Meet The Cannibalistic Cryptid Of Your Nightmares. Every culture that has evil supernatural entities has ways to battle them, and those who would go head to head with them and step up ready to battle. Other stories describe it more like a thin bipedal bear creature with a skeletal head and antlers. This werewolf cryptid has had several sightings in the 1990s with local newspapers reporting on the topic and even eventually gaining some national news attention as the most popular werewolf sighting in the U.S. Photo by Joshua Mayer. Since then I havent spotted it, but I hear it. Whilst there are slight variations as to the physical description of this creature amongst the different Algonquian peoples, it is generally agreed that Wendigo have glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs and long tongues. Susan Lampert Smith As they made their way back toward the road to leave, a strong odor filled the air. Now I know what your wondering, could I have been dehydrated or having hallucinations. 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. There, lumberman Eugene Shepard wrote in the local newspaper, The New North, that he had personally captured a hodag and he drew an illustration of a bull-horned carnivore, with thick, curving spikes down its back. And very large, dark eyes, oriented forward like a predators would be. Woods County, WI Encounter Rock County, WI Encounter Burnette County, WI Encounter Burnette County, WI Encounter Burnette County, WI Encounter Price County, WI . What lips it had were tattered and . Two consecutive notes with roughly a three to four second gap and then two more consecutive notes. Neil Rosenstech. I heard it land but it either jumped an impossible distance or landed in a thicket because I heard it but never saw. According to Legends of the Nahanni Valley, a Native author and ethnographer named Basil H. Johnston once described the wendigo in his masterwork The Manitous as such: The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. I would saw that if I had to run about 20 yards uphill through the woods it might take me 30-40 seconds. It has no lips, bares jagged teeth, and hisses with every breath. Also known as the "Wisconsin Werewolf," the Beast of Bray Road was originally only sighted in Elkhorn but it seems its habitat has expanded across the very state. October 21, 2021 1:24 pm CDT. Within the region, Fiddler was nearly legendary as a powerful shaman and healer, attributed with vast supernatural abilities such as the power to shapeshift, conjure up animal spirits, chase away evil spirits, deflect spells, and many others, but he was most well known as a Wendigo hunter. It's a bony, emaciated beast with desiccated gray skin and hollow, sunken eyes. Now this is the part I will never forget. They slowly walked toward the tree where the creature had been standing, where they saw large impressions in the ground. Above: That dang Hodag. Grasping its victim, the Wendigo runs at such speed that the poor victim's eyes bleed and his feet burn. 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. he said elders would go there to reflect on the lessons of their ancestors. He says that at the time he was visiting his parents home, who lived there with their many cats. 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. So I turned around and saw a large creature about 80 yards from me standing across the stream. Once theyre isolated in the desolate depths of the wilderness, he attacks them and then feasts on them. Room 18 of the St. James Hotel in Cimarron New Mexico is so haunted that the room is locked and guests are forbidden to enter, lest they upset the room's lingering disembodied guest, Thomas James (TJ) Wright. A nasty smell that just was right in my face., His wife smelled it as well, and later described it to him as a very strong metallic odor of metal.. 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. I smelled the most horrible smell Ive ever smelled my life, like rot and mud and sulfur, David wrote. At the turn of the 20th century, the Algonquian tribes blamed many unsolved disappearances of people on wendigo attacks. Ryan told them that we called the police and roughly thirty minutes later a park ranger showed up. All the way back it felt like somebody was trailing us alongside the trail, keeping up with us as we walked very fast., Nipissing Swamp sand dunes. The elusive aberration is said to roam the area of Bray Road located just outside of the town of Elkhorn. The creature has been referenced and sometimes even depicted in a variety of hit television shows, including Supernatural, Grimm, and Charmed. I live in a rural suburb in SE WI near a line of woods and ponds. Wendigos are considered to be some of the most despicable monsters in the Great Lakes. The vast majority of supposed wendigo sightings happened between the 1800s and 1920s. So I start walking at first I was waking out of the woods like I was on someones yard and they had told me to get off, not a fast pace but moving with a purpose you know. Inhumanly loud. Nipissing Swamp State Natural Area, Wisconsin. Pages 9-11, 16-17 The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. "Massive" is the Word. But every so often, an alleged sighting emerges. Perhaps this can be attributed to the notion that he is never satisfied with his cannibalistic urges. My town is small and everything is silent and dark by 9:00pm. Its also linked to the many cultural taboos against these negative actions and behaviors. What did David and his wife encounter in the woods? 