whatever happened last night was far from a dream. Even more so when you found the wood you dropped still cold in the snow at the trees base. You felt a deep fear form in your body and for a long, long time all you could do was stare off at nothing as your brain tried to process it. All you could do is just....stare at the mess that was once an animal. Until you got enough sense to whip around yourself. Nothing was there now but it was quite obvious with how much evidence there was.

You didn't know what to think!! You had no idea what to do! The only thing you thought of to do was to just grab more wood to last a few days before retreating back into your own home armed with an ax from your small barn usually only used for firewood and locking both doors up tightly. You remained there for what must've been hours. The sun slowly trickling across the sky until it started to slowly go down. The duration of the day being paranoid and checking out your curtains every few minutes or so. However you didn't dare go to the window when sundown approached and eventually night fell. You stationed yourself by the small fireplace curled your knees up to your chest and clutched the axe to yourself. And waited. Perhaps nothing would happen if you pretended to not be home. So you remained silent and still. No fire going. With the doors locked. Curtains closed. Then it was just the darkness and you. Cold silence as you just sat there. High alert as the night rang out....Until you weren't. You must've dozed off at some point because the next thing you knew there was a shrill cry.

A sickly shrill cry left the darkness and reverberated off the walls. Followed by a metal clang. Your axe fell thudding to the ground from your startled form. Your form frozen to the spot...What was- It happened again. Closer this time. A shrieking bleating noise that sounded like an elk but...not. Much More...Worse! It was loud enough to make you curl up more and then you froze as a shadow passed by your window. Ice seeped into your veins as you eyes shrank to the size of pins and ever so slowly your head turned to the window and you completely froze as you saw it. A silhouette of what seemed to be a deer's head was seen just behind your curtains against the windows. A large mountain of a creature stood there. Pointed ears flicked as there was a loud smelling noise. All you could do was continue to sit there and stare absolutely terrified...until whatever it was lumbered away from the window You continued to sit there as the faint footsteps faded away and long after it went away. Only to come back as the thing kept encircling your door back and forth. Only retreating when it was near sunrise.

Safe to say you got no sleep that night.

The next morning you felt safer with the sunlight lighting up the world and felt safe enough to gather your wits enough to make the hour long trip to town. Every step you took was filled with paranoia from the last few nights. Looking constantly over your shoulders and gazing at every tree you passed as is something would pop out any minute to snatch you away. Thank the gods that you made it through to the town without any trouble. You decided that you DEFINITELY needed that bear trap after all. Something was going on...And that thought was only solidified by the tense air you walked into. You had blinked surprised to see barely any people out today despite it being a Saturday morning and very warm out. Usually there'd be a ton of people out, but today there seemed to be a certain fog heavy in the air. Only a few people were out today and all seemed to have this scared look about them. Looking around quickly or keeping their heads down and speed walking by. That was weird. But you didn't have time to think about that. You just made your way back to the black smiths where weapons and traps were sold. The air from the town left a strange feeling the more you walked and it solidified itself when you found and entered the shop. Once you did, you were surprised when the blacksmith jumped. A large sword he was holding dropping to the ground with a clatter as he whirled around to you...but soon he sighed and gave a glare.

"Dam it! Why do you women always make it a habit to bother us at the worst times?!"

You blinked before frowning. "That's some way to talk to a customer. I'm just here to buy a bear trap. The biggest one you've got."

"Well you're plum outta luck, Girlie!," he sneered before pointing at a wall, "Because I'm completely out of stock!"

You turned and were shocked to see that the wall that had been littered with traps two days before was now completely empty. "What happened?"

He snorted. "I sold them all. That's what. Everyone's been charging in here demanding weapons and traps and whatever else I have to combat the beast."

Your head turned to him with a snap. ".... Beast? What beast?"

