WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.940 The Silent Directive is a horror podcast. There 00:00:03.940 --> 00:00:06.780 are many themes some users may find disturbing. 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:10.119 Please check the description before listening. 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:19.519 Thank you. The Silent Directive Episode 6 The 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:31.579 Wendigo in the Woods Perhaps one of the most 00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:34.439 well -known cryptic creatures of paranormal and 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:38.719 unusual folklore is the Wendigo. No doubt you've 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.399 heard of it, and very likely you have a picture 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:45.200 in your mind. But if you would, please set that 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.619 aside. Do you remember my story of the vampires 00:00:48.619 --> 00:00:52.659 in Munich? Rather than the Count Dracula sparkly 00:00:52.659 --> 00:00:55.700 -skinned vampires known from media, they seemed 00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:59.219 more like what we know of as zombies. This is 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:02.859 my point. Stories, especially those with no clear 00:01:02.859 --> 00:01:06.980 origin, are warped over time. Some change is 00:01:06.980 --> 00:01:09.760 good, and traditions should be allowed to change, 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:13.959 but with folklore and other tales of old, it 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:17.140 is extremely important to know the original tale, 00:01:17.340 --> 00:01:20.739 especially if you worry about encountering the 00:01:20.739 --> 00:01:24.560 subjects. The story of the Wendigo has been warped 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:28.010 through the years. It is not what modern pop 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:31.870 culture has made it seem to be. In my opinion, 00:01:32.010 --> 00:01:39.870 it's much scarier. It is said that a Wendigo 00:01:39.870 --> 00:01:43.370 is created when one human eats another out of 00:01:43.370 --> 00:01:46.530 desperation. These stories particularly come 00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:48.650 from travelers trapped in the cold wilderness. 00:01:49.069 --> 00:01:51.609 The legend goes that if a human eats another 00:01:51.609 --> 00:01:54.250 human, they lose their own humanity and become 00:01:54.250 --> 00:01:59.250 a Wendigo. However, this is misleading. The Wendigo 00:01:59.250 --> 00:02:03.329 is not a monster. It could be called a spirit, 00:02:03.469 --> 00:02:07.890 but it's closer to a sort of concept. When it 00:02:07.890 --> 00:02:10.550 finds a suitable host, it possesses their body 00:02:10.550 --> 00:02:13.689 and warps it into what is widely known as a Wendigo. 00:02:14.810 --> 00:02:18.870 Because of this, there is only ever one Wendigo 00:02:18.870 --> 00:02:22.210 in existence. When it is killed, or the host 00:02:22.210 --> 00:02:25.120 body can no longer sustain itself, The spirit, 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:29.379 or concept, finds a new host. Sometimes this 00:02:29.379 --> 00:02:34.379 is instant. Sometimes it takes years. So what 00:02:34.379 --> 00:02:37.280 fulfills the concept of a Wendigo? What are the 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.620 traits of the host that allow the monster's creation? 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:44.280 Firstly, a human must kill another human with 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:49.319 the intention of eating them for survival. Eating 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:52.039 someone already dead and ritualistic cannibal 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.860 murders do not count. And as far as has ever 00:02:55.860 --> 00:02:59.120 been known or seen, this possession only ever 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.759 takes place out in the cold wilderness, most 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:05.159 commonly in North America. After the violent 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:08.800 cannibalism, the human begins to die. This act 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.900 allows the ancient evil concept to enter the 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:15.039 person. Once that happens, there is no going 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:20.979 back. Soon, their body begins to warp. The transformation 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:24.789 is horrid. Yet not as physically dramatic as, 00:03:24.909 --> 00:03:28.150 say, Hollywood makes it out to be. Forget the 00:03:28.150 --> 00:03:30.810 antlers, forget the fur, none of that is accurate. 00:03:31.229 --> 00:03:34.710 Instead, imagine a human who has starved to death. 00:03:35.129 --> 00:03:38.050 Their ashen gray skin is pulled so tight you 00:03:38.050 --> 00:03:41.050 can see every bone they have. And it smells. 00:03:41.129 --> 00:03:44.030 It smells like death and decay and all corruption 00:03:44.030 --> 00:03:47.969 alike. Its body grows in proportion to the meals 00:03:47.969 --> 00:03:52.169 it has. So its hunger can never... ever be satisfied. 