The Windigo is a myth about a cannibal spirit found in the belief system of the Algonquian peoples, along the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. The spirit possesses characteristics of both human and creature, and it is strongly associated with cannibalism. The individual affected by the Windigo spirit possesses symptoms such as paranoia, depression, and an obsessional craving for human flesh. Contact with European settlers also affected the evolution of this myth. It was later redefined by the Europeans as the Windigo psychosis. To explain the significance of the Windigo phenomenon, this entry briefly describes the Algonquian peoples, the role of the Windigo myth within their belief system, and the construction of the Windigo psychosis as ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles