Windigo: An Anthology of Fact and Fantastic Fiction

Edith Fowke is a professor emeritus at York University and author of the
recently published Canadian Folklore: Perspectives on Canadian Culture.

John Robert Colombo, whose talent as “the Master Gatherer” has produced an astonishing number of books, has here turned his attention to a fascinating and terrifying Canadian phenomenon: the Algonkian cannibal monster. From its first literary mention in the Jesuit Relations of 1636 he follows its tracks for more than three centuries to contemporary descriptions by Indian writers. The name, derived from the Algonkian word witiku, which symbolized both evil spirit and cannibal, has 37 variant spellings. The legendary creature, which may be either supernatural or human, belongs to the same fantastic world as the vampire and the werewolf. Most descriptions emphasize its great size and its hunger for human flesh, and a recurring element in the legend is that humans may “turn windigo” through cannibalism or through contact with the demon of the woods.

The 44 quoted passages range in length from a few lines to 47 pages and tell the Windigo’s story as viewed by explorers, fur traders, travellers, missionanies, army officers, geologists, historians, fiction writers, anthropologists, psychiatrists, poets, folklorists, journalists, and artists. Major items include the horror stories of Algernon Blackwood and August Derleth and the psychiatric analyses of Ruth Landes and Morton Treicher, while for contrast we have humorous verses by W.H. Drummond and Ogden Nash. The items are arranged chronologically and each is preceded by a headnote giving some information about the writer.

By turning up so many references Colombo has once again demonstrated his remarkable talent for research, and he has presented his material in an attractive manner. A critic might complain that many of the items are repetitive, but there is enough variety to allow for much fascinating browsing.