The Wendigo and 6 Other Ancient Monsters From Indigenous Folklore

Indigenous communities around the world have passed down rich storytelling traditions from one generation to the next, including tales of monsters that have endured better than most. These beings still haunt and hunt from Australia to Brazil, Lake Victoria to Lake Winnebago. The wendigo, a ferocious creature from North American folklore, is a potent symbol of human greed and is insatiably hungry, appearing in the lean and desperate season of winter. In contrast, the capelobo from Brazilian folklore is a brain-slurping, blood-sucking forest creature that is relentless and almost impossible to kill. The bunyip, an ancient terror from Australian Aboriginal folklore, is a child-eating monster that can be found across the continent, with its screams causing disease and its appetite for children being bottomless. The yara ma tha who, another Australian Aboriginal monster, is a child-eating bloodsucker that might not sound intimidating but can swallow a person whole and spit them back out, still alive but forever changed. Lake monsters are also a common theme in Indigenous folklore, with examples including Tessie from Lake Tahoe and the dingonek from East Africa's rivers. The dingonek, a man-eating monster, was described by British and American hunters and explorers as nearly 20 feet long, with clawed feet and tough scales, but its presence in ancient local lore promised good fortune and health. In North Dakota, the miniwashitu is a hideous monster that ushers in spring by busting up the river's thick ice with its bulk and sharp teeth. These monsters continue to send chills down our spines and serve as a reminder of the rich storytelling traditions of Indigenous communities.