As we get closer to Halloween, I thought it might be timely to Talk about a monster used by my uncle to strike fear and trembling in his nieces and nephews. Perhaps you haven’t heard of this “monster“ so in the spirit of the holiday I thought I would share. 

My uncle shared the story of the Wendigo on one of the darkest nights I can remember. He told of its fiery eyes and its need for raw meat to survive. He spoke in whispers telling me that no matter how much the Wendigo eats, he’s always hungry and emaciated.  He is very strong and extremely fast and can easily catch their prey (insert my uncle’s attempt at an evil laugh here). My uncle succeeded in scaring all small children with this fanciful tale. Little did I know the Wendigo is actually from legends told by the Algonquin tribe. 

The Wendigo plays a role in Stephen King’s book PET SEMATARY. His curse on the land is what brings dead things back to life. Now here’s where it gets interesting.  Back in 2006, a dog like creature was found in Maine that some people were convinced It was no dog...but in fact, a Wendigo.

The take away from this is there is a legend of a Wendigo that lived in the Northeast. The story has scared many of generations. But maybe the biggest take away isn’t the actual monster/legend. Perhaps it’s the symbolism of human nature itself.

Regardless, real or folklore, no one that I know would want to cross paths with a Wendigo.

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