The legend of the wendigo has long been associated with real-life problems like insatiable greed, selfishness, and violence. One of the most famous cases of someone allegedly being possessed by a Wendigo comes from 1878, when in Saskatchewan, Canada, a Cree fur trapper by the name of Swift Runner claimed that he had been possessed by insidious dark forces and had become a Wendigo after killing and eating his family during a harsh winter without food. She had told me that before leaving a terrifically gaunt figure had been watching us across the river bank, and that it had noticed her and ran away on all four at a fictional speed she shakily said, staying quite frightened after. Many have given Kenora . What Is The Wendigo? It escalated when they began to hear footsteps in the area, a terrible stench would sometimes waft through, and there was a constant, inescapable feeling of being watched. During a brutally cold winter, this mans intense hunger drove him to cannibalism. The experience has left David feeling uneasy about going back out in the woods, and is questioning whether he will ever go out hunting again. I smelled the most horrible smell Ive ever smelled my life, like rot and mud and sulfur, David wrote. 6. Answer (1 of 18): I have read all of your comments, This creature has been part of Native American truth for hundreds of years. He bet against the hotel owner and won the hotel. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. One description of the Wendigo was given by Native author and ethnographer Basil H. Johnston, who wrote of it: The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. From Side Hustle to Storefront:Meet the 25-Year-Old Badger Alum Set to Open Her First Brick-and-Mortar Bakery, Our Wisconsin Cherokee Indians and the settlers who followed them passed on stories of sightings around the Burke County mountain, located in the vast Pisgah National Forest about 60 miles east of Asheville. It also has historical significance for many Indigenous communities. Anthropologists have found hodag tales as early as 1870, originating in lumber camps. Amongst these ruins and the vegetation, one can supposedly discover Rocky, a large serpentine reptile. i have also lived in wisconson half my life and i only know the hodag, Your email address will not be published. 8 Cheese Factories You Can Visit in Wisconsin, Get exclusive Wisconsin stories & news right in your inbox. Maybe ten minutes later we saw a couple of flashlight beams coming through the woods and about three guys came into view asking if everything was ok. After all, besides some of the telltale signs such as the generation of fear, general appearance, and what seems to be in some cases an effort to trick or draw in the victim, as well as the assertion from all of these witnesses that these were "Wendigos," we are left wondering if there is perhaps something else to this all. The witness in this case claims that he spends a lot of time camping and hiking the area with his brother Ryan, and on this day, they had headed out to a place they knew well, midway through Jacks River Trail in the Cohutta Wilderness. RSS. And there is no way it was a tree because every time I go out there I go to where I spotted it. It takes its place in the study of cryptozoology. I also became increasingly paranoid that someone or something was out there with me. According to the Native legend, any human who eats another human, for whatever reason, even starvation, is transformed into a wendigo. In modern times, such beliefs and traditions have faded, their traditions replaced by the inexorable march of science and the rational. Weird Wisconsin stories and creepy travel tips! These locals would encounter Rocky by their boats and along the shore where they would be traumatized once sighting the incognito beast hissing at them. It is certainly a sad tale of the end of tribal beliefs, and whether these Wendigo ever really existed or not the people of the region certainly believed that they did and that they were a threat. Although most of the stories of Wendigo encounters occurred far back into the19th and 20th centuries and beyond, there have been sporadic reports of what could be possible Wendigos up into more modern times. In certain cultures wendigo are depicted as humanoid, but with pale skin like a corpse. It's bones are visible through its sickly yellow skin, and its body is composed of ice and matted fur. Eyewitness sketch of a mysterious creature that dashed in front of a moving car near Holy Hill. It resembled somewhat of a dragon-like creature. More recent sightings have been flooding in ever since 1987 when the song first aired on WTCM. ), Use the form below to submit photos and videos for use on the Wisconsin Frights website and social media. Green stars represent the specific location where the sighting occurred. Citation: The Driftless Reader, by Curt Meine and Keene Keeler, p. 80, my grand father always called it Tawacunchukdah translates roughly to spirt lake. We have more lakes than any other country on the planet, so it stands to reason we would have at least one serious