Wendigo

The Wendigo—also know as the Windigo, Witigo, Witiko, and Wee-Tee-Go—is a creature from Algonquian myth. The common translation of its names means "the evil spirit that devours mankind," though in 1860 it was translated by a German explorer to mean "cannibal."

Wendigo are known to live in Canada and the United States and seem only to live in cold climates. They've been sighted around the city of Kenora in Ontario, Canada, but throughout the late 1800's and early 1920's, there were sightings of Wendigo around the time of a death in Roseau, Minnesota. Another Wendigo hotspot is supposedly the Cave of the Wendigo, which is near lake Mameigwess in Ontario, Canada.

While the looks of the Wendigo vary between the different Algonquian tribes, most versions of the Wendigo share these traits: glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs, and long tongues. Legends describe them as about 15 feet (or 4.6 meters) tall, and they are commonly described as being thin and emaciated, their skin stretched so tight over their body that you could see all of their bones clearly. In some cases, they are said to have a stag skull head, while in others they have sunken eyes, look skeletal with ashen skin.

The most common interpretation of the Wendigo is that it's a spirit that possesses a person after they resort to cannibalism—whether that be under dire circumstances or not—and turns them into a Wendigo. Though it's also said that the Wendigo wanders through the forest, possessing people and turning them into a Wendigo—or just giving them cannibalistic tendencies. They have an endless craving for human flesh and are sometimes said to grow in proportion to the meals that they eat so that they never get full.

Wendigo are said to have superior speed and stealth, the ability to mimic human voices, near perfect hunting skills, and, in some cases, the ability to control the weather. It's also been said that they can bring darkness before dusk.