The Story of the Wendigo: Is This Mythical Creature Real?

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Exploring the history and lore of the wendigo

Co-authored by Sydney Bermudez and Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: October 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is a Wendigo?

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Are they real?

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Origins

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Folklore

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Pop Culture

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Wendigo Psychosis

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Video

Wendigo. Does that name make your skin crawl? Well, it should. These supernatural beings are a legend of Native American folklore and said to be the embodiment of greed and gluttony. But are the stories of cannibalism and death really true? Do these beings actually exist? To get answers and learn all about the fascinating lore, read on! We also spoke to urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez for deeper insight into wendigo mythology.

Are Wendigos real?

According to urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez, wendigos are mythological supernatural beings from Algonquin (Native American) folklore. They’re malevolent creatures with an emaciated appearance and hunger for human flesh. While their legends are fascinating, there’s no scientific proof that wendigos exist.

Section 1 of 6:

What is a Wendigo?

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A Wendigo is a malevolent creature that devours human beings. Bermudez says, “A wendigo is a mythological creature from Algonquian folklore, often described as a malevolent, cannibalistic spirit associated with greed, hunger, and winter. It’s said to possess humans and drive them to commit acts of cannibalism.”^{[1]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview} In some myths, the evil spirit possesses humans and makes them greedily devour other humans. Other legends say that humans transform into wendigos by committing acts of cannibalism, greed, or selfishness.^{[2]
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- Descriptions of the wendigos vary, but in the tales they're often described as having human-like characteristics with enlarged, grotesque features. They're also described as being emaciated with sharp claws, glowing eyes, and fast reflexes.
- In the Algonquin language, the soul or spirit of all things is called manitou. The wendigo is a manitou whose name translates to “evil spirit that devours mankind.”
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Sydney Bermudez is an urban legends expert and horror content creator that explores paranormal cases, internet mysteries, and psychological horror. She shares content on TikTok and Instagram to over 400k followers.

Section 2 of 6:

Do wendigos exist?

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According to Bermudez, “There’s no evidence that wendigos exist in the physical sense, but the legend holds real cultural significance and has been used as a cautionary tale against isolation, greed, and losing one’s humanity.”^{[3]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview} It’s strongly believed that wendigos were created by the Algonquin to instill fear in those listening to their stories. The stories were a warning, but were also told to entertain or frighten children (similarly to Western “boogieman” stories). While some people may believe they exist, there is no proof of their existence.

Section 3 of 6:

Wendigo Origins & History

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Wendigos originate from Algonquian (Native American) folklore. Bermudez says, “The legend comes from Indigenous North American tribes, mainly the Algonquin, Cree, and Ojibwe peoples, and dates back centuries. It reflects both spiritual beliefs and the harsh survival realities of winter in northern regions.”^{[4]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview} Because the wendigos were heavily associated with cold and famine, the horrific tales likely mirrored their lived experiences of starvation and survival during the brutal winter months. The Algonquian said that anyone who resorted to eating human flesh would have their soul overtaken and corrupted by the cannibalistic Wendigo monster.
- “The myth[s] say a person can become a wendigo after resorting to cannibalism or giving in to extreme greed,” Bermudez notes. “It’s seen as both a physical transformation and a spiritual corruption of the soul.”^{[5]
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  Urban Legends Expert
  
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- The Algonquians are one of the most densely populated North American Indigenous groups, occupying Canada and northern US states like New York.
- The Algonquian group contains many tribes (the Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Cree, Naskapi, and Innu, among others) who all share and speak the Algonquian language.
- The Algonquian believe that souls or spirits exist in natural objects, people, and animals, and harming any soul out of greed is extremely disrespectful. ^{[6]
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Section 4 of 6:

Wendigos in Folklore

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Wendigos are a metaphor for gluttony and greed. Wendigos are never satisfied. Legend has it that these supernatural creatures will always be hungry, no matter how much flesh they eat. Many believe that the Algonquian myth is a cautionary tale for gluttony and greed because of this. With this in mind, the concept of a wendigo can be applied to any person or idea that’s “infected” by an excessive amount of greed.^{[7]
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- In some tales, humans can turn into wendigos if they’re overpowered by greed. They’re greed then results in them resorting to cannibalism to survive.
- The extreme hunger of wendigos mirrors their thin appearance, highlighting their intense cravings and “starvation.”
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Wendigos are supernaturally born. How a wendigo is created varies with each culture’s tales. Some stories present wendigos as creatures that simply exist and are a part of the natural world, whereas others present the idea that wendigos are humans transformed from greed or cannibalistic behavior.^{[8]
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- In the Assiniboine, Cree, and Ojibwe communities, ceremonial dances are performed during famines to keep the wendigo spirits away, as it’s believed that if someone resorts to cannibalism, their soul will be taken over by the wendigo.
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Wendigos are difficult but not impossible to kill. How to kill a wendigo is a common question amongst many, and each culture has a different answer. “According to legend,” Bermudez says, “a wendigo can only be destroyed through spiritual rituals or by burning its heart after defeating it. Different tribal stories describe unique methods depending on the region.”^{[9]
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Sydney Bermudez
Urban Legends Expert

Expert Interview} In some legends, wendigos can be killed by a silver bullet to the heart (like a werewolf), while in others, the creature must be dismembered and burned.^{[10]
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- Some tales explain the escape of the wendigo’s spirit. Although a wendigo’s physical form is killed, its spirit is believed to live on, transferring to its next victim.

Section 5 of 6:

Wendigos in Pop Culture

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Wendigos have become prevalent in pop culture over the years. While pop culture depictions of these supernatural beings draw inspiration from Indigenous folklore, they are not direct copies. Most wendigos in pop culture are illustrated as tall, shadowy figures with antlers and other animal-like characteristics. Here are some of the most well-known accounts of wendigos in pop culture and how they compare to Indigenous lore:
- The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood (1910): A malevolent force of the wilderness.^{[11]
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- Pet Sematary by Stephen King (1983): An ugly, grinning creature with yellow eyes responsible for bringing the dead back to life.
- The Incredible Hulk #162 (1973): A silver-haired Bigfoot-like antagonistic character.
- Hannibal (2013): A male-presenting creature with tar-like skin and large antlers.
- Until Dawn (2015): Human-turned creatures who feasted on human flesh.
- Fallout 76 (2018): Human mutations who ate human flesh in isolation.

Section 6 of 6:

Wendigo Psychosis Explained

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In psychiatry, “wendigo psychosis” is a disorder that causes cannibalism. People in Wendigo psychosis develop an intense craving for human flesh. Wendigo psychosis is a culture-bound syndrome, meaning that it is only recognized in certain cultures or societies. Because of this, the disorder is not commonly diagnosed and has very little research. However, it is recognized by First Nation communities or Indigenous peoples in Canada. It’s believed that those who resort to cannibalism have wendigo psychosis or are possessed by a wendigo.^{[12]
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- Symptoms of wendigo psychosis include an insatiable greed, craving for human flesh, cannibalism, and destructive behavior.^{[13]
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- In the recorded cases of wendigo psychosis, the afflicted individual is terminated to prevent cannibalism.^{[14]
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