6. The legend of the wendigo has long been associated with real-life problems like insatiable greed, selfishness, and violence. They found it about 50 yards up, where the trail opened into a stand of tall pines. It has allegedly been seen eating dead animals alongside the road, most recently in 2020. Food & Drink Vampire and werewolf of Mineral Point, Wisconsin is the author of 16 published books on strange creatures and phenomena. Most often described as a massive, hairy brute up to 15 feet tall, with a mix of human and animalistic features, the Wendigo has long been said to partake in acts of murder, insatiable greed, and cannibalism. Thunderbirds have been described as massive avian raptors by the Menominee tribe. The most recent was in April 2013, when a retired police officer witnessed a bigfoot crossing a highway near Pembine. Camping season is in full bloom. 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. In the 1980s, several people reported that the beast attacked their cars and trucks, leaving long scratch marks. He uses this skill to lure people in and draw them away from civilization. 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. The fear I felt was incredible. And there isnt a single tree small enough to remotely look like what I saw. Most recently in 2019, mysterious howls in the Canadian wilderness led some to question whether they were caused by the infamous man-beast. The evil being is associated with winter and starvation, and appears to feast on humans. Everything about it was long. Sometimes these animals were disemboweled and their entrails found hanging from bushes or trees like macabre Christmas tree ornaments, and sometimes they were simply torn in half, with one of the halves missing. The curious thing about Rock Lake is that if you dive down in certain parts of the lake you can find small pyramid like structures. More stories followed, each adding to the lore of the fearsome hodag. And after a month, it felt like it had gone, and it was safe to go over there again alone. Skinwalkers are shape-shifting witches able to assume the attributes of various animals, especially canines. In recent years numerous wendigo sightings have been reported in Wisconsin. 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. As you can see, there are a large amount of sightings on the east . The lake winnebago water monster. Their eyes are often sunken in but glow. 4. 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. Sightings: date back to tribal indian days and now are seen by travelers, hikers and other people in the forests where it is seen. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. My arrow was stuck basically vertical in the ground except for leaning the opposite way I shot, he wrote, which to me and my wife seemed impossible that my arrow could be the way it was in the ground.. It is not a colossal sturgeon. I dont think I have ever yelled so loud. The Cryptid Zoo: Windigo (or Wendigo) . The Beast of Bray Road. According to ethnohistorian Nathan Carlson, its also been said that the wendigo has large, sharp claws and massive eyes like an owl. Mostly described as a gaunt, almost skeletal monstrosity standing up to 15 feet high, with sharp claws, formidable fangs, skin tightly stretched over the bones, and with animalistic features. " In Ontario, though not a province regarded to shelter "Bigfoot" as much as Alberta and British Columbia are, there are . By then, the hodag was so much a part of Rhinelander culture that the city is known as The Home of the Hodag, and boasts a Hodag Country Festival, several hodag statues and has a hodag as the mascot of the high school teams. The first sighting may have been in the 1840s in the area now called Virginia Beach. Others say he walks in a more haggard manner, as if he is falling apart. 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. Like I was being watched. Has anyone ever witnessed a sky Cryptid before???? The creature has . While not exactly dealing with cryptids, the Second Salem town of Whitewater is known for its stories of witches and spirits. Wendigo is most often represented as a forest monster tall, insane, and violent. They would prevent the snakes from overrunning the earth and devouring mankind, according to Menominee folklore. This had sent horrendous chills down my spine, So I ran the fastest Ive ever had back towards the campsite, while I heard the twigs and leaves crunching behind me. Much like other legendary beasts, the wendigo remains a fixture in pop culture in modern times. But people still wanted to see his invention and it was exhibited for years until it was destroyed by fire. In lore, the creature is supposedly a gaunt, extremely tall apparition that had glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs, wicked claws, and a long tongue, often also depicted with antlers, and which was eternally en thrall to insatiable hunger, growing ever larger with each kill it made and yet never fully satiated, always skeletal and slight no matter how much it ate. NASA's Photos From Mars: Don't Tell Me the Red Planet Wasn't Once a Thriving World! NASA's Photos From Mars: Don't Tell Me the Red Planet Wasn't Once a Thriving World! Then David spotted the glowing nock about 20 or 30 yards back toward the woods and the path. Over and over again. It was so loud. Unfortunately, this was the age of white settlers pouring into the region, and the idea of killing people due to suspicion that they were supernatural monsters did not sit well in this new world. Other names include Windigo, Witiko, Weedigo . These spooky tales passed down through generations of Whitewater residents and UW-Whitewater students continue to be a part of the towns unique culture. For more information, please see our When I shot, you could see that I shot low and I heard something like my arrow hitting something. If you would really like to know what they are , go to a reservation and ask a Native American. About a quarter mile from the road where their vehicle was parked, David and his wife walked out of the forest into a field. Of course, if you can't catch it there, just check out the movie. One description of the Wendigo was given by Native author and ethnographer Basil H. Johnston, who wrote of it: The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. That trail later became what today is referred to as the Old Military Road. Sightings are reported annually, and many locals believe in the creature, though some remain skeptical, of course. 