Attention local cryptologists – have you seen the Fort Kent Wendigo?
Since coming to Bonnyville back in March, I have heard whisperings of the mythical wendigo. Some claim it is a silly story, some claim they or their friend or a friend of their friend have seen the Wendigo, mostly on drunken evenings. It has been described as everything from a tall, thin creature with glowing eyes, to something darker, shadowy and probably furry.
Apparently it howls and laughs and sounds sort of like a coyote.
Since first hearing about the local wendigo, I have researched the origins of the myth extensively – and by that I mean I've run a few Google searches, and this is what I have found out:
One particular website (castleofspirits.com) claims the legend dates back to the 1920's, when a strange creature haunted the woods around Fort Kent, and was blamed for a few disappearances and animal deaths.
It expands on the legend further, saying a rancher heard moaning wails, left his home with a rifle to protect his horses from whatever creature was attacking them, and saw a “very large, dark shape with glowing red eyes shambling towards him.”
The rancher shot at the creature, which apparently annoyed it, and it wandered back into the forest.
This particular site also claims that Fort Kent “was” once a small settlement in northern Alberta, and is now just a ghost town, so clearly, they haven't done much in the way of fact checking.
Another legend I found talks about a doctor settling in Fort Kent after one of the world wars. A small pox epidemic decimated the town and killed his wife as well. Overcome by grief, he locked himself in his home with her body for days, and ate it.
Some versions of the story maintain the wendigo is a Native legend, a spirit that possesses the body of a person overcome by grief or strong emotion.
When he emerged from his home, the doctor slaughtered the remaining Fort Kent residents, leaving only 11 alive.
Creepy Canada explored the legend in one episode, and Sam and Dean Winchester, main characters of the television show Supernatural battled a wendigo in season one. This was apparently a wendigo from Minnesota, however (and also a fictional show in which two brothers drive around America destroying urban legends and demons, so not to be taken wholly as fact, I suppose.)
I, too, had an encounter with the wendigo. Nearly. Well, a bat flew out of the trees near Fort Kent and nearly smashed into my car a few months ago. Maybe not a wendigo, but still kind of creepy.
So, here is my question – have you seen the Fort Kent Wendigo? Do you know someone who has? If you have, give me a call or drop me an email. I'd love to hear more, from a source a little bit more reliable than Google.