lake monster. Photo by Joshua Mayer. After feasting on another humans flesh, he transformed into a crazed man-beast, roaming the forest in search of more people to eat. The Wendigo roams the upper regions of Minnesota with an insatiable hunger for human flesh. In recent years numerous wendigo sightings have been reported in Wisconsin. So, Wendigo in my neighborhood, lets not meet. It felt like longer but it was only a few seconds before this creature jumped straight up in the air (and I mean straight up, not forward) and bounded to the back of the house in 3 large strides. What Is A Wendigo? And after a month, it felt like it had gone, and it was safe to go over there again alone. Now I know what your wondering, could I have been dehydrated or having hallucinations. These creatures have been mainstays of Native American lore for generations, their deeds well known in many of these tribal stories and legends. Could These Monster-Sized Snakes Be Beaten? It was behind a tree, and at first appeared to be a bear standing on its back legs scratching its back against the tree trunk. Under those circumstances, who could blame them for having a fear of starvation? To the white settlers reading this, it was a tale of devil-worship, black magic, and deadly superstition among the untamed savages of the uncharted wilds, and it drew much call to bring the Native people under control and impose their own laws on them. Felt like it was coming up so I pulled harder a bit and the line snapped. If theres one thing we do know its that there is a lot of mystery shrouded in this beast, many fishermen continue to track the creature in hopes of catching it one day and proving its existence. These mounds were believed to have been created by the Aztalan natives when the lakes water levels were much lower. Whether a psychological condition or a truly evil presence that lurks in the barren icy woodlands of North America, the Wendigo has certainly retained its twisted reputation as . What lips it had were tattered and bloody Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.. Skinwalkers are shape-shifting witches able to assume the attributes of various animals, especially canines. July 27, 2022 9:11 am CDT, Originally Published One of the guys walked around a bit and came back and said he didnt see anything. Today we are going to look at some of Wisconsins most interesting cryptid stories from around the state that you can use to add to your catalogue of spooky tales. In 2006, a large bearlike animal with canine characteristics dragged a dead deer from the back of a county contractor's pick up truck. A perfect shot. They are some massive prehistoric fish that can be very intimidating up close and in person. What did David and his wife encounter in the woods? 2. Rocky is said to dwell amongst the deeper sections of the lake and reappear near the surface occasionally. The native story tells of a great mountain that floats in the western sky where thunderbirds gather. Wendigo is a very strange scary creature whose essence is very blurred. Up until then this never would have been seen as totally strange by the Native people of the region, a necessary evil in their fight against sinister forces, but in the view of the Mounties and the white settlers they represented this was called murder. What is going on behind these reports and others like them, and are they even truly encounters with the legendary Wendigo at all? But they also say people who have been abused or neglected may become the Wendigo. Everything about it was long. As I went to unzip my tent, trying to keep my eyes toward the woods, I heard some movement directly in front of me. Two consecutive notes with the same three to four second gap and then two more consecutive notes. Until speaking with a phrase that still haunts me today, before I had left early, that thing had left long, deep, scratch mark on the trail sign. It was the one that It was chased me on. What was going on here? In certain cultures wendigo are depicted as humanoid, but with pale skin like a corpse. This thing had long arms, and it was tall, but I don't remember anything like talons or claws. Wikimedia CommonsA Wendigo Manitou carving on Mount Trudee in Silver Bay, Minnesota. Since the wendigo is said to be a cold-weather creature, most sightings have been reported in Canada, as well as colder northern states in the U.S. like Minnesota. Many of us are packing up and heading into the great outdoors for a fun array of activities like swimming, biking, hiking, hammock napping, and scary campfire stories. Normally Im the type of person that would go out and look for myself, maybe even going down by the pond to explore and find something, but this case shuts all of that down. My dog, who is normally aware of every living creature from a mile away in a snow storm, is completely unaware of its presence. Basically, the word wendigo can also function as a symbol for gluttony and the image of excess. They hurried back to their vehicle and went home, but that night still haunts David. As soon as the light hit it launched backwards off of the