27.07 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Flames of Prophecy, 29.07 - MU Podcast - Contract with the Goddess, 27.06 - MU Plus+ Podcast - Secret Vaults of Time, 29.06 - MU Podcast - Italian Disco Abductions, 27.04 - MU Plus+ Podcast - High-Res Healing, Astrophysicist Claims Ring Lasers Can Bend Space-Time and Allow Time Travel, "What's the Creepiest Thing You've Ever Seen or Heard?" The house has since collapsed, but the legend lives on. . 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. Then things got bizarre rather quickly, of which the witness says: I remember we both pulled out our flashlights and shown it in the direction we felt the sounds were coming from but that is what was so weird. I didnt answer and was trying to focus hard on each individual sound. As the tale goes, the wendigo was once a lost hunter. I live in a rural suburb in SE WI near a line of woods and ponds. 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. Brent Swancer is an author and crypto expert living in Japan. Snapped my line like it was nothing a few years back. Sturgeons don't bend the way I saw this thing bend. (Twitter: @DiscoverWI), That is so cool I live in Wisconsin my hole life and I havent heard of some of those. i have also lived in wisconson half my life and i only know the hodag, Your email address will not be published. However, in the case of the Native American communities, most of the stress was due to a dwindling amount of resources, not to mention the extermination of food in the area. My daughter and I saw an unexplained creature on a back road near Wisconsin Dells. More recent sightings have been flooding in ever since 1987 when the song first aired on WTCM. According to the BFRO, five bigfoot sightings have been reported in Marinette County. Travelers along this misty stretch of highway would report seeing lights and a strange lone figure patrolling the road. The native story tells of a great mountain that floats in the western sky where thunderbirds gather. Normally Im the type of person that would go out and look for myself, maybe even going down by the pond to explore and find something, but this case shuts all of that down. If Bigfoot has been here all along, we would expect to meet him in old legends as well as in the latest sightings. BONUS: Whitewater, WI The thing is massive. Although things started off normally, it all got rather strange when several odd occurrences began to unfold. So, Wendigo in my neighborhood, lets not meet. 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. Could These Monster-Sized Snakes Be Beaten? More recent sightings in the 1980s and 1990s, place the creature in Racine, Walworth and Jefferson Counties. Whenever we would fix our lights on a spot we thought the sound were coming from the location of the sound would suddenly change. 1. I recently received a distressed email from a man named David W. who, along with his wife, had an encounter with something they could not explain (maybe a wendigo?) At the beginning of the 20th century, an 87-year-old by the name of Jack Fiddler was tried for the murder of a . 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. They are some massive prehistoric fish that can be very intimidating up close and in person. The case of Wendigo psychosis spreading among the Algonquin peoples and the missionary travelers among them is a famously recorded example of appearances of Wendigos in the world. 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. The human was transformed into a cannibalistic monster which roams the forests searching for prey. 5 Wisco Monsters to Look Out for This October. Photo taken circa 2014. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He called out a few more times, but there was only silence. Hammerson Peters 88.3K subscribers Subscribe 4K 143K views 2 years ago Mateo's. As long as there have been demons and monsters in our world and those who believe in them, there have been those willing to fight them. Festivals quickly became an annual tradition to appease these giant monsters and continue to be held to this day. Ever take a good look at a sturgeon before? The Wendigo has been described as a giant with a heart of ice, recessed eye holes and a lipless maw for a mouth. Until this. Whether you are a believer of these mythical accounts or not, it always makes for a spine-tingling good time when you round up your friends for a story around the fire. Required fields are marked *. According to the witness, they were very familiar with the sounds of the forest and this sounded off to them, as if several people were walking around the campsite trying not to be heard. 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. Red question marks represent the broad location where the sightings occurred. 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. Some of the recent sightings come from Ontario. The name derives from the Ojibwa language for "Wiindigoo", originally used by the Algonquian Indians tribe of the northern forests, they believed that Wendigo were cannibalistic giants with supernatural powers, one of which was the ability to possess people and turn them into Wendigo. Many people paid to see the beast, which was displayed in a shadowy stall and emitted frightening noises. Stories, Sightings & Experiences ; Wendi-go in NE Pennsylvania? Then you can read about the time it was reported that a 132-million-year-old Loch Ness Monster skeleton was found. Probably Not! Frighteningly enough, there were quite a few other stories about these spirits supposedly possessing people in communities stretching from northern Quebec to the Rockies. FlickrAn animatronic depiction of a wendigo in a cage on display in Wendigo Woods in Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 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