Article - The Wendigo

The Wendigo
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction

The Canadian Encyclopedia defines a Wendigo as a “spirit...that takes possession of vulnerable persons and causes them to engage in various antisocial behaviours, most notably cannibalism.” In Eyes of Blood, Heart of Ice: The Wendigo, a lecture delivered at Oxford University, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood described the Wendigo as a cannibal, with a heart of ice, eyes that roll in blood and lips blackened and eaten away, probably as good a summary of this creature’s attributes as any. Ojibwa author Basil Johnston theorizes that a Wendigo is a human whose selfishness has overpowered their self-control to the point that satisfaction is no longer possible. This explains why they remain hungry no matter how much they eat.

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