Wendigo Legends and Folklore Alive and Well In WV
Have you ever heard of the legend of Wendigo? The fact is, there are many legends from WV’s Native American people that were passed on to early pioneers and are now almost forgotten. The legend of Wendigo is such a legend. I thought I would share its story with you since, like many of you, I proudly wear the banner of having descended from Native American roots, and there remains a drop or two in my veins.
It is not a secret that WV is filled with dark caves, hollows, and shallow streams that rarely see signs of human intrusion, many of whose names have long-since been lost to time. So, it’s difficult to confirm or deny the existence of these creatures and others like them. I felt I had to get that out of the way. Now let’s move on with our story…
First, what is a Wendigo? Is it real? Is it a monster, myth or a now-extinct creature? No one knows for certain, and while rare, it is said they have been seen and therefore do exist among the hills of WV, and it’s probably best not to look for them. I will say that one was spotted in Cabell County, WV. His story is included later on in the article.
Okay, I like to believe that I have an open mind, and I don’t get scared easily, so let’s discover more about this “Wendigo” thing. Fact or fiction? What is the evidence?
In answer to question #1- What is a Wendigo? – Legend says that the Wendigo entity originated from the northern Native American tribes. Although many people call them monsters, the proper term for these creatures is cryptids. According to Merriam-webster, “an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist. Contrary to popular belief, cryptids don’t have to be supernatural, mythical, or even all that strange—though many popular creatures acquire these characteristics as their legends grow.”
These cryptids (or monsters) are animals or creatures that are mentioned in folklore and other 1st hand accounts. Cryptozoology is the “study” of these creatures and is considered a pseudoscience (a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific methods.), as it does not follow the normal scientific method. They appear half-starved or emaciated to the point that their death-gray skin seems as though it is being stretched and poked out over the skeleton. They are about 5’7” tall on average (others say much taller) and have grayish-colored skin. They have canine-like teeth, red or black eyes that are recessed deeply back in the eye sockets, dog-like hind legs, and skinny humanoid-like front paws or hands that can get massive. Their face is said to resemble a mixed canine-like and human face.
The First Nations Algonquin tribes believed the Wendigo was a creature said to stalk the cold, Northern forests of the United States and Canada. Physical descriptions of the creature do vary across the many Alonguin-speaking tribes, but all understand this monster to be cannibalistic. They are to be deeply feared by wayward travelers and isolated woods people. Some legends describe the creature as giant and looming, others as human-sized, but with gaunt features, glowing yellow eyes, and fearsome claws and fangs. According to some legends, Wendigos are created when a human resorts to cannibalism, typically in order to survive. The stories of the monster gave rise to the real, but very much disputed, medical term “Wendigo psychosis.” Reports of the condition date back to the 17th century, and describe its manifestation as rife with delusions, homicidal or suicidal thoughts, anti-social behavior, and a compulsion to eat human flesh. Though reported sightings and stories of Wendigos have decreased sharply in the 20th century, key aspects of the legend persist in popular culture.
The Ojibwa describes the Wendigo as being a large creature, as tall as a tree, with a lipless mouth and jagged teeth. Its breath was a strange hiss, its footprints full of blood, and it ate any man, woman, or child who ventured into its territory. And those were the lucky ones. Sometimes, the Wendigo chose to possess a person instead, and then the luckless individual became a Wendigo himself, hunting down those he had once loved and feasting upon their flesh.”
Legend has it that a Wentigo is created whenever people resort to cannibalism to survive. In the past, this occurred more often when Indians and settlers found themselves stranded in the bitter snows and ice of the north woods. Sometimes stranded for days, survivors might have felt compelled to cannibalize the dead to survive. Other legend versions cite that a Wendigo might also possess humans who displayed extreme greed, gluttony, and excess. Thus, the myth served as a method of encouraging cooperation and moderation.
