Wendigo (Folklore)

Wendigo's History
The Wendigo (sometimes known as the Windigo) is an evil spirit of Native American folklore, known for its connection with the worst sin of all: cannibalism. According to myth, humans giving in to cannibalism, even for their own survival, call the curse of the Wendigo upon themselves. They undergo a transformation into a man-like beast, their minds seeking only one thing: more human flesh to consume.

Belief in the Wendigo is so strong among some tribes that it has become a very real mental illness among some people, known as Wendigo psychosis. Those with Wendigo psychosis live with the constant fear that they will become a monster if they imbibe in human flesh, and that they will constantly pursue more and more. One true-life Wendigo was Swift Runner, a Plains Cree who lived in Alberta. In 1878, he was arrested, tried, and put to death after he killed and ate his wife and five children during a harsh snowstorm.