He snorted. "Like you didn't hear." You continued to stare at him and be scoffed again before leaning on the counter. "Four nights ago some beast slaughtered a cow or two from a little farm on the outskirts of town. The farmer claimed it was a gigantic deer he saw slaughter his bulls. A few hunters were in here the night after intending to go after the creature."

Wait....your stomach sunk and face paled.

"Their bodies were found slaughtered and ripped apart the next morning. Barely anything was left." Your eyes widened in pure horror as he continued to speak. "Then the next night a slew of livestock was slaughtered and even more was killed last night! Everyone is now arming themselves for whatever evil is closing in." His eyes narrowed. "If I were you, I'd go home and not come back until this whole thing passes. It's dangerous to walk the cold alone right now. Haven't you seen any signs?"

"I...saw some a-animal killed." You trembled where you stood.

"Then take that as a warning or else you'll be another chicken to the beast."

You left soon after that speed walking your way home a new fear bobbing in your mind like a log floating in a powerful river. What was happening around here?! Did it have something to do with the thing that you saw last night? Did that creature who spoke to you cause all this terror? This was a thing that had you sinking further and further into your thoughts walking in the woods back towards your house surrounded by trees and woods and-

"Pretty Thing.~"

You froze. Body rigid and ice cold as a voice cut through the air...No. No! Your mind must've been playing tricks on you! There was no way that was what you thought it wa- Tree branches snapped and snow crunched as something BIG slithered out of the shadows and stopped somewhere behind your frozen form. A snort followed by the clip clopping of hooves followed a little bit...only to stop even closer to you. There you remained frozen until something else hissed your name.

"Turn around."

You didn't want to. Really you didn't. You'd be stupid to even do so...but ...Your eyes slowly turned until they couldn't no more. Your head followed after followed by your body until you looked all the way behind you. And. You. FROZE. At. What. You. Saw. Deer like legs partially covered by worn gray pants stood on the ground. A long tail with swishing long hair similar to a horse swished at its feet. The torso's structure was... HORRIBLE! Thin. So, so, SO thin it was. You could see the bones under the grey skin and the surprisingly strong muscle structure gripping onto the bones for fear life. Your eyes continued upwards and froze. A deer hung from the air by its back legs, obviously dead but still looking fresh as if it hadn't been deceased for very long. But that's not what made you freeze. Black and yellow eyes half lidded stared at you as a wide smile of fangs grinned. The face framed but wavy long black-dark green hair that was mostly in a long ponytail cascading down his back. Two deer like ears flickered from the tops of his head. And his entire body had black splotchy birthmarks all over him. After a moment of just staring at Each other, the events of two nights before hit you like a ton of bricks and you stared frozen. After a long moment he chuckled again and leaned down to look at you closer. Face inches away.

"Didn't think I would be back, Pretty?"

You. 

R A N.

A loud laughter filled the air as you sprinted all the way home and never looked back. Snow crunching under your feet am with every step but you didn't stop until you were all the way home and slammed the door shut behind you. Cowering inside your house and barely coming out all winter despite the same demonic deer calls wafting out calling out to the monster's desired mate and and the voices begging to demanding.

"Pretty Thing, douse that fire and open the door."

"Let me in. Don't you see that I want you?"

"I brought you a gift. A fat deer that's as delicious as you are beautiful."

"I WANT YOU!! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR NOW!! DAM IT!!

"I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated you won't come to me already. Please tell me what to do to fix this."

"You'll love my sister. She's as beautiful as the snow but twice as deadly. You humans refer to her kind as Yuki Onna."

"Do you want one pup or two? I want our children to grow with siblings. An entire litter of hellspawns would be a welcome addition to my cold den."

"HEY! IM TALKING TO YOU!! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME?!"

You never answered and never went out, it seemed that warm fire repelled him so you made sure to always keep a fire going and kept plenty of firewood inside. It also seemed he only showed up when winter was here because after the first day of Spring, you never heard from him again. He left like there wasn't any trace of him. The only signs of him existence was the massive hoof prints that he left behind that melted away with the snow.