Although a Wendigo’s description has changed slightly throughout the years, the one thing that never changes is its thirst for humans as a source of their survival. It seems to be their most desirable means of sustenance. They have been seen consuming their prey through a lipless mouth because it had become so hungry that it ate its own lips out of desperation for food. This hunger appears never to be quite satisfied, and it is said to get great satisfaction from stalking its human prey for hours, gaining much pleasure in the fear it caused by the hunt. It is quite vicious and is perhaps the most feared of all of WV’s monsters. It might bring you a little bit of comfort to know that it does have a couple of weaknesses…fire and silver.
“My own experiences with the creature are very brief but on a couple occasions. The first time I was around ten or so playing in the woods around my home in Ona of Cabell County. There are several expanses of thick woods, tall hills, and deep valley hollers. The sun just started going down below the hills and I was walking back on one of the trails, I got the feeling I was being followed the whole way back and about the time I crossed the creek and into the open field where my house was I heard crashing in the woods behind me. I ran to my house and slammed the door behind me, looking out the window, I remember thinking I saw a tall, thin, pale bipedal dog-like thing peeking out from behind a tree on the opposite side of the creek before vanishing into nothing, but I was young so I marked it up to the imagination.
My second encounter was during high school while out bow hunting late in the evening nearing dark. Once more, I was walking out of the same woods and I heard a blood-curdling scream that echoed from a couple hills over. I assumed it was some animal that I was not familiar with and I just walked home calm but curious and that was that.
The third and last time so far that I had a possible experience was during rifle season when I was about 20 years old in 2011. I was out in Salt Rock, WV in a deep dark holler. After hunting all day, I did not see a single animal. Nothing. No squirrel, no deer, a few birds but sparse. As dark was approaching, I was frustrated and just hiking out of the hollow and about 3/4 the way back to my vehicle, I heard movement behind me up on the ridge top to my right. I stopped, looked around, and listened. I looked through my scope and saw nothing.
I kept on walking and about 5 minutes later with about 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight left, I heard something up on the ridge top again. I looked over and saw what I thought was a pack of 4 or 5 coyote following me about 70 yards up the hill and about 100 yards back just peaking over the ridge top through the trees and brush. I had a 270 with me. I made sure it was loaded and took my safety off and aimed up at the animals to see if they were coyote, dog, deer, or what. These were not coyote, nor dogs, nor man, not even wolf which are not even in WV anymore. What I saw instantly flashed me back to when I saw that pale bipedal dog creature when I was 10. Pale greyish skin/fur, lanky arms, and a dog-like head with canine teeth showing.
I fired at it and then fired again. I kept my loaded gun in my hands and climbed up and out of the woods at a quick but safe pace while listening behind me the whole time. As I reached my car, I heard something coming towards me from the valley I was just in, so I turned and fired again as a warning shot. I got to my car and left with my nerves on high, still pumping with adrenaline from the fight/flight instinct.
I got home, and after calming down my hunter instinct kicked in and I feel bad for shooting at the unknown creature because it is hard to accept that I saw what I saw. My brain wanted to say it was a wild dog or a deer, but it was not. However, I could not just let it be wounded if it was an animal. The next day I go back and look for blood, tracks, or any sign of movement through the area. I found nothing at all. The squirrel were back in the area this day. So I just counted it as a freak moment and let it be until I started reading up on it a while later. Definitely strange things out there, just cannot say for sure what. My guess a Wendigo-type creature.”
I do not claim truth or foul. I am simply the messenger, but I do hope you enjoyed reading about it. If you would like to read more about such tales and creatures, including Mothman, Flatwoods Monster, The Grafton Monster, Snarly Yow, The Wampus Cat, Sheepsquatch (or White Things), Black Thing (in Lewis County), and other bizarre creatures, including Bigfoot, and lizard people, you might enjoy the following:
• American Folklore, by William Gropper, 1946
• Folklore & Superstition in America,
• Ghostly Legends
• Legends, Ghosts, Myths & Mysteries
• Monsters of West Virginia, by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
• Monsters & Strange Creatures
• Native American Mythology & Legends
• Tales from the WV Hills, by Steve Patterson
• Wendigo, A Thriller, by Vaughn C. Hardacker
God Bless
Patricia Richards Harris
Doddridge County Historical Society