wendigo

British  

/ ˈwɛndɪˌɡəʊ, ˈwɪndɪˌɡəʊ /

noun

1. (among Algonquian Indians) an evil spirit or cannibal

2. another name for splake

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Etymology

Origin of wendigo

from Algonquian: evil spirit or cannibal

Example Sentences

There may be reasons for both, but the purpose of the series is to exploit a poor, seemingly defenseless woodland creature whose cousins—the Yeti, the Florida-based Skunk Ape, the Native-American Wendigo and other abominable “cryptids”—serve to nurture the human’s fondness for legends, the unknowns of nature, even metaphysical mysteries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mining rich strata of poisoned history and blood-soaked land, the writers summon an exhaustive array of ghosts, wolves, Wendigo spirits, human eaters, conjure women, and petroglyphs willing to exact revenge if you scratch them with your car keys.

From Scientific American

Feliz falls into the world of the Wendigo — masked, crouching dancers who grab her feet as she tries to walk — and is passed over their hulking forms.

From New York Times

As it happens, spiritual ecstasy, touched with holy dread, fascinated Algernon Blackwood, whose chilling weird tales — he called them “Queer Stories” — include “The Willows” and “The Wendigo.”

From Washington Post

Scott Cooper, the director of “Antlers,” which is currently in theaters, had no reservations about showing the film to his daughters, ages 15 and 18, even though there’s gore galore in its depiction of a ravenous wendigo, a creature with roots in Native American folkloric traditions.

From New York Times