However he came back that very next winter. And then the next winter after that. The same thing happened both times. He'd beg, demand, and barter to try and get his way into your home. You learnt in advance to start keeping LOTS of firewood and canned foods in your home for the long winter stay. You never engaged with him and always stayed in until he left with the spring arrival. Each time he became more desperate. Each time more people from the town disappeared or their livestock taken so they took came to fear the winters. Now that the first snowfall of this year arrived with a night. You feared for the thing to come-

SCCCRREEEEAAA-!!

As if like clockwork, the bleating distorted calls of an elk arrived followed by the clutching of your hands against the blankets. The loud snorting and crunching of something large outside your door came back-

And then suddenly a blast of cold air from down your chimney blasted out. You gasped out before shielding your face from the sudden cinders and ashes getting blown up from the fireplace. You coughed from the smoke before you realized that-...

That the fire was OUT.

"Thanks, Sis. Should've thought of this three years ago."

There was the sounds of claws digging at your door before the wood slid open and you watched horrified as a large creature with yellow eyes stepped inside with the cold and a smile of fangs.

"Hello again, Pretty Thing.~"

[t4tails]

wait hazbin hotel's racist?

yeah. alastors whole character is probably the most concerning - he is based off of an evil spirit from algonquian folklore, whos believers are typically against even saying their name, and he is also shown with voodoo symbols, perpetuating the idea of voodoo being dark magic instead of the religion it is. he is confirmed to be creole, iirc, but first of all that means nothing if none of the writers know what the fuck theyre talking about, and if anything just draws more attention to the former point of being based off a spirit that is not creole in any sense of the word.

theres also the fact that vivzie refuses to design any character with black features. ive been told all these characters are supposed to be black by fans, but they all have grey skin and while you could argue the angel on the right is supposed to have locs i guess, its still really not an easy read

aaaand husk, a character arguably black coded since he is voiced by keith david, is a slave. so! the shows not great!

[lesbianvamp1re]

NBC’s Hannibal changed my life here’s why :3

(moderate spoilers you have been warned)

Overtly gay

So many shows have amazing queer characters but many of them refuse to make this explicit and only lightly imply it. First of all there are two women in this show who “straight” up get together. Hannibal and Will never actually kiss, however there are so many extremely homoerotic scenes between them that it doesn't make much difference. Will even directly asks Hannibal's therapist Bedelia if Hannibal is in love with him. Other characters in the show also joke about their relationship, referring to them as “murder husbands” or referring to Will as the bride of frankenstein. Another crazy line is when Will says he and Hannibal have “begun to blur” and he doesn’t know if they will survive separation. Will and Hannibal also have this thing where they are drawn to each other even to their own detriment, Will keeps coming back to Hannibal even when he should know not to. After all, you don’t go back to your best friend after they keep trying to kill and eat you.

Insanely cinematic

The whole show is just extremely beautiful. The transitions are amazing, and there are gorgeous shots of everything. The music is also a masterpiece and adds so much to the show. Hannibal is a cannibal, but he is also a very fancy cook which creates many moments where you know he’s cooking people, but the food is mouthwatering anyway. I cannot stress how cool the food in this show is, not only the finished dishes but you also get amazing shots of Hannibal cooking and serving the meals. And do NOT even get me started on the gore, it is simultaneously disgusting, showing just about everything in detail, and beautiful because of the strange and artistic presentations of the bodies. Additionally the show HEAVILY uses metaphors, especially to refer to Hannibal and Wills relationship and they both often speak in metaphors themselves which is a bit confusing but overall works very well.

