Episode 30 The Wendigo

Join Joey and Sabryna in diving into the lore of the Wendigo. SO many know the typical stories but there is so much more that could be linked to this lore. This is including some Japanese lore as well. 

Don’t forget to join us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for updates all as Ghost and Gavel. Also if you have your own spooky stories especially if it comes to the history of the Wendigo message us at ghostandgavel@gmail.com

Sources: 
Google.com
Americanghostwalks.com
Allthatsinteresting.com
En.wikipedia.org
Yokai.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Ghosting Apple with Joey and Sabrina. We are on episode 30 today, so we are going to be handing it over to Sabrina.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Alright, so on today's episode, we're going back to Cryptids, and we're going to talk about the Wendigo. The Wendigo is a malevolent malevolent cannibalistic spirit, so spirit or cryptid or monster, rooted in indigenous folklore of the Great Lakes in Northern Canada. Something that I didn't know about the folklore is a cautionary tale against taboo actions because it could possess humans and turn them into beasts.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

What about beasts?

SPEAKER_00 1:20

The um Wendigo can actually transform a human into a beast is what it's saying. The lore was designed to teach the dangers of selfishness and the necessity of community cooperation during harsh and starving winters. This being said, it kind of brings me back to something that I have spoken to my counselor about recently. The fact that I feel so guilty asking for help when I need it. And she told me to think of it this way: no one can do everything. We may be good at a lot, but use the example of financial stability. We may be able to pay our own electric bill, but we don't know, we may not know anything about electricity itself and how to maintain it. So we rely on others in our community that are well versed in that area to make sure that it is maintained and available for use by everybody else. We each have our place and serve our purpose as part of the community. Again, the Wendigo symbolism represents the terrifying personification of winter famine and starvation and resilience on each other during these times. It also alternatively viewed as an evil spirit often used to warn against dangers of wandering alone. More deeply, the moral failings of greed and selfishness that can ruin a community. You know, I know your sister likes to go around calling for skin walkers and stuff, but I prefer to keep the demons with her. Many have agreed that it has been seen with large claws, perhaps to rip away the flesh of its human feast. It is also described as having some supernatural abilities, such as immense strength, heightened sentences, the ability to move swiftly, especially with the wind, and the power to mimic human voices to lure in its prey. What is Wendigo psychosis? It is a historical yet disputed term for cultural bond syndrome, where individuals often isolated in northern climates developed an intense craving for human flesh and a fear of becoming a cannibal. Symptoms may include depression, withdrawal, insomnia, paranoia, a growing belief that consuming human flesh is necessary, and cannibalistic urges, even when other food is readily available to them. How do you kill such a thing? It is claimed that the only way to kill these creatures is by destroying the heart, which is said to be made of ice. Huh, sounds kind of like me, huh? I got a cold heart.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

And that's what you could use fire for. But if it's made out of ice, an ice pig would work too.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

So are you saying that's why we're so good together? Uh I'm ice and you're fire. How does one become a wendigo? It is said that it can be done by being bitten by one. Sounds almost zombie-like to me, right? Or also through a curse, which is claimed that if a person dreams or has nightmares of this creature, they are vulnerable to possession. I know when I wrote this, I was having a lot of nightmares, and when I was going over and learning more about the windigo, I like I was like, good grief. I I hope I don't start dreaming of this creature. Like, I'm gonna end up waking up being a cannibalistic windigo. I keep saying it. We're not trying to summon anything here. Sorry guys. The legend behind this ca I got this information from all that's interesting.com saying the legend began with a lost hunter, which actually there are different legends I'm gonna go over with this one. Um, but we're gonna start with the most common. Um began with a lost hunter during beautiful brutal cold winter. The man's intense hunger drove him to cannibalism. After feasting on human flesh, it's claimed that he turned into a crazed man beast roaming the forest in search of more people. Although the lore differs depending on who you ask. So, like I said, we're gonna kind of go over different lures that I found. Um, because there's things I found that I have not heard about um being talked about when it comes to this creature, beast thing, zombie, whatever you want to call it. Some say the creature is comparable to Bigfoot, but some say the comparison is closer to that of a werewolf, which again, like the description I was saying, um, those don't really fit the description to me, if you ask me. Um, I would personally say that the pictures I have seen and the research I have done on common lore for this, at least, is a comparison to the mix of like a sci-fi zombie and Christmas Krampus. Especially if you use like the deerhead um expression or deerhead description. Because he is said to be a creature of cold weather, it is said the sightings that were reported at the turn of the 20th century were said to have been in Canada and the northern parts of the United States, such as Minnesota. I'm gonna butcher this one. The Angana Quinn tribes have blamed many unexplained disappearances of people on Wendigo attacks. There were many disappearances that are said to have occurred during this time within these tribes, to which is why they referred to him as the spirit of lonely places. There is another translation that is said he is referred to as the evil spirit that devours mankind. This translation is said to be related to the version of the beast that has the power to curse humans by possessing them. Once he has done so, he can turn them into beasts of his kind and instill similar lust for human flesh. To go along with the cold weather nature of the lore, the lures differ slightly here. Some say he moves very quick and he has the agility to handle long treks in the winter. Others say he walks in a more haggard manner and as if he is falling apart as he does so. Either way, like I mentioned before, because he lures in his prey by mimicking the voices of humans, it doesn't sound as if speed may be a necessary trait at all times for this beast. The same site that I had mentioned says that he lures his prey into isolation far away from civilization, and once they are in a desolate the desolate depth of wilderness, he then attacks, which I keep saying he, but we're gonna get into this a little bit further, where there are other cultures that suggest it's possibly a female. Again, here to come. Um, I don't know necessarily like because I mean it has to do with winter and greed and selfishness. I mean, I would guess that it could be both female or male, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:33

