I looked at Ryan and told him to call the police. The legend of the wendigo has long been associated with real-life problems like insatiable greed, selfishness, and violence. One woman named Susie said she and her daughters friend saw a UFO while at a lake house in Rhinelander. So I decided to head in. Something or someone was running in a circle around our campsite. YOU could be seeing it soon, too. Marinette County Bigfoot Hotspots. What was this thing? Today we are going to look at some of Wisconsins most interesting cryptid stories from around the state that you can use to add to your catalogue of spooky tales. And there isnt a single tree small enough to remotely look like what I saw. These creatures have been mainstays of Native American lore for generations, their deeds well known in many of these tribal stories and legends. Many people in the regions where the Wendigo legends were most popular still believe that Wendigos roam the dark forests, waiting to prey on their next . Is it high-tech government technology that we're not aware of? The Wendigo Haunts the North During times of Cold and Starvation A much older phantom of the North Woods is found in Wendigo, an evil supernatural creature that is part of Ojibwe lore. The Jesuit men claimed they had to execute the men in order to slain the Wendigo monster that possessed them. Many people in the regions where the Wendigo legends were most popular still believe that Wendigos roam the dark forests, waiting to prey on their next victim. Could These Monster-Sized Snakes Be Beaten? Lake Windigo, in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. So I was out there one day and all the sudden I felt cold and uncomfortable. It wasn't until her daughter came to join them outside that Susie said they both remembered that an unidentified flying object, orUFO, had landed on their roof, but by the time they climb on top of the picnic table they were sitting at, it was gone. Interestingly enough, there are even a couple of lakes today named after the beast, including a Lake Windigo in Minnesota and a Windigo Lake in Wisconsin. A freelance writer and operator of the Blue Valley Gardens produce farm outside Mount Horeb, Susan previously wrote an award-winning newspaper column and has authored two books. Right? he said. ContactAlisa Schafer ataschafer@gannett.com. What was going on here? Today it encompasses parts of state Highway 55, Highway 151, state highways 68 and 33 and Highway 18. As he looked a bit longer, the four lights broke apart, swirling and dancing in complicated patterns around each other before coming back together to form a diamond shape. Individuals who turned to cannibalism or one who was insatiably greedy would fall victim to the Wendigo possession or psychosis. 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Queen's Ghost, Small Lake Monster, Space Caterpillar and More Mysterious News Briefly, A Haunted Book and the Most Haunted Bookshop There Is. Others say its a colossal sturgeon. Strange Cases of Modern Encounters with the Wendigo - Mysterious Universe Whenever we would fix our lights on a spot we thought the sound were coming from the location of the sound would suddenly change. In fact, many anthropologists believe that the concept of a wendigo only developed after the Native people had contact with the Europeans. These things are happening," he said, "but after 25 years of doing this, I'm left with more questions than answers when it comes to what that something is. What lips it had were tattered and bloody Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption. I saw a grey hunched over humanoid in the woods near our elementary school. We just moved to MN and I keep thinking there's something peeking in at us occasionally. What Is A Wendigo? If the government had released this information in the 1990s and said we dont know what these (UFOs) are, everyone would have lost their mind. I didnt answer and was trying to focus hard on each individual sound. Wendigos are considered to be some of the most despicable monsters in the Great Lakes. While he tries to approach his investigations with a skeptical mind, at heart, he said, hes a believer in the unexplained. It immediately began to descend towardthem, and, making no noise, landed on the roof of the house behind them. Upon investigation of the campsite, police found human carcasses picked clean and confronted Swift Runner about it. Lewis has traveled around the world investigating claims of the paranormal for more than 20 years. Mothman in Wisconsin? State fair demon described by witness Shepard reported that it had the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end.. Maybe ten minutes later we saw a couple of flashlight beams coming through the woods and about three guys came into view asking if everything was ok. And Im not really to athletic but Im not mega weak. i have also lived in wisconson half my life and i only know the hodag, Your email address will not be published. I'd say a sea serpent or some giant eel. I ran back to where Ryan was and sat down. Theres been a ghost reported along the old road in southwestern Wisconsin since the pioneer days of the early 1840s. The Beast of Bray Road, a hairy man wolf that walks erect, is rumored to have beenfirst spotted on Bray Road near Elkhorn in the 1930s. He uses this skill to lure people in and draw them away from civilization. We dont know if its a Wendigo or a skinwalker, but behind one