Hannibal Lecter

All the characters in this show are amazing and have great development and stories but I will mostly focus on Will and Hannibal (shocker i know). Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer and cannibal for pleasure, he is labeled a sociopath but it is explained that this is somewhat inaccurate as he has no trouble socializing, and experiences empathy. However he isn’t really a psychopath either as he also experiences regret. We know that Hannibal ate his sister as a child but he says he did not kill her which is interesting (we aren’t shown much detail in this area). Hannibal looks down upon most people seeing them as being beneath him, although amusing, but he has no trouble killing them if he considers them rude. Will Graham is a rare exception to this as Hannibal is very interested in him and his mind. Will fears that he enjoys killing people and confides in Hannibal (who is his psychiatrist) about it which interests Hannibal. He still wants to cannibalize Will though because he doesn’t know how to be normal about his feelings.

Will Graham

Will has a lot of stuff going on, he mainly shows signs of being autistic, and he has an empathy disorder which causes him to be able to solve murders through heavily empathizing with the killers. His ability to empathize so heavily causes him severe mental distress when he spends too much time thinking like killers. He has nightmares and hallucinations, often about the “stag man” which is exactly what it sounds like. Also in addition it turns out he has encephalitis which makes this worse. The stag man is a wendigo which is an evil spirit originating from Algonquian folklore that causes people to have the desire to kill and eat other people. Here the wendigo likely represents Hannibal or Hannibal and Will's relationship, Will starts seeing it after the first murder by the Chesapeake ripper (Hannibal) which is a body mounted on antlers. Will likes Hannibal because he appeals to his darker side, and Hannibal won’t judge him for desiring brutal things. Also Hannibal is pretty manipulative and Will makes the mistake of letting him inside his head.

It’s basically a silly romcom

While it may not really be anything like a romcom, it is if you squint hard enough. Hannibal and Will's relationship is obviously very romantic in its own way. Also it’s best not to take the show too seriously all the time because it tends to be a little silly at times. The cannibal jokes are really funny.

[rnsk-kousatsu]

Wendimon vs. Turuiemon: Mythological Explanations and Contrasting Parallels in Digimon Survive

This is a rewrite of a writeup I previously posted on my old archived Digimon Survive blog, @digital-survivor

Initially inspired by this post by @digisurvive on the mythological explanations for some of the kids’ partners, out of curiosity I decided to check if there’s anything interesting about Lopmon’s evolutions that I could possibly relate back to their roles in Survive (especially in regards to Shuuji as Lopmon’s partner). What I found turned out to be much more interesting than I anticipated, because it seems very likely that they intentionally incorporated elements from the original mythologies, particularly for Wendimon and Turuiemon — both of whom are Lopmon’s adult forms — even  going so far as to draw parallels between them. More of it under the cut.

TWs: mentions of suicide and self-harm

At first glance, it might seem that Wendimon and Turuiemon have no connection at all, given that they originate from two vastly different cultures with no geographical ties. Wendimon is based on Wendigo from Algonquian folklore (primarily among Indigenous tribes in North America), while Turuiemon is based on Tu’er Ye (Tù’eryé/兔兒爺, literally “Lord Leveret”) from a Chinese folk religion in Beijing. On top of that, Digimon as a franchise itself rarely makes their connection clear beyond Wendimon and Turuiemon being the default adult forms of Lopmon. Despite all of that, there’s actually one theme that they do have in common: they both make their appearance during times of crisis. And yet, they both have starkly contrasting roles in their respective mythology.

Let’s start with Wendigo. Wendigo is told to be an evil spirit that emerges during the harshest of cold winters, when resources are scarce and survival becomes increasingly difficult. It preys on those who succumb to desperation and greed by possessing them and turning them into cannibals. Once possessed by Wendigo, the individual is cursed with an insatiable hunger — no matter how much they consume, they will forever remain emaciated and never feel full.

