Since the wendigo is said to be a cold-weather creature, most sightings have been reported in Canada, as well as colder northern states in the U.S. like Minnesota. ), Use the form below to submit photos and videos for use on the Wisconsin Frights website and social media. David thought maybe it had been another hunter dressed in a ghillie suit, though he knew it was way too tall to be human. It can take great leaps or run along the tops of trees. Until speaking with a phrase that still haunts me today, before I had left early, that thing had left long, deep, scratch mark on the trail sign. It was the one that It was chased me on. He described it as the sound it would make if someone were dragging a heavy animal or body through rough brush/woods, and he had a feeling of dread and heaviness, like he couldnt look away and was being honed in on by something. Originally the lake was referred to as Mde Wakan or Bad Spirit Lake by the local Nakota Sioux for its deep, cold, and salt-infested waters. The whistling stopped. She had told me that before leaving a terrifically gaunt figure had been watching us across the river bank, and that it had noticed her and ran away on all four at a fictional speed she shakily said, staying quite frightened after. As the tale goes, the wendigo was once a lost hunter. Whether you are a believer of these mythical accounts or not, it always makes for a spine-tingling good time when you round up your friends for a story around the fire. Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It is said to appear after people resort to cannibalism, and sometimes captures people and turns them into Wendigos who then hunt down their former loved ones to feast on their flesh. Always hungry, the wendigo searched constantly for its next meal. It is still terrifying to talk or think about. "Massive" is the Word. Photo by Joshua Mayer. Of course, if you can't catch it there, just check out the movie. As I went to unzip my tent, trying to keep my eyes toward the woods, I heard some movement directly in front of me. The whistling continued for what felt like forever but thinking it through was maybe five minutes when Ryan finally yelled out into the darkness. Much like other legendary beasts, the wendigo remains a fixture in pop culture in modern times. Cherokee Indians and the settlers who followed them passed on stories of sightings around the Burke County mountain, located in the vast Pisgah National Forest about 60 miles east of Asheville. It has allegedly been seen eating dead animals alongside the road, most recently in 2020. 3. " In Ontario, though not a province regarded to shelter "Bigfoot" as much as Alberta and British Columbia are, there are . The Wendigo has been described in many ways, but they all have common traits. Written By He called out a few more times, but there was only silence. Your email address will not be published. Rocky of Rock Lake Lake Mills Privacy Policy. he said elders would go there to reflect on the lessons of their ancestors. They had just started hunting there a few days prior, and the odd feeling had been enough to convince David to turn back on previous excursions. I was done. According to the Native legend, any human who eats another human, for whatever reason, even starvation, is transformed into a wendigo. They are variously described as having the ability to turn invisible, to read minds, or to mimic human voices in order to draw victims away to isolated areas, as well as shapeshifting powers and the ability to generate waves of profound fear. That night they got a fire going, had dinner, and sat chatting away until a sound caught their attention. It is certainly a sad tale of the end of tribal beliefs, and whether these Wendigo ever really existed or not the people of the region certainly believed that they did and that they were a threat. After scientists from the Smithsonian Institution announced they were coming to town to investigate, Shepard admitted the hodag was a hoax. We decided we better get out of there because it was starting to get dark and we were both pretty freaked out, David wrote. I live in a rural suburb in SE WI near a line of woods and ponds. At first I thought it was the wind and I remember thinking maybe the wind is just throwing leaves around and what we are hearing is nothing but the wilderness around us. All they said was they heard a lot of movement and then heard my scream and thats when they headed in our direction. How could someone whistle this loudly without cracking while also running? Like I was being watched. Inhumanly loud. Primary Editor: Jia-Rui Cook. Poisoned by greed and gluttony, the man turned into a pale, gaunt creature with sunken eyes, reaching limbs, and an insatiable hunger for human flesh. Thats when the movement stopped but the whistling was still constant. The tribes attributed many of the mysterious disappearances to the wendigo, thus calling him the spirit of lonely places.. Sturgeons don't bend the way I saw this thing bend. He's written articles for MU and Daily Grail and has been