Wendigowak is the plural of Wendigo (also spelled Windigo and many other ways). What is a Wendigo? It is a creature that often gets confused with the WereWolf in popular American culture. Many of the traits ascribed to the recently-invented WereWolf of hollywood lore and modern imagination are actually much more traits of the Wendigo than traits of WereWolves.

Nearly all WereWolves I know are disgusted by the way WereWolves are portrayed in most WereWolf movies and are quick to point out that Real WereWolves are very different than movie WereWolves, and that Real WereWolves have VERY LITTLE in common with the WereWolves of modern myth. On the other paw, Real WereWolves have much in common with the WereWolves of ancient legend from around the world, except for the evil-devil stuff perpetuated by the Catholic Church.

A Wendigo is a human with very unusual Windigo-specific powers. Wendigowak really do exist, or at least they claim to exist and have a similar quality of "historical evidence that fits just so from around the world" kind of evidence that WereWolves also have, the "how could there be this much smoke without some fire" kind of evidence. But, in the case of Wendigowak, I have done very little research at all, prefering to let people who are actually very interested in Wendigowak to do the research, and then just pick it up and put it here. So these are largely other people's opinions. Windigowak are known in legend around the world, and with minor variations, the powers and characteristics are all the same. These powers include the ability to shapeshift into some man-like horrible-looking creature such as: a very tall, clawed, very strong hairy man-like biped, or a 12-foot tall living skeleton of ice with glowing red eyes, or a man-like scaled, reptilian creature with four arms, or a man-like shape with functioning leathery wings, horns, and claws, or a "wraith-form". It varies from Wendigo to Wendigo, as to what their other shape is, but it is not a natural animal, and is bipedal and man-like, and very very strong, agile, and animal-keen in it's senses. Like Shifters, not all Wendigo have yet acheived the ability to shift into their other form. Many Wendigo have a taste for human flesh. Parts of Florida are currently being "terrorized" by what seems to be a Windigo, and kills small animals. Wendigowak also have an "alien, but intelligent monster state of mind". They are, like many Shifters, definately a non-human intelligence. Yet monstrous as they are, they love, they have freinds, they yearn for many of the things we all do. Wendigo are often much easier for WereWolves to get along with than Vampires (depending on what kind of Vampire, of course). Despite their monstrous hungers, Wendigo are our freinds. The only ones that I have heard claim to want to kill humans claim they would only do it to the sickos society would be better off without.

But don't believe me, I'm only working from a very limited amount of Wendigo info, as compared to the huge amount of WereWolf info I am basing this HandBook on. ThereFore, take my Wendigo statements as mostly hearsay with a grain of salt, and follow these Wendigowak links to find out what is being said by those who really know what they are talking about:

• email KatmanDu at katmandu@uga.cc.uga.edu, and ask for the Wendigo Mini-FAQ
• Spyder EverHunger: Windigowak, Werecard
• The Lair of the Wendigo
• The Woods of The Wendigo
• Art: Windigo, The Feral "female windigo"
• Art by Windigo, The Feral "Ghostdance"
• Art by Windigo, The Feral "Ghostdance Snarling"
• Art by Windigo, The Feral "Ghostdance Relaxing"
• The AHWW Wendigo Mini-FAQ
• Spyder Everhunger: Wendigo
• The horror home page

Note: I am going to recieve more material and some books to reference when some Windigo e-mail me it. Also the Windigo Mini-FAQ is being revised or expanded or something, but I'm not sure when that will be done.

On the Non-Werewolf Shifters page of this handbook, I have pondered the question of classification of Werecreatures who do not fit in the regular categorys well at all. Many of these have something of Windigo characteristics about them, and are probably distant cousins of Windigowak. Others are related to Fae or other Wilderness Spirits, or related to Vampyres, or in a category all their own.

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