We can already see several references that Survive makes to the actual Wendigo mythology, the most obvious being Wendimon’s act of devouring Shuuji when he finally succumbs to insanity and desperation, which references Wendigo’s association with cannibalism. Many interpret this scene as a representation of Shuuji’s final surrender to his self-harm tendencies (in short, suicide) — and they aren’t wrong at all, but we can go a bit further by drawing more symbolism from the Wendigo myth: Shuuji is trapped in a self-destructive spiral driven by his constant need for external validation and his unfulfilled craving for approval, particularly from his father. This craving can be seen as a form of greed — not for material wealth perhaps, but for affirmation from others. In the same way that Wendigo’s victims are possessed for their greed and cursed with an insatiable hunger that leads to their ruin, Shuuji’s relentless yet fruitless pursuit of recognition forces him to repress his true feelings, and you can say this leads to his loss of self and eventually his demise, where he is metaphorically — and then quite literally — consumed by his own desperation. It’s also fitting that Lopmon evolves into Wendimon when Shuuji is at his lowest and very much cornered with no choice but to resort to desperate measures, which mirrors how Wendigo only appears during the coldest winters, when both despair and survival instincts are at their peak.

Let’s contrast that with Tu’er Ye, Turuiemon’s namesake. According to Chinese mythology, Tu’er Ye is also known as Yutu (Yùtù/玉兔, literally “Jade Rabbit”), the rabbit on the moon who pounds the elixir of life. Legend says that, once upon a time, he was sent by the Moon Goddess Chang’e (Cháng’é/嫦娥) to eradicate a plague on the land. The people of the land were initially distrustful of Tu’er Ye, seeing that his fur was white and white symbolized death in Chinese culture. However, this didn’t stop Tu’er Ye from saving them — he visited a nearby temple to borrow some clothes that he could wear to cover his white fur. After that, the people welcomed him, and Tu’er Ye successfully saved them from the plague. Ever since then, the people have been revering him as a symbol of protection. He is viewed as a guardian figure, especially for children, and is celebrated during festivals for his role in ensuring health and safety.

Even beyond Survive, the broader Digimon lore references Tu’er Ye through Turuiemon’s profile: Turuiemon is described as a Digimon that hunts down viruses that exploit e-mail, much like how Tu’er Ye’s mission is to eradicate the plague. Survive, however, takes this a step further by contrasting Turuiemon’s role in the story with Wendimon’s: While their evolution scenes take place during the exact same point in the story (that is, the peak of Shuuji’s mental breakdown), unlike Wendimon, Turuiemon appears to save him from a devastating situation, akin to how Tu’er Ye arrived to heal the people from the plague. Additionally, just as Tu’er Ye was initially distrusted by the people and could only rescue them after he gained their trust, Lopmon’s evolution into Turuiemon is only triggered when Shuuji finally places his trust in Lopmon (which in turn also symbolizes his willingness to accept himself for who he is). In contrast to Wendimon, whose appearance causes Shuuji’s death, Turuiemon sustains his life — which is very apt considering that Tu’er Ye is known for pounding the elixir of life, like mentioned earlier.

Aside from their mythological references, you can still draw more interesting parallels between Wendimon and Turuiemon from the story alone to see how they’re opposite of each other. Wendimon has an intimidating appearance and strength which gives Shuuji the impression that he has finally gained the upper hand after feeling weak for so long. However, this strength is deceptive — it isn’t born out of genuine growth, but instead out of Shuuji pushing Lopmon (and himself) beyond his limits. His obstinacy in this is fueled by the belief that the pain will help Lopmon grow stronger, just as his father’s harsh upbringing has forged him into the person he is today. It isn’t wrong to say that Lopmon does grow stronger from it by turning into Wendimon, but Wendimon’s strength is so destructive that it literally destroys Shuuji.

On the other hand, Turuiemon, while not exactly what you would picture as physically strong and imposing, only evolves once Shuuji finally adopts a healthier mindset — one of self-acceptance, most importantly. Sure, he doesn’t look that much more powerful than Lopmon, with his size only growing a little from his child form. However, it’s surprisingly this form of a more balanced strength that truly protects and saves Shuuji instead. It sends a message that I personally find very heartwarming — that real strength isn’t always about how much force you can exert, and that embracing who you are, rather than trying to force yourself into a mold that you don’t fit, is what leads to true and lasting strength to face adversity.