of the trees in our yard he noticed a deer like creature that happens to make him very uneasy. Native Americans would send out scouts and warriors onto the lake for hunting trips only to hear screams with other tribesmen telling how they saw the hunters dragged underneath into the brackish waters by octopus-like tentacles. he said elders would go there to reflect on the lessons of their ancestors. You dont earn the name Devils Lake for no reason. They are said to possess powers such as mimicking voices, superhuman strength, mind control, weather manipulation, the generation of darkness, and the ability to create confusion and fear, as well as others. We turned around, my eyes glued to the trees, and when we got to the middle of the houses I could see two eyes watching me through the two houses. Im from southern Minnesota, but never saw a Wendigo, I hope to move up north by Duluth and plan to keep a .50 pistol with silver bullets in my nightstand, that sounded very scary my guy, I hope to never see a Wendigo. How could someone whistle this loudly without cracking while also running? The first thought that comes to mind is the classic image of the Wendigo. The most recent was in April 2013, when a retired police officer witnessed a bigfoot crossing a highway near Pembine. Both Fiddler and his brother were arrested and charged with murder in the case of Wahsakapeequay, and the story of these two Wendigo hunters out in the savage wilds drew sensationalist headlines around the country. Newspapers as far away as Philadelphia reported on this amazing scientific discovery. Answer (1 of 18): I have read all of your comments, This creature has been part of Native American truth for hundreds of years. The evil being is associated with winter and starvation, and appears to feast on humans. They nevertheless stayed at the camp, as it was a trip they had been planning for months, and on the second to last day something very bizarre would unfold, of which the witness says: Although, these occurrences were a disturbance it did not deter us from staying for the final two days as we had been planing it for months, but one experience years ago on the day right before our departure, still haunts me to this day. If you are interested yourself then maybe you'll have to take a trip over to Bray Road at night and see for yourself. Grasping its victim, the Wendigo runs at such speed that the poor victim's eyes bleed and his feet burn. I know what things are supposed to look like.. It was high enough to be in the clouds but too high to make out the actual size. I usually bolt for the door after work when I get the feeling. Rocky of Rock Lake Lake Mills I felt stuck and almost hypnotized by the whole thing, but came to my senses enough to call attention to my dog and turn around to head for home. Up until then, the Cree peoples had managed to largely live apart from civilization, more or less untouched by the coming of the white man and their outlandish ways. Nothing. They tested one of the alleged saucer pancakes and some say it came out as nothing more than buckwheat pancakes. Navigation Menu Originating within the myths and lore of various Algonquin-speaking tribes of Nova Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada and in Wisconsin, United States, including such tribes as the Ojibwe, the Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu, the monstrous entity called the Wendigo has long been feared. Since the wendigo is said to be a cold-weather creature, most sightings have been reported in Canada, as well as colder northern states in the U.S. like Minnesota. 4. Its very difficult to prove or disprove somebody saw something … but I think, over the years, Ive found that the people who contact me, they are rational, functional, down-to-earth, intelligent people.. Obsessed with hunting for new victims, he is forever hungry until hes eating another person. Traditionally, Wendigos are described as emaciated corpse-like figures with skin so tight that it creates a translucent layer of flesh and bones clearly visible. Another report comes from Reddit user Katzaidanj, who does not specify his exact location, but assures us that it is an area where Wendigos could and have been spotted. It started with finding mutilated animals around the remote property in rather grisly fashion, including dead foxes and deer that had had their spinal columns torn out and strewn around, as well as vicious claw and teeth marks and limbs rendered from their bodies. So I turned around and saw a large creature about 80 yards from me standing across the stream. This creepy creature is seen almost EVERY day in America! Born in the 1830s and known to white fur traders as "Jack Fiddler," Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow was born an Oji-Cree and in particular he was affiliated with the Sucker clan, now called the Sandy Lake First Nation, of Sandy Lake, on the upper reaches of the Severn River in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is believed by native Americans that wendigos call out for help like a human in order to lure people toward it. When lumberjacks gathered around the fire, they loved to tell tales of the creatures of the North Woods, and the most ferocious, they agreed, was the hodag. Many are skeptical of its existence and others say that it has been confused as other folklore monsters such as a Wisconsin Bigfoot or a wendigo. Snapped my line like it was nothing a few years