a guest on Coast to Coast AM and Binnal of America. I ran back to where Ryan was and sat down. Ryan looked at me and asked if I was hearing that. One of the guys walked around a bit and came back and said he didnt see anything. But when I looked onto the pathway the footprints were completely gone, and as I blinked we rounded the corner and it seemingly vanished into thin air. Wendigos are considered to be some of the most despicable monsters in the Great Lakes. View of the Grace Creek Overlook. I Often Hear That: I'll Share Some With You, TikTok and Its Strange Proliferation of Mysterious Accounts of Skinwalkers, A 3,500-Year-Old Frozen Mummified Bear Found in Siberia. Everything about it was long. I had finally reached the campsite when the footsteps suddenly stopped, I was relieved and slumped over to the cabin stairs when I slipped on a rock slipping out of the makeshift fire, it had caused me to head straight into it. Mississippi: Mercritis This story is an odd myth it's about a disease! Above: That dang Hodag. Born in the 1830s and known to white fur traders as "Jack Fiddler," Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow was born an Oji-Cree and in particular he was affiliated with the Sucker clan, now called the Sandy Lake First Nation, of Sandy Lake, on the upper reaches of the Severn River in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Perhaps this can be attributed to the notion that he is never satisfied with his cannibalistic urges. A much older phantom of the North Woods is found in Wendigo, an evil supernatural creature that is part of Ojibwe lore. Its arms, legs, neck, fingers, everything. Others saw a headless horseman, riding backwards on his horse. Buy the Book: Skylight Books, Amazon, Powell's . The human was transformed into a cannibalistic monster which roams the forests searching for prey. They had just moved to Two Rivers a few months ago and werent familiar with the area. Wendigo Attack Report. - YouTube 0:00 / 20:27 WENDIGO Sighting Near Pikes Peak, Colorado? Earlier this month, researchers of the paranormal came together to celebrate Wisconsins favorite cryptid at a Beast of Bray Road Conference held at Lutherdale Camp, not far from Bray Road. The truth, however, is much worse. Green stars represent the specific location where the sighting occurred. But Wisconsins most famous hodag was born in 1893 in Rhinelander. In the 1980s, several people reported that the beast attacked their cars and trucks, leaving long scratch marks. In 1896, to draw people to the Oneida County Fair, Shepard said he would exhibit a live hodag. Then things got bizarre rather quickly, of which the witness says: I remember we both pulled out our flashlights and shown it in the direction we felt the sounds were coming from but that is what was so weird. Unfortunately, this was the age of white settlers pouring into the region, and the idea of killing people due to suspicion that they were supernatural monsters did not sit well in this new world. Thought it was just caught on some rocks or a turtle got the hook. Lake Winnebago Water Monster Lake Winnebago At that time, lead miners were pouring into the region following a trail that the Indians used to take from Central Wisconsin to the Mississippi River. The Wendigo is said to be a Algonquian native legend. But ironically enough, these stories might actually represent the Indigenous peoples response to the horrific violence unleashed on them by non-Native people. During a brutally cold winter, this mans intense hunger drove him to cannibalism. They would prevent the snakes from overrunning the earth and devouring mankind, according to Menominee folklore. They are said to possess powers such as mimicking voices, superhuman strength, mind control, weather manipulation, the generation of darkness, and the ability to create confusion and fear, as well as others. When I shot, you could see that I shot low and I heard something like my arrow hitting something. 5 Wisco Monsters to Look Out for This October. It didnt make a sound, and the way it jumped and moved was unlike any animal Ive ever seen. The legend of the Wendigo stems from Native American folklore, primarily in Algonquian-speaking tribes located in south and southeastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region, and northeastern United States. Up until then, the Cree peoples had managed to largely live apart from civilization, more or less untouched by the coming of the white man and their outlandish ways. But there is another aspect, according to which the Wendigo is something like . Photo taken circa 2014. David kept it to himself, however, and they continued walking the trail until they reached a point where the path branched off to the right, and a snowmobile trail went to the left. This tale was told to Howard when he was a boy by his father a French Canadian fur trapper, from when he worked the area north east of Huntsville Ontario as a boy before Algonquin Park was a . Now I know what your wondering, could I have been dehydrated or having hallucinations. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Originating within the myths and lore of various Algonquin-speaking tribes of Nova Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada and in Wisconsin, United States, including such tribes as the Ojibwe, the Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu, the monstrous entity called the Wendigo has long been feared. Other stories describe it more like a thin bipedal bear creature with a skeletal head and antlers. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash-gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. I tried to explain what had happened without sounding crazy but it didnt seem to work. YouTubeAn illustration of the Wendigo, a fearsome creature from Native American lore. But there are also more to know about. But other reports compare the wendigo to a werewolf instead. This had sent horrendous chills down my spine, So I ran the fastest Ive ever had back towards the campsite, while I heard the twigs and leaves crunching behind me. I stood up shining my flashlight in all directions trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was screwing with us. It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment. It resembled somewhat of a dragon-like creature. It was first reported in 1893 to have had the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end. The presence and overall weight of the feeling this whole encounter gave me still sticks with me as clearly as the night it happened; I can remember it all so vividly and still feel the weight. It is not a colossal sturgeon. This has left me questioning what is those woods and was it a reality, but when my sister asked me why I was so shaken I told her what I experienced and her face went pale. Has anyone ever witnessed a sky Cryptid before???? The Wendigo is a cannibalistic being from Native American folklore in the Minnesota area, and it is still supposedly active in the state today. I live in a very haunted town in Wisconsin, we even have our own book! Please share your story. This monster comes to us courtesy of the Algonquin-speaking people of the oft-froze . Meet The Cannibalistic Cryptid Of Your Nightmares. And after a month, it felt like it had gone, and it was safe to go over there again alone. The name derives from the Ojibwa language for "Wiindigoo", originally used by the Algonquian Indians tribe of the northern forests, they believed that Wendigo were cannibalistic giants with supernatural powers, one of which was the ability to possess people and turn them into Wendigo. Those who have seen the beast describe him as eating or hunting/scavenging. Thunderbirds have been described as massive avian raptors by the Menominee tribe. 2. Interestingly enough, there are even a couple of lakes today named after the beast, including a Lake Windigo in Minnesota and a Windigo Lake in Wisconsin. Wendigo is a very strange scary creature whose essence is very blurred. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The Giant Green Squirrel of Amble. I noticed a little later that she was acting as if something was threatening her, so I looked up, and saw it. Frighteningly enough, there were quite a few other stories about these spirits supposedly possessing people in communities stretching from northern Quebec to the Rockies. Ever take a good look at a sturgeon before? And so ended the days of perhaps the last two Wendigo hunters out there and sealing the fate of the tribe to fall under the colonial laws of the settlers. One report comes from a witness on Reddit called universemasterOnGram, who says that he is of Native American descent and that this happened near an unspecified reservation on a camping trip when he was 13 years old. One of the most famous cases of someone allegedly being possessed by a Wendigo comes from 1878, when in Saskatchewan, Canada, a Cree fur trapper by the name of Swift Runner claimed that he had been possessed by insidious dark forces and had become a Wendigo after killing and eating his family during a harsh winter without food. The Mysterious Men in Black and Their Equally Weird Cars, Rock Star Richey Manic and His Mysterious 1995 Disappearance: A Book Reviewed, Mexico's President Reveals Photo of Mythical Maya Elf, Mysterious Mermaid Mummy in Japanese Temple Has Finally Been Identified, Mysterious Flying Fanged Creature That Separates Into Two Parts Reported in the Philippines. So I was out there one day and all the sudden I felt cold and uncomfortable. I tend to walk my dog after dinner and before bed, and my town is pretty safe, so walking her in the dark never phased me. I swept my light up in front of me and for maybe two seconds I saw it. Believing it must be a large buck, the couple proceeded down the trail hoping to get a glimpse of it. This combination of its size and roots make for some creative folklore, such as inspiration for the Lake Winnebago Water Monster. View Map Email Share Casual dining featuring local farmers, craft beer, artisan cocktails and modern pub food. Her most recent book is American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America. Now this is the part I will never forget. Into the days of settlers there were many cases of even the white man coming across these abominations, and the creatures were often blamed for missing persons. Cookie Notice Secondary Editor: Andrs Martinez. Sightings of the Ogopogo in BC's Lake Okanagan date back to the late 1800's. Up to 15m in length, it looks strikingly similar to cousin Nessie in Scotland's Loch Ness. A hairy humanoid with canine features, the Beast of Bray Road, has been sighted in Wisconsin dating back to 1936 on a rural road outside of Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Once he has infiltrated their minds, he can turn them into wendigos as well, instilling upon them a similar lust for human flesh. This werewolf cryptid has had several sightings in the 1990s with local newspapers reporting on the topic and even eventually gaining some national news attention as the most popular werewolf sighting in the U.S. Could These Monster-Sized Snakes Be Beaten? The native story tells of a great mountain that floats in the western sky where thunderbirds gather. The local tension leading up to such accusations may even be comparable to the fear that preceded the Salem witch trials. When lumberjacks gathered around the fire, they loved to tell tales of the creatures of the North Woods, and the most ferocious, they agreed, was the hodag. It was said that this spirit could possess a person who was overcome with selfishness or greed, leading them to acts of cannibalism. Canada's Loch Ness Monster, Ogopogo. Many of these reports were shockingly similar to the Swift Runner case. Other sightings have been reported northwest of Crivitz in a large expanse of wetlands and hardwood forest. And it was fast. The blazing force of nature had almost burned my face when I was just stopped mid fall, I hadnt gained my balance it was just as if someone was hanging on to me and pulled me back. NASA's Photos From Mars: Don't Tell Me the Red Planet Wasn't Once a Thriving World! Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. So I start walking at first I was waking out of the woods like I was on someones yard and they had told me to get off, not a fast pace but moving with a purpose you know. Inside my bag I had a six inch fixed blade that I always carried and thought I would feel a bit more comfortable with it in my hand more than just my flashlight. Ogopogo is said to be a long, serpentine, aquatic creature that dwells in Lake Okanagan in the south central interior of British Columbia, Canada. In 1878, a man named Swift Runner was known to suffer from Wendigo psychosis in the worst possible way. Although things started off normally, it all got rather strange when several odd occurrences began to unfold. What lips it had were tattered and . What did David and his wife encounter in the woods? FlickrAn animatronic depiction of a wendigo in a cage on display in Wendigo Woods in Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I settled down a bit and started asking them if they had seen or heard anything. It was very tall and skinnyalmost as tall as the roof of their ranch house because even standing in the middle of the front yard it looked almost as tall as the house. From a Sasquatch lurking in the woods of Northwest Louisiana, to a feral girl roaming Catahoula Parish, to aliens in Pascagoula, the Gulf Coast region has encountered its fair share of bizarre, and often inexplicable, monster sightings. One night I was walking my dogaround 10:30pm I thinkwhen I saw something on the front lawn of one of these houses. These locals would encounter Rocky by their boats and along the shore where they would be traumatized once sighting the incognito beast hissing at them. My daughter and I saw an unexplained creature on a back road near Wisconsin Dells. According to the story, in 1881, Wright was playing poker at the St. James. Many people paid to see the beast, which was displayed in a shadowy stall and emitted frightening noises. The creature has been referenced and sometimes even depicted in a variety of hit television shows, including Supernatural, Grimm, and Charmed. Until this. 8 Cheese Factories You Can Visit in Wisconsin, Get exclusive Wisconsin stories & news right in your inbox. We turned around, my eyes glued to the trees, and when we got to the middle of the houses I could see two eyes watching me through the two houses. Still, what really scares me the most from back then was when we had been leaving the site, I looked back from the car window and saw a figure standing at the tree line staring at me, it was lanky and looked starved to the point of having its skin wrapping tightly against its bones. Then I kinda felt like someone was really looking at me. He uses this skill to lure people in and draw them away from civilization. Most recently in 2019, mysterious howls in the Canadian wilderness led some to question whether they were caused by the infamous man-beast. 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