[ghost-bxrd]

Hey I’m not trying to be rude but I noticed you mentioned w*ndigo as some thing you wanted to write in the future? The Algonquian and other tribes are very clear that their culture is closed and people aren’t supposed to say, write, or even think that word. I’m not trying to call you out or shame you, a lot of people don’t know since it’s been appropriated so much in media. While people outside of these tribes just see them as something on the same line as vampires or mermaids, it’s really a much bigger deal than that. One of the strongest responses from a member I’ve seen was something like “I wish we’d never let them learn that word.” This is a highly controversial topic that causes a great deal of pain to many members of the community, and even seeing or hearing the word can be deeply triggering. If you do want to write about similar creatures, Crypt Tv created a similar creature called the Mordeo and their horror shorts are on YouTube

Hi, I know this is out of genuine concern, but I also want to emphasize that this is a controversial topic.

I have done some research on this, and there are equally as many people saying it’s okay to say/write/read about it, as there have been people abolishing its use.

Fact is, this creature is featuring in quite a number of modern media to date. Most notably the Supernatural fandom and the Until Dawn fandom (that I know off the top of my head at the moment). Not to mention numerous songs. Or the very real, psychological phenomena named after it. Though obviously we could argue about the accuracy of its depiction in relation to the original lore.

It is a folklore, a fascinating one, that I take to be mostly about human greed, selfishness, and circumstance. (A lot of times now mixed with the modern depiction of antlers/rotten deer with too sharp teeth.) People know about it. People will invariably find it fascinating. People will write/talk/sing about it. It’s human nature.

Personally, I think it becomes a problem the moment you try to pass it off as something of your own creation rather than trying to encourage people to learn the original folklore. So even if I do end up using the broad inspiration and go with calling it a Mordeo instead, the core of it will always remain with the folklore of the Wendigo. And I will always point back to it, because knowledge of the original version is better than running around thinking that my abstract version is the right one.

But like with all things online, I cannot stress enough that you curate your own experience and can decide on what to see and what not to. If this is something you absolutely do not agree with, please feel free to block me or otherwise filter my content.

[jazzfromthevoid]

I went on holiday so I couldn't do more on wwattober, but I did get a new journal that I drew a couple things in

(See under photo for transcript)

[A plague doctor was a physician who tended to the victims of the bubonic plague during epidemics mainly in the 16th and 17th-century Europe. However The continued sightings of plague doctors is concerning, as they have not been needed due to modern medicine. I fear, with doctors comes plagues.]

[The wendigo is a mythological creature from Algonquian folklore. In some traditions, wendigos were created when a human resorted to cannibalism to survive.The skull "mask" can be made from a variety of different skulls, most commonly dear, elk, moose, ram, wolf, and human.The existence of different types of skulls may be reason to believe the wendigo curse doesn't only target humans.After all, humans aren't the only things desperate to survive.]

These are pretty much pre-existing creatures but with a bit of my own lore and ideas thrown in. I'm also planning on adding a few of my own original creatures to it at some point.

[cassimothwin]

Hi! Sorry if you've been asked this question a lot but I just saw your blazed post for Carved By The Garden and while I was immediately interested I hesitated to share it when I saw you said that it was a folk-horror game which included "cryptids" and "corrupted folklore".

Does Carved By The Garden consider Algonquian hunger/evil beings or other Native American beliefs and stories to be cryptids or folklore to be used in its course of play? And if not does it make sure to try and inform its players on why that behavior isn't acceptable?

I hope it's clear this isn't me trying to like, attack or accuse or what-have-you; it's just that I also can't pretend that these anti-indigenous actions aren't suffused enough into horror genres and tabletop players/nonindigenous writers to warrant a double-check before platforming it to my audience.

Thanks for your question and concerns!