back. To truly understand these terrifying tales, one must first perhaps know what a Wendigo actually is traditionally said to be and represent. My daughter and I saw an unexplained creature on a back road near Wisconsin Dells. The whistling continued for what felt like forever but thinking it through was maybe five minutes when Ryan finally yelled out into the darkness. Wendigo | Travel Wisconsin According to Animal Planet, Swift Runner claimed to be possessed by a windigo spirit at the time of the murders. Up until then this never would have been seen as totally strange by the Native people of the region, a necessary evil in their fight against sinister forces, but in the view of the Mounties and the white settlers they represented this was called murder. In one account of the origins of this beast, the Wendigo started as a warrior who made a deal with the Devil in order to save his tribe from some unspecified calamity, in others it is simply greed and cannibalism that does the trick, or one can also be made into a Wendigo by another of the creatures, yet in every one of them the spawn of this all is an unholy abomination that seeks constant sustenance. The thing is massive. It was first reported in 1893 to have had the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end. Wikimedia CommonsLake Windigo, in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. Lake Winnebago Water Monster Lake Winnebago In the early 20th century one such fighter of demons would take his last battle before succumbing to the invasion of the modern world and the death of traditions. It is the most I have ever been scared and the most that adrenaline has ever flowed through me. By far the most well-known and discussed type of hairy wild man of Native lore is none other than the mysterious and legendary entity known as the Wendigo, animalistic, hulking beasts with strange powers. The legend of the Wendigo is common folklore amongst Algonquian-speaking tribes and also resembles other creatures in Native American folklore, such as the Kee-wakw and Chenoo which are described as cannibalistic monsters. 5 Terrifying WENDIGO Sightings Caught on Camera - reddit All About Wendigos | Paranormal Authority He says of what happened next: There is a creek on that property as well, and while usually we never had any issues while down there, this one time had proven to be quite strange; Topaz the cat was unwilling to cross in her usual spot, and it was eerily quiet. Press J to jump to the feed. Wisconsin Windigo Bensons bar is filled with alien memorabilia, but one item steals all the glory a small glass jar filled with a murky liquid and containing something lumpy inside with black eyes. Its also linked to the many cultural taboos against these negative actions and behaviors. I threw up and sprinted back up to the house with my cat, and avoided the creek for ages, though weirdly I felt quite certain that whatever that thing was, it couldn't cross running water. But when I looked onto the pathway the footprints were completely gone, and as I blinked we rounded the corner and it seemingly vanished into thin air. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The men they were supposed to meet became possessed by Wendigo and claimed to be ravenous for human flesh and would attack children, women, and men. According to the BFRO, five bigfoot sightings have been reported in Marinette County. Wendigo in Wisconsin This is still hard for me to wrap my head around because it shook me to my core, but this story takes place just over a year ago in late November 2018. But speed wouldnt be a necessary skill for a monster of this nature. These giant birds are also one of the more applauded monsters on this list according to their legends, which tell how the birds were the enemies of the great horned snakes. And after a month, it felt like it had gone, and it was safe to go over there again alone. But every so often, an alleged sighting emerges. A much older phantom of the North Woods is found in Wendigo, an evil supernatural creature that is part of Ojibwe lore. Anthropologists have found hodag tales as early as 1870, originating in lumber camps. At this point in the transformation, it was seen as beyond the point of using rituals or ceremonies, and that a shaman was needed to battle the creature, put it to death, and consecrate the corpse. During the 1800s through to the 1920s, there was an influx in Wendigo sightings around Kenorain, Ontario, Canada, and Rosesu, Northern . It also has historical significance for many Indigenous communities. I had mentioned my encounter to him when it first happened but he shrugged it off like most people I told, and likely didnt give it a second thought. One report comes from a witness on Reddit called universemasterOnGram, who says that he is of Native American descent and that this happened near an unspecified reservation on a camping trip when he was 13 years old. These locals would encounter Rocky by their boats and along the shore where they would be traumatized once sighting the incognito beast hissing at them. For being an insatiable predator, the wendigo is definitely not the largest or most muscular beast out there. After years of reports from U.S. citizens, thousands of photos, and hours of video footage, the existence of UFOs is no longer a badly kept secret in the United States. More Controversy on the Roswell Affair: An Alien Accident? - Jan 17, 2023 He went to grab his