It could be.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

So, but I don't know, like ever all my research on this at this point kept saying male, and all my research a little further on kept saying female. There is an infamous case from 1879, the story of the Swift Runner, a Native American man who murdered and ate his whole family during the winter. Have you heard of that one, the Swift Runner? I I bet if you look up pictures, it'll look familiar to you. I'll let you do that while I'm continuing this. The Swift Runner continued to claim that he had been possessed by a Wendigo spirit at the time of the murders up until he had been hanged. It is said that he lived in Alberta, Canada, and was well known and respected in his community as he was a member of the Northwest Mounted Police. The family included himself, his wife, six children, and his mother and his brother. He took them all into the remote forests to hunt and trap for the season as was customary, and only he returned. Or eighteen seventy-nine right there.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Okay, now what about it?

SPEAKER_00 15:30

So I was just asking if um the Swift Runner was a familiar story to you. Um, and I didn't think it was until I had looked up that picture, and then I remembered hearing about it. I mean, all that we're interested in. I I've heard about a lot, but if we're talking about that. Yes, that's like the folklore pictures of the Wendigo.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

But that also reminds me of God, I forgot the name of the creature, but it was featured on uh Riverdale.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Uh River.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Um, okay, back to our story. When he returned, he told authorities that he was the a lone survivor after the rest had died of starvation. They reported that he did not look like a man that had suffered from starvation, but looked healthy and well fed, which is what brought suspicion to him. Which, of course, if you're feeding on your own family, then you're gonna be well fed, especially with six children.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Okay. Interrupt you, but it's called the uh Gargil King.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

I've honestly never seen that, so it was like a TV show.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I know it still goes on, but I haven't watched it after like a season like four or five.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

