The Algonquian-speaking First Nations in North America have a scary legend. It is the story of the wendigo. Wendigos are monsters. They kill and eat their human victims.

There are many different stories about wendigos. But in most of the stories, wendigos actually started out as humans themselves. They transform into monsters because they are greedy.

Wendigos eat humans who are alone. They can also infect humans who are selfish. They turn the selfish humans into wendigos too. Creepy!

Wendigos look different depending on the legend. Some stories describe them as thin like skeletons. Others say they are giants who grow bigger as they eat. In some tales they have animal ears with either antlers or horns. They almost always have sharp teeth and bad breath.

Why do stories about wendigos exist? People who study Algonquin-speaking cultures say that they are a cautionary tale. A cautionary tale is a warning. The legends of the wendigos are warning people not to be greedy and selfish. The stories are also warning people not to be alone.

These warnings make sense. Traditionally, First Nations cultures were community oriented. In order to survive in the wilderness, it was important for people to share with each other. Being alone was risky. And being selfish and greedy did not help the group.

Horror stories like the legends of the wendigo encouraged people to work together. Today, understanding the stories can help us to understand the culture they came from. It can also give us a good scare!