Carved by the Garden doesn't draw from Native American culture. Strange creatures or monsters are loosely described as are their intentions. A cryptid might be a formerly deceased pet looking odd and leading the player somewhere strange. "Corrupted folklore" is more in reference to generic folk tales that a town might have, not any specific existing stories. At its heart, it's a game about walking in the woods and encountering strange things. I'd say the setting draws more from historical European tales than anything else, but all the writing contained within is original.

Since Carved doesn't reference any religions or cultures specifically, I've been struggling with adding a section that instructs why some forms of play are unacceptable. When it came to Tangled Blessings, my dark academia game, it was more grounded within a genre, so it was pretty easy to devote a section to the history and harm done by academic institutions to a range of people and why that shouldn't be represented in a playthrough.

Right now there isn't a section like that in Carved. I understand if that's a cause for concern, and I don't begrudge anyone who hesitates to support the project because of that.

[tallcrishorror]

WBK 3- Wendigos!

Have you ever seen a Wendigo? Atleeast know what they are…..?

No?

Ok keep reading and you’ll know!

——————————————————————————

The Wendigo is a mass-murdering monster, or cannibal with psychopathic tendencies, traditionally hostile from the folkloric tradition of the Algonquian branch of Native American cultures, mainly the Ojibwe and Cree people as well as the Innu. It is believed to be an evil thing related to winter, famine and, greed. Wendigo is the representation of the narrative of excessive consumption, what can be considered literally as cannibalism and metabolically as greed. Stories describe it as a skeletal creature, with putrid skin, hollow eyes and always hungry for human meat. As the story goes, people turn into Wendigos as soon as they kill and consume other people when struggling through extreme conditions, like severe winters.

Wendigos are protagonists of this first-person horror video game called Until Dawn. Here, they are people turned into monsters as soon as they started eating human flesh, which stay close to the folklore roots.

This origin for Wendigo could be because there is nobody better to warn a society about cannibalism than the spirits themselves when it seems like it’s the only solution left. For indigenous people the winters were severe, and food was scarce, so the prohibition on cannibalism may have been backed up with supernatural sanctions for the good of the community. The legend could have been used to actually teach the community members a moral lesson of greed and gluttony equated with spiritual decay.

As to the issue whether it is or is not real there is a possibility to refer to the Wendigo as a kind of symbolism rather than the creature. There is no archeological, nor historical perception of the Wendigo being a tangible, real life/legendary figure, however the fears, which are behind this myth, are real and are grounded in the very basic survival fears combined with moral doubts and the evil within each of us.

[bestiarium]

The Wingwak [Algonquin mythology; Native American mythology]

Sleep-inducing creatures and spirits are somewhat common in myths and tales from around the world, presumably having arisen independently as ways to explain peoples’ need for sleep. In the folklore of the Native American Algonquin people – who live in Canada – this creature takes the form of the Wingwak (alternatively ‘Wingoc’), a small insect-like supernatural being.

Though the Wingwak is a spirit of sleep, it takes the form of a butterfly (though I have also seen them described as flies). Usually they swarm someone in groups of five in order to put that person to sleep.

There is an Algonquin legend about a celestial being who, being aloof and not paying attention, fell through a hole in the heavens and fell down to Earth. Though he was not hurt by the impact, the being was surprised to find that mortal humans sleep. He eventually discovered a man who slept significantly more than the other humans, and around whose head there was a swarm of butterflies. He crafted a bow with arrows and took aim at the insects. His aim was far beyond that of mortals, so he managed to hit some of the insects with an arrow and chased the others away. Thus, the being from the heavens managed to wake the man and proceeded to share his knowledge with the humans. He prophesized that one day, a race of bearded creatures would arrive in this world. When that happens, the people would die off. And later, the arrival of the women of this bearded species will signal ruin for the people. I believe this last part might be a reference to a different story that I did not manage to find.

The Wingwak is also mentioned in a bunch of proverbs: the saying ‘wingwak ondjita manek’ (“there are many wingwak”) means that everyone is currently asleep. ‘Ni nisigok wingwak’ (“[may] the wingwak kill me’) is said when one is very tired.