00:03:53.050 --> 00:03:56.729 But it doesn't grow quite right. Rather than 00:03:56.729 --> 00:04:00.090 its stomach stretching, the growth goes to its 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:04.849 limbs and its overall size. A larger wendigo 00:04:04.849 --> 00:04:07.270 is said to stand at eight feet tall and have 00:04:07.270 --> 00:04:10.550 arms that drag on the ground. But they all start 00:04:10.550 --> 00:04:15.250 as a human. The wendigo concept comes from the 00:04:15.250 --> 00:04:18.610 Native American Algonquian peoples. The very 00:04:18.610 --> 00:04:21.769 word Wendigo comes from the Anishinaabe words 00:04:21.769 --> 00:04:27.329 ween -dago, which mean solely for self. This 00:04:27.329 --> 00:04:30.610 creature no longer cares or even perceives anything 00:04:30.610 --> 00:04:37.550 other than its own hunger. About 400 miles, maybe 00:04:37.550 --> 00:04:41.670 700 kilometers, north of the Canadian city Sudbury, 00:04:41.850 --> 00:04:44.990 is a small wooden hunting cabin tucked away in 00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:49.850 the woods. usually only visits during the summer. 00:04:50.389 --> 00:04:52.449 During the winter, he rents the place out to 00:04:52.449 --> 00:04:55.689 visiting families. This year, however, the family 00:04:55.689 --> 00:04:58.470 renting left a week early. They let him know, 00:04:58.569 --> 00:05:00.889 apologized for the hasty exit, saying they just 00:05:00.889 --> 00:05:03.850 didn't feel comfortable up there. Thomas was 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:05.810 a little confused, but he didn't think much of 00:05:05.810 --> 00:05:09.930 it. What he was worried about, however, was their 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:12.509 hasty exit. For all he knew, they left a window 00:05:12.509 --> 00:05:15.949 open or a light on. Not wanting to deal with 00:05:15.949 --> 00:05:18.949 a mess by summer, he made the long drive up, 00:05:19.089 --> 00:05:22.430 planning on staying a week or so. His small supply 00:05:22.430 --> 00:05:24.649 shop would be in the hands of his teenage son, 00:05:24.750 --> 00:05:26.529 and it would be nice to have a little break. 00:05:28.149 --> 00:05:30.329 Since Thomas left first thing in the morning, 00:05:30.430 --> 00:05:33.290 he arrived about an hour before sunset. That 00:05:33.290 --> 00:05:34.990 gave him just enough time to check the house 00:05:34.990 --> 00:05:38.129 for damage and clean up a little bit. The house 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:40.009 was fine, but judging by the mess, the renters 00:05:40.009 --> 00:05:43.769 had left in a really big hurry, and his suspicions 00:05:43.769 --> 00:05:46.029 were correct. The closet light had been left 00:05:46.029 --> 00:05:49.689 on. Thankful the trip wasn't for nothing, Thomas 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:51.509 cleaned the house and started making a dinner 00:05:51.509 --> 00:05:53.370 out of the food he brought with him. He made 00:05:53.370 --> 00:05:55.470 a small pork chop dinner and went to bed early. 00:06:05.269 --> 00:06:08.410 He woke in the middle of the night. Thomas was 00:06:08.410 --> 00:06:10.470 a deep sleeper. He didn't usually wake up with 00:06:10.470 --> 00:06:13.379 such a start. He got out of bed and went to his 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:16.220 window, checking if there was a storm. But no. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.720 Just a little wind and barely any snow falling. 00:06:20.899 --> 00:06:25.079 The room was empty. Quiet. Nothing seemed out 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:28.139 of place, so he went right back to sleep. The 00:06:28.139 --> 00:06:31.620 next day, he geared up and went out for a little 00:06:31.620 --> 00:06:34.920 evening hunting trip. He was a rather experienced 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.899 hunter and was used to going out alone. Something 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:41.639 that day felt off. He couldn't quite place it, 00:06:41.660 --> 00:06:44.459 but he had a deep unease settling in his stomach. 00:06:44.980 --> 00:06:47.300 He chalked it up to the promptness of the trip 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:50.699 and headed out. He knew the area very well, even 00:06:50.699 --> 00:06:54.040 with the snow on the ground. After an hour of 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.519 quietly walking around the area, he found a trail 00:06:56.519 --> 00:06:59.920 of deer prints in the fresh snow. Thomas slowly 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:02.019 followed these prints, hoping to catch up with 00:07:02.019 --> 00:07:04.860 the deer. It took him about half an hour to spot 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:08.500 them, but when he finally did, nothing was as 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:13.410 he expected. First, it was already dead. Now, 00:07:13.470 --> 00:07:15.490 Thomas knew it was dead the moment he saw it, 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:18.709 because its ribcage was exposed, and it had been 00:07:18.709 --> 00:07:21.430 consumed. But this wasn't what concerned Thomas 00:07:21.430 --> 00:07:24.350 the most. There are predators in the woods. This 00:07:24.350 --> 00:07:27.430 was nature. What concerned him was the unusual 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:30.250 voracity with which the carcass had been torn 00:07:30.250 --> 00:07:34.410 apart. Every inch was covered in gashes. Parts 00:07:34.410 --> 00:07:36.850 were strewn about all over, some hanging from 00:07:36.850 --> 00:07:41.339 tree branches. Also, The entirety of the head 00:07:41.339 --> 00:07:45.300 was missing. Thomas didn't know if any predator 00:07:45.300 --> 00:07:49.360 had acted in such a violent way. He knelt, took 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:51.420 his glove off, and reached toward the creature. 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:57.399 It was warm. Fresh. Whatever had done this had 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:01.199 done so recently. He stood back up, almost tripping 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:04.180 over himself. Standing there in that clearing, 00:08:04.339 --> 00:08:07.680 staring at the dead deer, he realized it may 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:10.910 have been a buck. Usually it was easy to tell 00:08:10.910 --> 00:08:12.810 the difference because only bucks have antlers, 00:08:12.889 --> 00:08:18.970 but then again, the head was missing. As he stood 00:08:18.970 --> 00:08:22.269 there, the uneasy feeling grew deeper in Thomas' 00:08:22.470 --> 00:08:25.509 stomach. He shuddered as if someone had breathed 00:08:25.509 --> 00:08:28.230 down his neck. He spun around, but nothing was 00:08:28.230 --> 00:08:32.509 there, of course, just his nerves. He shook off 00:08:32.509 --> 00:08:35.440 the feeling and continued on. Any animals in 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:37.379 the area would have been scared off, so he would 00:08:37.379 --> 00:08:39.279 have to head far out of the way if he was going 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.139 to find dinner. So he did. He trekked through 00:08:43.139 --> 00:08:46.559 the snowy forest, away from the carcass. As he 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:49.240 walked, every rustle in the trees and chirp of 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.539 a bird made him jump. He scolded himself every 00:08:52.539 --> 00:08:54.860 time. It was ridiculous. He knew better than 00:08:54.860 --> 00:08:57.559 this. He was very experienced. At one point, 00:08:57.580 --> 00:08:59.399 as he glanced over his shoulder, he stopped, 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.100 because he spotted movement along the trail behind 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:05.399 him. He raised his rifle, hoping it was a deer 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:08.860 or a coyote, or something of the like. But it 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:11.720 was just a bird. Thomas was growing impatient. 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:14.200 No game, and the longer he stayed out here, the 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:16.700 more uncomfortable he felt. Not to mention how 00:09:16.700 --> 00:09:20.419 cold it was. He considered going by the small 00:09:20.419 --> 00:09:23.059 river that ran through the area. Even though 00:09:23.059 --> 00:09:25.259 he hated the taste of geese, it was better than 00:09:25.259 --> 00:09:28.799 nothing. As he turned in that direction, something 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:38.549 stopped him in his tracks. Thomas nearly dropped 00:09:38.549 --> 00:09:40.870 his rifle as he tried to see what made that sound. 00:09:41.190 --> 00:09:43.289 Part of him wanted to run towards it, because 00:09:43.289 --> 00:09:46.070 it sounded like a person, a human person, in 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:49.809 pain. But he couldn't shake this odd, quiet feeling 00:09:49.809 --> 00:09:53.250 that something was very wrong. As hungry as he 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:55.710 was, Thomas began to make his way back home. 00:09:56.269 --> 00:09:58.789 He would rather miss dinner than be outside for 00:09:58.789 --> 00:10:01.490 another second. He looked over his shoulder again 00:10:01.490 --> 00:10:04.669 and again as he went back, each time sure something 00:10:04.669 --> 00:10:07.340 would be there. But each time the forest was 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:09.899 empty. By the time he got back to his cabin, 00:10:10.019 --> 00:10:13.080 the sun was setting. He stopped himself at the 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.840 end of the trail. And Thomas was beginning to 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.679 get really annoyed with himself. See, he was 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:22.620 a very experienced hunter. And here he was, foregoing 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:25.519 dinner because he was scared of the empty forest. 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:28.600 He mentally kicked himself as he stepped up to 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:31.740 the front of his cabin. Only, there was something 00:10:31.740 --> 00:10:34.299 off about his front door. It was lying on its 00:10:34.299 --> 00:10:38.100 side. Halfway torn off the hinges, Thomas felt 00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:41.019 his hands begin to shake, his body betraying 00:10:41.019 --> 00:10:44.220 him as he raised his rifle. Everything he'd been 00:10:44.220 --> 00:10:47.100 scared of was happening. There was something 00:10:47.100 --> 00:10:51.299 tracking him, something hunting him, and it had 00:10:51.299 --> 00:10:55.580 been inside his cabin. Slowly and cautiously, 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:58.720 Thomas stepped inside his cabin, grimacing from 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:03.059 the rancid smell of rot. It was dark, sunlight 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:06.429 slowly disappearing. He stepped over the door, 00:11:06.549 --> 00:11:11.850 and as he looked down, his heart sank. Deep gashes 00:11:11.850 --> 00:11:14.789 were carved into the door. They didn't look like 00:11:14.789 --> 00:11:17.190 any creature he'd seen before. They were much 00:11:17.190 --> 00:11:21.470 longer than they were deep. And each gash had 00:11:21.470 --> 00:11:24.769 a trail of blood inside it, as if the creature 00:11:24.769 --> 00:11:27.629 scratched the door so viciously that it began 00:11:27.629 --> 00:11:31.549 to bleed. Just as the sun fully disappeared from 00:11:31.549 --> 00:11:34.409 the sky, the light disappeared from Thomas' cabin. 