flashlight but by the time we went to the door to look it was gone. I never seen one but there are times I feel dread just outside my house at night during the winter. I have lived in northeast Wisconsin, my entire life, and in 2015, I just so happen to be looking up into a very overcast, cloudy sky (with the desperation of the sun behind it, trying to break through the clouds) and it was in that moment that I saw a shadow. The Cree say the Wendigo is an evil spirit that destroys mankind, a cannibal. It was a cloudless nightin Oshkosh in 2015, and Benjamin Konrad, aUW-Oshkoshstudent, was sitting on his porch after a long night of making sandwiches at his job for a local shop. As Basil Johnston has written, the idea of turning Wendigo is a very real possibility when the word refers to self-destruction, rather than literally becoming a monster in the forest. Watch Discover Wisconsin TV Saturday mornings at 10 on Fox Sports Wisconsin. Wendigo accounts have continued on sporadically into modern times, and there may even be people devoted to fighting them, but none who have been so high profile as Jack Fiddler, and part of the traditions of these beasts died with him. The highly anticipated government report on unidentified aerial phenomena in American airspace was released Friday afternoon. This is still hard for me to wrap my head around because it shook me to my core, but this story takes place just over a year ago in late November 2018. Wisconsin, Monster Capital of America? - What It Means to Be American The video game recreates the abilities of the Wendigo by making it extremely fast and an excellent climber with antlers and a body made up of muscle tendons. Ever since that night Ive been thinking about it and running through all of the possibilities of what it could be, but always coming up with no explanation. I settled down a bit and started asking them if they had seen or heard anything. Could this be some sort of other creature like a Sasquatch, even a supernatural entity such as a Skinwalker? The Wendigo has been described as a giant with a heart of ice, recessed eye holes and a lipless maw for a mouth. The Wendigo, The Cannibalistic Beast Of Native American Folklore Could it be just hallucinations or misidentifications, maybe even hoaxes? In modern times, such beliefs and traditions have faded, their traditions replaced by the inexorable march of science and the rational. Navigation Menu. At that time, lead miners were pouring into the region following a trail that the Indians used to take from Central Wisconsin to the Mississippi River. I just kept thinking about what I saw. For them it was beyond mere lore and legend, but rather a very real threat, something that lurked in the shadows and had to be dealt with. Now I know what your wondering, could I have been dehydrated or having hallucinations. Then you can read about the time it was reported that a 132-million-year-old Loch Ness Monster skeleton was found. A Wendigo Manitou carving on Mount Trudee in Silver Bay, Minnesota. Wendigo or not, it is very creepy, to say the least. Tonight my boyfriend let our dog out to use the bathroom and shes usually very alert and will go after anything, but tonight she looked in the direction and then kept going on about her buisness which again is very abnormal for her. Though he is said to be almost 15 feet tall, his body is often described as emaciated. Others say he walks in a more haggard manner, as if he is falling apart. Earlier this month, researchers of the paranormal came together to celebrate Wisconsins favorite cryptid at a Beast of Bray Road Conference held at Lutherdale Camp, not far from Bray Road. Then I kinda felt like someone was really looking at me. I have heard what sounds like a little girl calling for help out in those woods before. It was all very unsettling, indeed, but it was about to graduate into the horrifying. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It has allegedly been seen eating dead animals alongside the road, most recently in 2020. "Massive" is the Word. One of the most worrying stories traded among the Algonquian tribe is about a creature known as the wendigo. It wasnt until about a month ago that I was watching a special on supernatural encounters that I heard about Wendigos. The legends of the Wendigo are associated with the times of harsh weather conditions in the cold seasons when isolation from heavy snowfall is most common. Ryan told them that we called the police and roughly thirty minutes later a park ranger showed up. Everything you think you know about the world, its just wrong.. This combination of its size and roots make for some creative folklore, such as inspiration for the Lake Winnebago Water Monster. Join MU Plus+ and get exclusive shows and extensions & much more! Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. After all, besides some of the telltale signs such as the generation of fear, general appearance, and what seems to be in some cases an effort to trick or draw in the victim, as well as the assertion from all of these witnesses that these were "Wendigos," we are left wondering if there is perhaps something else to this all. Education An illustration of the Wendigo, a fearsome creature from Native American lore. At the beginning of the 20 th century, Jack Fiddler, an Oji-Cree man was arrested along with his brother for killing 14 people who they claimed to be wendigoes or . a 132-million-year-old Loch Ness Monster skeleton was found. The fear I felt was incredible. With its bones pushing out over its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into the sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. Chad Lewis, Wisconsins own expert in the strange and unusual including aliens and UFOs, has just one question for the U.S. government. One night I was walking my dogaround 10:30pm I thinkwhen I saw something on the front lawn of one of these houses. Wendigo Sightings In Canada and Northern parts of the United States where Algonquian-speaking tribes live, wendigo sightings were reported by both Native Americans and white settlers. The Infographics Show focuses on making animated motion infographic videos, made in a fun and entertaining way. They searched for a good, secluded area to set up camp for a planned two-night stay, got everything set up, and after a day of hiking and exploring the Jacks River the trip seemed to be off to a great start. In 1878, a man named Swift Runner was known to suffer from Wendigo psychosis in the worst possible way. In Belleville, their UFO Day festival typically takes place in late October, in honor of a UFO sighting from 1987 that was reported by several people, including law enforcement. The house was along a creek, and the witness claims that one evening one of the cats, named Topaz, who usually followed him around on his walks around the property was with him, but this evening would prove to be stranger than most. Lewis, a Wisconsin-based researcher into paranormal incidents with a background in psychology, has spent his 25-year career investigating hauntings, supernatural creatures, local legends and UFOs. "Todays rather inconclusive report only marks the beginning of efforts to understand and illuminate what is causing these risks to aviation in many areas around the country and the world, saidSen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. All they said was they heard a lot of movement and then heard my scream and thats when they headed in our direction. Other sightings have been reported northwest of Crivitz in a large expanse of wetlands and hardwood forest. Food & Drink In recent years numerous wendigo sightings have been reported in Wisconsin. As the tale goes, the wendigo was once a lost hunter. Mothman in Wisconsin. With its bones pushing out over its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into the sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. Due to isolation, severe hunger often took a toll on many victims of the northern forests of North America. Im of the mind that things beyond our comprehension and everyday scope absolutely do exist, and this is one I wont be messing with or going on adventures to see again. This is the tragic story of one of the last hunters of the evil creatures of Native lore known as the Wendigo. Though their legend has changed over the years, many of their main characteristics are fairly steady-and sightings of them continue to roll in . Much like other legendary beasts, the wendigo remains a fixture in pop culture in modern times. However, Fiddler managed to go out on his own terms, escaping his imprisonment to go off and hang himself from a tree with his own sash. The creature known as Mothman originated around Point Pleasant, WV with multiple sightings between 1966-67. I dont necessarily believe in it (UFOs), but I saw it, so I have to believe it. RitualxSuicide 7 mo. Ive talked to so many credible people that have no motive whatsoever to make this up that I have to think these things have to be happening, he said. At the turn of the 20th century, the Algonquian tribes blamed many unsolved disappearances of people on wendigo attacks. Thunderbirds Northern Wisconsin Lake Winnebago Water Monster - Lake Winnebago There exist many local stories of the Witches Triangle intersecting graveyards, the Witches Tower barricaded water tower, and a mysterious locked book that is said to be in the special collections section of the Anderson Library, which according to hearsay, leads to the deaths of those who read it. Thought it was just caught on some rocks or a turtle got the hook. The backstory of the game relates to the syndrome of Wendigo psychosis as the miners got trapped in a mine and had to resort to cannibalism to prevent starvation, which is how the antagonistic monsters appeared on the mountain. After scientists from the Smithsonian Institution announced they were coming to town to investigate, Shepard admitted the hodag was a hoax. If an individual could not be saved and turned violent to those around them, they would be executed as death is seen as the only way to treat Wendigo if one became possessed and could not be healed. Wendigo View Website Favorite (3) 121 E Main St - Stoughton, WI 53589 Information: 608-205-2775 Tue-Thur 4-10:30pm, Fri & Sat 4pm-12:30am, Sunday Brunch 9am - 2pm (no reservations), closed Mondays. Bigfoot Sightings in WI | Travel Wisconsin A teen named Trish in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is faced with being hunted down by a creature of the forest depicted as a Wendigo. Or, a Top Secret Human Experiment Gone Wild? He looked shaken and kept looking through the peephole in my door and not saying anything. With Wisconsins creepy history, there is sure to never be a shortage of scary monsters to tell of. Individuals who feared that they were becoming Wendigo would often turn to traditional native healers in an attempt to be saved.