tree. And very large, dark eyes, oriented forward like a predators would be. What did David and his wife encounter in the woods? The human was transformed into a cannibalistic monster which roams the forests searching for prey. By Mindy Rossette. The lake winnebago water monster. My jaw was tight, my fist clenched, knowing I wasnt ready for whatever was out there if it was anything at all. Above: That dang Hodag. Im fully convinced that what I saw that night had to have been a Wendigo. It felt close enough to touch but we never saw a thing. There are many different stories associated with this mystic being. Many people paid to see the beast, which was displayed in a shadowy stall and emitted frightening noises. Many are skeptical of its existence and others say that it has been confused as other folklore monsters such as a Wisconsin Bigfoot or a wendigo. It is believed by native Americans that wendigos call out for help like a human in order to lure people toward it. Photo taken circa 2014. If Bigfoot has been here all along, we would expect to meet him in old legends as well as in the latest sightings. One of the most infamous cases is the story of Swift Runner, a Native American man who murdered and ate his whole family during the winter of 1879. I have heard what sounds like a little girl calling for help out in those woods before. They would find dead birds around the campground, things went missing from their own camp, and they were at a loss to explain what was going on. The legend of the Wendigo stems from Native American folklore, primarily in Algonquian-speaking tribes located in south and southeastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region, and northeastern United States. The wendigo is an native american story that's meant to warn against wondering off in the winter and out of the fear of cannibalism. Shepard reported that it had the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end.. I tried to explain what had happened without sounding crazy but it didnt seem to work. Some claim he is unusually fast and can endure walking for long periods of time, even in harsh winter conditions. September 21, 2022. The Wisconsin Windigo continued their winning ways as they hosted Midwest Division rival Chippewa Steel for a two game series on February 24-25, at the historic Dome in Eagle River, WI. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Scare Yourself Senseless at These Haunted Wisconsin Attractions, $209 a pound?! Every culture that has evil supernatural entities has ways to battle them, and those who would go head to head with them and step up ready to battle. Ever take a good look at a sturgeon before? story: Source #1 gods-and-monsters, The Wendigo is a demonic spirit believed by Algonquin-based Native American tribes to possess humans and turn them into cannibals. Wendigo or not, it is very creepy, to say the least. Wisconsin's 7 Weirdest Towns & Why They're Called That, Business Most often described as a massive, hairy brute up to 15 feet tall, with a mix of human and animalistic features, the Wendigo has long been said to partake in acts of murder, insatiable greed, and cannibalism. From Texas we have a report from a witness who claims this happened out in the Texas Hill Country during the hot summer months. I stood up shining my flashlight in all directions trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was screwing with us. The whistling came back. In Native American folklore, the terrifying wendigo is often described as a gaunt and foul-smelling creature that roams the woods in search of human flesh to consume. Travelers along this misty stretch of highway would report seeing lights and a strange lone figure patrolling the road. Lake Windigo, in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. Its voice resembles the sounds of the wild - falling water, wind, the call of birds and beasts. Originally the lake was referred to as Mde Wakan or Bad Spirit Lake by the local Nakota Sioux for its deep, cold, and salt-infested waters. The house has since collapsed, but the legend lives on. In Native folklore, it was called N'ha-a . Use the form below to suggest edits. The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. Other sightings have been reported northwest of Crivitz in a large expanse of wetlands and hardwood forest. Join MU Plus+ and get exclusive shows and extensions & much more! I'm sure any of them would be happy to expla. Thats when the movement stopped but the whistling was still constant. He says of what happened next: There is a creek on that property as well, and while usually we never had any issues while down there, this one time had proven to be quite strange; Topaz the cat was unwilling to cross in her usual spot, and it was eerily quiet. The whistling stopped. Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! That trail later became what today is referred to as the Old Military Road. Something or someone was running in a circle around our campsite. Red question marks represent the broad location where the sightings occurred. Perhaps one of the most unique and famous beasts on this list is the Rhinelander Hodag. Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. Apparently local settlers went to the trappers home to corroborate the story and found a veritable charnel house of blood, strewn about body parts, and half-eaten corpses in such a jumbled morass of gore and effluence that it could not even be ascertained how many people had been killed. As they made their way back toward the road to leave, a strong odor filled the air. Photo by Joshua Mayer. I swept my light up in front of me and for maybe two seconds I saw it. The first sighting may have been in the 1840s in the area now called Virginia Beach. Up until then, the Cree peoples had managed to largely live apart from civilization, more or less untouched by the coming of the white man and their outlandish ways. Each tribe typically had its own ceremonies, rituals, and talismans to ward off the creatures or stop a person from becoming one, but in most cases the final line of defense in fighting this supernatural threat was the tribes shamans. The creature has . Few reports of the creature have surfaced since then. Since then I havent spotted it, but I hear it. The countryside surrounding Holy Hill has more than it's fair share of anomalous activity. 4. Devils Lake is actually called Day-wa-kun-chunk (holy lake or Sacred Lake) by the Ho-Chunk. With its bones pushing out over its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into the sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. Within the region, Fiddler was nearly legendary as a powerful shaman and healer, attributed with vast supernatural abilities such as the power to shapeshift, conjure up animal spirits, chase away evil spirits, deflect spells, and many others, but he was most well known as a Wendigo hunter. The part I never like to talk about. At this point in the transformation, it was seen as beyond the point of using rituals or ceremonies, and that a shaman was needed to battle the creature, put it to death, and consecrate the corpse. In several Native American traditions, Navajo folklore from the American Southwest, for example, tells of supernatural creatures; the werewolf, werecoyote, or whatever form the therianthrope or demon is known as a "Skinwalker" or Yendalooshi (Yenaldooshi). Another rough translation of wendigo is the evil spirit that devours mankind. This translation is related to yet another version of the wendigo that has the power to curse humans by possessing them. Ryan kept asking if I heard that and I put my finger to my lips trying to keep him from talking. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Many are skeptical of its existence and others say that it has been confused as other folklore monsters such as a Wisconsin Bigfoot or a wendigo. The Cree say the Wendigo is an evil spirit that destroys mankind, a cannibal. Sadly, the creature was soon to be revealed as a hoax by the man who claimed to discover it but the legend of the Hodag still carries on to this day. How could someone whistle this loudly without cracking while also running? Primary Editor: Jia-Rui Cook. This had sent horrendous chills down my spine, So I ran the fastest Ive ever had back towards the campsite, while I heard the twigs and leaves crunching behind me. The thing is massive. It's the hauntings of Sparta and if anyone is interested it's on my YouTube channel babebeachattire. Popular Wendigo sightings . 19 Pablo Escobar Facts That Reveal The Outrageous Story Of The Fearsome 'El Padrino', This English Village Just Chose A New Mayor And He's A Pony Who Likes To Drink Guinness, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Ken Virden is a member of the Discover Wisconsin team. Newspapers as far away as Philadelphia reported on this amazing scientific discovery. Native Americans would send out scouts and warriors onto the lake for hunting trips only to hear screams with other tribesmen telling how they saw the hunters dragged underneath into the brackish waters by octopus-like tentacles. We Found Wisconsins Best Fish Fry. Has anyone ever witnessed a sky Cryptid before???? Its also linked to the many cultural taboos against these negative actions and behaviors. . The lore of the Wendigo, which is often ominously translated as the evil spirit that devours mankind, varies slightly from tribe to tribe, but it is always seen as a malevolent creature with an intense, uncontrollable perpetual hunger for human flesh, and often said to possess the minds of others in order to drive them to cannibalism. Originating from the myths and legends of the Native American Algonquian tribes based in the northern forests of Nova Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada, the Wendigo truly holds a place amongst the most frightening creatures of Native lore, and with good reason. "Massive" is the Word. I had finally reached the campsite when the footsteps suddenly stopped, I was relieved and slumped over to the cabin stairs when I slipped on a rock slipping out of the makeshift fire, it had caused me to head straight into it. 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