I don't know. I may have seen it. I mean, the name sounds familiar, so I may have just heard of uh the show, but it's based off of the Archie uh comics. Uh probably not then. When authorities went to investigate his camp, they found human bones scattered all around, evidence that the bodies had been butchered and cooked, a pot full of what they say was human fat, but it makes me question with what was available to them in those times. How do they know exactly that that had been human fat? I mean, I know there's some distinguishing factors, but we're talking about the 1800s. They don't have, you know, like DNA kits and medical testing kits like we do now, you know what I mean? Lastly, bones broken open presumably presumably presumably to extract marrow, but again, I question capabilities and what was available during those times. But I could be wrong, you know, we did talk about the Egyptians and the pyramids and how um advanced those are for the times they were built. Swiftrunner had confessed to the murder and cannibalism of his family, including his youngest son, which he took his life after spring had begun, and wildlife and game were again available. After the confession, he then insisted the possession by the windigo when authorities ruled out starvation as a prime motive. But you would think, okay, a he didn't do he didn't confess the or he didn't claim the possession of the windigo until after his confession and they found the evidence. If you are already possessed, and you think of like I guess the sci-fi type of possessions, and this is where I may be wrong, but if you're already possessed, you're gonna be having those issues and you're going to continue doing things like they claim, like cannibalism. So wouldn't he have come home and killed and eaten more people if he was possessed and not waited until after the confession? I don't know. Anyways, I question my I question things a lot, sorry. After he was tried, it was said he did show remorse and even joked with the priest before his execution. However, it is claimed that his execution was the first legal one that took place in Alberta. There are many stories like those of the Swift Runner spanning all the way from Quebec to the Rockies. Some believe the story of this beast is just a way for indigenous people to, in response to the horrific violence unleashed on them by non-native people. Many anthropologists believe the concept was only developed after Native people had come in contact with Europeans, which I mean doesn't surprise me. We all know the true history of the Native Americans and the horrible, cruel things we have done. It is claimed that most sightings of this beast happened between the 1800s and 1920s, and few reports of the creature have surfaced since. However, alleged sightings still emerge, including one in 2019, 2019. The Wendigo is mentioned in many movies and shows, which we will discuss shortly. But what I found interesting was there are actually lakes named after this beast, like Lake Wendigo in Minnesota. As well as Wendigo Lake in Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Oh, well, heard of both happening.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Other than that, I had pre like I had previously mentioned about most sightings occurring in the 1800s or between the 1800s and the 1920s. There are a couple of other sightings that I did find short stories on. Before we start that, I did find that Kenora, Ontario, I may have butchered that first part, is known as the Wendigo Capital of the World, which I didn't know either. To which frequently produces tales and sightings. Other sightings include one close to home, actually, in 2024, so just a couple years ago on a Kentucky security camera, sighting to which the video surfaced on Facebook as well as the travel channel shows a pale, lanky figure on a driveway. Another sighting came from a GoPro forest footage in 2025. A video posted on Most Amazing Top 10 shows a creature in the trees which has often been interpreted as the windigo. Which I didn't even look these up before we did this. I probably should have because I bet they're interesting videos.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

What's that?

SPEAKER_00 23:44

Um, the sighting of uh 2024 Kentucky security camera on the windigo. Other places that hold tales of the creature are places like North Carolina, Madeline Island, Wisconsin, and near Bar Harbor, Maine. Some also link the lore of the Wendigo to the Japanese lore of Yukiana. I'm glad we don't do this at night. I would be having nightmares. I would be the cannibal in the morning. That's freaky. I mean, like you see pictures, but seeing a video of it all hunched over. Anyways, back to the Japanese folklore of I don't know if I'm pronouncing this right. The Yukiana. Now, this one was a new one for me, but also very interesting to look into because I had only heard on the original lore that I had just spoken about. Yukiana is depicted in Japanese literature, films, and animation. Yukiana is more well known to be depicted as a female, which is what I was mentioning before. The other ones were mentioned as a male. This one is more commonly known as a female. The one main difference I found in these lures between the regions is that the Yukiana isn't said to be cannibalistic the way that the original Wendigo legend says this creature is. This indicates that the legend exists even prior to this time period. So I probably just butchered like half that paragraph. But anyways, from what I found, there are many. Okay, I don't know what I was trying to type there. Obviously, I was getting excited. Um she is depicted in Japanese culture depending on one on the region, mainly on the region. Um, so I saw many depictions of her throughout my research. Some say it is a beautiful woman that had come to visit a man and became his wife. The woman had been reluctant to bathe, but when she was made to do so, she disappeared, leaving only thin, fragmented, floating icicles. Others claim she had come to visit an older couple on a cold, snowy night to warm herself late in the night. She attempted to continue her journey. The man attempted to take her hand and stop her when he had noticed she was still freezing to the touch. She disappeared before his eyes in a whirl of snow through the chimney. There are others that say she is. Either way, when these creatures are seen to be a depiction and predictable of death and starvation. I did find some more information on, I'm not sure how to pronounce this, Yokai. Y-O-K-A-I.com that claim in some instances the Yukiana does not prey on travelers, but finds a human man to fall in love with and even marries them. However, because she is immortal and never ages, the husband eventually discovers the identity, but it still ends with happy marriages. Can I be immortal and just let you grow old? I'm just kidding, I don't want to be immortal. I have too many health issues for that. Could you imagine living forever with these health issues? Longer than the average age. Anyways. Some other things that I found interesting about the Japanese lore is the fact that they have different variations. There are water beggars, said to travel by the wind, and appears on days of light snowfall. She walks swinging a white wand and shouts at whoever she meets. Please give me water, hot or cold. If anyone gives cold water, she swells in size. But if anyone gives hot water, she melts and disappears. So um, just a little note if we ever decide to go to Japan and your ass for water, just give them hot water. You know, we don't want to be taken up by any lores, okay? There's also the moon princess, the princess of the lunar world living on the moon. Her life was filled with luxury, but it was extremely boring for her. She was fascinated to see the planet Earth below, so she snuck out one night and fell down to Earth, traveling on snow. However, what she didn't expect was coming to Earth was easier for her than going back. So she was stuck on Earth and she used she's said to appear on a full moon snowy night pining for her old home. She's also referred to as the snow vampire, the dreadful snow vampire haunting the snowy forest, looking to feed. So this one's more similar to the wendigo if they're looking to feed. She lives by sucking the vital energy out of a human body. She does so by freezing the victims to death, then sucking it through the dead victim's mouth. No wonder I'm gonna have nightmares again. I listened to too much scary stuff. Okay, we're just gonna keep going. In this version, it is primarily focused on children. So mothers are warned not to let their children play on snowy nights near the forest. There is also the talking snow woman. In this version, she engages her victims in a conversation in order to attack. When she meets someone on a dark and snowy night, she calls out to them. If the person answers her greeting, she attacks. So how about we just not go to Japan during the winter time? Sound good? Okay. What I found interesting is how they associate the Yukiana as being a woman, again, like I've said, in the legends. Although another thing I kind of correlated it with, I know that many of us have heard that history did not allow for women to take part in certain roles in earlier times, with legends saying she was pale, and a lot of history saying men would paint their faces very pale to represent women in acting roles. So it makes me wonder if, again, this could be a man also filling the role of the Yukiana.