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:38.320 It was dark, only lit by a faint light from the 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.340 kitchen. Thomas recognized it as the glow from 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:45.820 the open refrigerator. The living room was trashed, 00:11:45.820 --> 00:11:48.240 as if some burglar had been searching for something. 00:11:49.220 --> 00:11:53.379 But the violence, blood, and scratches told Thomas 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:57.700 this was no burglar. He stepped forward, moving 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:00.720 toward the faint noise from the kitchen. He flinched 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:03.100 as a jar was tossed aside and rolled across the 00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:07.080 floor. Whatever this was, it was right there, 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:10.799 and it was rooting through his fridge. Thomas 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:13.559 readied himself, turning the corner, and finally 00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:18.080 getting a look at the creature. Thomas only got 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.059 a moment to see the creature, but that was enough 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:24.379 to make his heart nearly stop. This creature 00:12:24.379 --> 00:12:28.220 resembled a human corpse. As I described earlier, 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:31.320 its skin was ashen and its bones were visible. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:35.019 On its head was the skull from the buck, almost 00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:38.700 like a helmet. Its eyes were sunken so far into 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:41.019 the back of its face that Thomas could only see 00:12:41.019 --> 00:12:44.980 a glint of them. It smelled so badly of decay 00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:49.139 and of death, Thomas' nose began to burn. He 00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:51.440 was so shocked and horrified by the creature, 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:55.500 he didn't pull the trigger. This small hesitation 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:59.620 was the worst thing Thomas would ever do. The 00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:01.759 Wendigo leapt forward. With such intensity, it 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.460 knocked Thomas off his feet. He raised his hands 00:13:05.460 --> 00:13:07.980 to protect his face. The Wendigo's hands were 00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:10.460 so long, its fingers warped and razor sharp. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.899 It slashed Thomas' arm, cutting it open. The 00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:16.419 Wendigo attacked with such brazen ferocity, it 00:13:16.419 --> 00:13:18.879 harmed itself and the floor just as much as it 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:22.240 did Thomas. But one claw sank it to his stomach. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.279 Thomas yelled out, and the Wendigo yelled back. 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:31.960 The Wendigo, in its eternal hunger, tore Thomas 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:35.980 apart. To his credit, Thomas put up a strong 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:39.440 fight. At one point, the Wendigo bent down, its 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:42.759 misshapen body contorted over Thomas. It sank 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:45.159 its sharp teeth into his shoulder, and Thomas 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.980 pulled the buck skull off its head, jabbing one 00:13:47.980 --> 00:13:51.580 of the handlers into the Wendigo's stomach. This 00:13:51.580 --> 00:13:55.639 was his last act. The Wendigo, enraged and in 00:13:55.639 --> 00:14:03.659 more pain, ripped poor Thomas in half. I don't 00:14:03.659 --> 00:14:07.779 like how this story ended. I found myself wanting 00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:11.620 to look away while I was observing. But a being 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:15.500 built on observing cannot look away. There were 00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:17.039 many things that could have gone differently, 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.460 many different choices that could have been made, 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.940 different outcomes. Thomas was a good man. He 00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:26.600 was smart, cautious. Not... that other victims 00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:30.580 in my stories weren't. I just, I wish it could 00:14:30.580 --> 00:14:34.679 be different. I'm not sure quite why I feel this 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:39.539 way. I've never felt this way. But alas, that 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:40.659 is my tale of the Wendigo.