EP:185 Wendigo or When not too
My name is Ryan Paul Tremblay. I’ve been a hardcore Cryptozoology enthusiast and researcher for well over 20 years now. Like many, My fascination with monsters and things that go “bump in the night” began very early on. Watching the Universal monster movies, Hammer films and of course, The Godzilla flicks was a staple in my home. As a kid, Monsters were a part of every day life. After watching the TOHO film “Half Human”, My young mind began to ponder what a Yeti was (this is the name used for Bigfoot in the film) and IF something like that could truly exist. My curiosity lead me to the infamous Patterson-Gimlin film and from that point on, Bigfoot was what I would live, eat and breathe. Growing up in New England was the perfect breeding ground for such a fascination. With plenty of wilderness around—and our Cryptid to boot, I soon began to hear not only of Bigfoot, but now the Dover Demon. As the years went on, I found more media accessible to my young mind: Books were plentiful and shows began to emerge in the early 90’s showcasing Cryptid encounters. But wait! There’s more!! As the early 2000’s rolled around, I began to hear more talk of the infamous beast known as The Beast of Bray Road. At first, I often laughed at such stories. In my mind, A bipedal Canine could not exist in our world. This was my strong belief until up around two years ago, where, here in Southern Arizona, I had my own personal encounter with the Dog Man. This simply fueled my obsession for Cryptozoology. Before I knew it, I was traversing down numerous rabbit holes. Jersey Devil. Upright Canids. Various forms of Sasquatch. Extraterrestrials and finally, The Wendigo. Through countless hours of hard work, plenty of literature and even the reluctant volunteering of information through connections to Indigenous people, I found a supernatural creature that captured my curiosity, my determination and fascination alike!
Wendigo (/ˈwɛndɪɡoʊ/) is a mythological creature or evil spirit which originates from the folklore of Plains and Great Lakes Natives as well as some First Nations. It is based in and around the East Coast forests of Canada, the Great Plains region of the United States, and the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, grouped in modern ethnology as speakers of Algonquian-family languages. The wendigo is often said to be a malevolent spirit, sometimes depicted as a creature with human-like characteristics, which possesses human beings. The wendigo is said to invoke feelings of insatiable greed/hunger, the desire to cannibalize other humans, as well as the propensity to commit murder in those that fall under its influence.