SPEAKER_01 35:52

It could be.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Hannibal and Grim. Movies that have incorporated the Beast are of course Pet Cemetery, another favorite with Stephen King. Stephen King, The Wendigo, Wendigo Botoned by Blood, Skin and Bones, Ravenous, Antlers, again, Wendigo, The Retreat Alone, and Lost with Wendigo, and so many more. Honestly, I had heard of the folklore prior to this research, but I'm really glad I dove a little deeper into this and took a deeper dive to into the legend behind it and learned more about where it all started and the different cultures that portray these creatures, these beasts, the spirits, whatever you want to call these things. You all know my personal belief on things of this sort. I think anything is possible in today's world. There is definitely a lot that is hidden from us when it comes to governments, conspiracies, and whatnot. And definitely more to the world than we are knowledgeable on or than we, like I said, we're being told. I know that was bad timing, wasn't it? Snacking during our recording here.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

So you're gonna be my windigo?

SPEAKER_00 38:29

I mean I might, because they do say nightmares can bring this on, and after what we just talked about and what I just watched, what you pulled up, I may be having nightmares again tonight. You wouldn't know though, because then I'd be cannibalistic and I'd eat you before you wake.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

But uh I know the word egg it was mentioned. Yeah, it's a cold a cold climax beast or whatever you want to call it.

SPEAKER_00 39:11

That was mentioned in not only the Japanese lore, but the original lore too. Because like I said, it had to do with um the different things during the wintertime, you know, the representation of starvation and greed and people trying to survive the elements of winter that you know the northern regions bring.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

And you mean Canada?

SPEAKER_00 39:36

Canada, Minnesota, Maine.

SPEAKER_01 39:41

When I first looked it up, it was what is that? Wisconsin.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

Wisconsin was another one of them.

SPEAKER_01 39:54

Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minnesota, and uh up in Canada.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

Yeah, those are the big ones. Uh Maine was also mentioned and part of it.

SPEAKER_01 40:06

Um sorry guys, you're definitely here to be ripping to a bag of jerky.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

You can't give this man beef jerky. It's gone. It's gone within hours. I'm not talking days. He can have like a 40-pack of jerky sticks and have that thing gone in hours. And then he's stay. He's stank ass. He is a stank ass. That's where we get the comedy on here when he starts ripping ass because he decided to down 46 of beef jerky beforehand.

SPEAKER_01 40:50

Oh, the gas is already starting.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Oh Lord, we gotta cut this off, y'all. Okay, happy Monday. Have a great week. Make sure you follow us on social medias: TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, uh Ghost and Gavel. And then if you have any stories of spottings of the windigo, reach out to us at ghostandgavel at gmail.com. We're gonna get out off here, and I'm gonna get out of here before he starts thinking it up. I'm gonna I'm gonna make sure I have nightmares and I'm gonna tear your ass up, is what I'm gonna do.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

Guess when you're sleeping, I'm just gonna come up, whisper in your ear.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

With the go. That'll definitely bring on the nightmares.