Sources: Chamberlain, A. F., 1900, Some Items of Algonkian Folk-Lore, The Journal of American Folklore, 13(51): pp. 271-277. University of Western Ontario, 1990, Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics, Volumes 15-20, page 35. Cuoq, J. A., 1886, Lexique de la langue algonquine, J Chapleau & Fils, Oxford University, 446 pp. (image source: Pinclub Teaser for the Metazoo Cryptid trading card game, illustration by Siobhan Daly)

This is the third or fourth time I looked up images of a very obscure folktale and found artwork from Metazoo cards. Maybe I should check that out. I really suck at trading card games, though.

[deer-sabaism]

facts about cannibalism — i have weird hyperfixations, i know.

what's cannibalism? cannibalism is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. cannibalism exists in the animal kingdom and rarely among humans for various reasons, ranging from survival to ritualistic practices.

the first type is defined as eating members of another group (conquered enemies, for example) and the second one, the eating of members of your own group, usually associated with ritual burial ceremonies.

cannibalism has been documented throughout human history, with one of the earliest recorded instances being the Gough’s Cave in England, where human bones from approximately 15,000 years ago showed signs of cannibalistic practices.

in certain cultures, cannibalism was performed as a ritualistic act, believed to transfer the strength or spirit of the consumed to the eater.

the Fore people of Papua New Guinea practiced transumption, a form of cannibalism, until the late 20th century, which led to the spread of the fatal prion disease kuru.

throughout history, there have been numerous accounts of cannibalism for survival. sailors lost at sea, explorers in uncharted territories, and victims of sieges and famines have resorted to consuming human flesh.

the case of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes in 1972, is a well-documented instance where survivors ate the deceased to stay alive.

many cultures have myths and folklore featuring cannibalistic giants or monsters, such as the Wendigo in Algonquian folklore, which is said to embody both the act of cannibalism and the insatiable greed that leads to it.

cannibalism has been a recurring theme in literature and film, often used to explore themes of survival, horror, or the breakdown of societal norms. movies like "The Silence of the Lambs" and books like "Hannibal" by Thomas Harris have brought cannibalism into popular culture.

cannibalism is illegal in most countries, though the act itself is not explicitly mentioned in the law; rather, it is often prosecuted under laws against murder, desecration of corpses, or assault.

in medical science, the transplantation of human organs and tissues can be seen as a form of cannibalism, though it is, of course, conducted for life-saving purposes and with consent.

research into prion diseases like kuru has provided valuable insights into neurodegenerative diseases and the risks associated with consuming human neural tissue.

with advances in lab-grown meats and other synthetic food technologies, some speculate about the ethical implications of creating human flesh for consumption without the need for death or harm.

cannibalism can cause severe psychological effects, including trauma, PTSD, guilt, shame, dissociation, social isolation, and stigmatization. it can deeply impact identity and self-perception, particularly when conflicting with cultural or religious beliefs. survival cannibalism may lead to survival guilt, while instances involving psychopathy can reflect broader antisocial behaviors. long-term mental health issues like depression and anxiety are also common. thw psychological impact varies based on individual resilience and circumstances.

climate change could potentially increase instances of cannibalism in the animal kingdom as resources become scarcer and species are forced into closer quarters or new territories.

there have been rare instances of self-cannibalism, known as autophagy, where individuals consume parts of their own bodies, often as a result of mental illness or extreme starvation.

cannibalism is studied in various academic fields, including anthropology, psychology, and biology, to understand its historical, cultural, and biological aspects.

educational discussions about cannibalism can challenge students to think critically about ethical issues, human behavior, and the diversity of cultural practices around the world.

cannibalism, a topic as old as humanity, spans across cultures and continents, revealing both dark and fascinating aspects of human history. Whether driven by necessity, ritual, or psychological compulsion, the act of consuming human flesh highlights social and ethical issues.

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