''The Wendigo'' is a
novella
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
by
Algernon Blackwood
Algernon Henry Blackwood, CBE (14 March 1869 – 10 December 1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary cri ...
, first published in ''The Lost Valley and Other Stories'' (Eveleigh Nash, 1910).
Synopsis
In the wilderness north of
Rat Portage in
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the ...
, two Scotsmen –
divinity
Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.[divine](_blank) student Simpson and his uncle, Dr. Cathcart, an author of a book on
collective hallucination – are on a moose-hunting trip with guides Hank Davis and the wilderness-loving French "
Canuck
''Canuck'' is a slang term for a Canadian. The origins of the word are uncertain. The term ''Kanuck'' is first recorded in 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring to Dutch Canadians (which included German Canadians) or French Canadians. By ...
", Joseph Défago.
While their Indian cook, Punk, stays to tend the main camp, the others split up into two hunting-parties; Dr. Cathcart goes with Hank, while Défago guides Simpson in a canoe down the river to explore the vast territory beyond.
Simpson and Défago make camp, and it soon becomes clear that Défago senses – or at least thinks he senses – some strange and fearful odour on the wind. That night, Simpson wakes to find Défago cowering in terror from something outside the tent. Later Défago runs off into the night, forcing Simpson to go and look for him. He follows his footprints in the snow for many miles, realising that Défago's are not the only set of tracks. The larger set of footprints are not human, and gradually it seems that Défago's own tracks have metamorphosed into smaller versions of the larger set. Eventually, both sets of tracks vanish, and Simpson believes he hears Défago's distant voice calling out from somewhere in the sky above:
Simpson finally manages to make his way back to the main camp, where he is reunited with the others. Dr. Cathcart and Hank go back with him to search for Défago, and when camping once more out in the wilderness, Défago – or some hideous parody of Défago – appears before them before vanishing once again into the night.
Conflicted and disturbed about what they have witnessed, they return to the main camp to find that Défago – the real Défago this time – has made his own way back, suffering from
delirium
Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...
,
exposure, and
frostbite
Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the han ...
. He dies soon after, and the three men are left in a state of bafflement and uncertainty about what has occurred. Punk alone could have explained it to them, but he fled home as soon as he caught the terrible odour that Défago carried with him. As an Indian, he instantly understood that Défago had seen the
Wendigo
Wendigo () is a mythological creature or evil spirit originating from the folklore of Plains and Great Lakes Natives as well as some First Nations. It is based in and around the East Coast forests of Canada, the Great Plains region of the U ...
.
Reception and influence
* Grace Isabel Colbron remarked in her 1915 essay, ''Algernon Blackwood: An Appreciation'' that: "For sheer naked concentrated horror, unexplained and unexplainable, such tales as "The Wendigo"... may be said to lead among the stories of the supernatural''.
*
H.P. Lovecraft said of ''The Wendigo'': "Another amazingly potent though less artistically finished tale
Blackwood's_The_Willows_(story).html" "title="Algernon_Blackwood.html" ;"title="han Algernon Blackwood">Blackwood's The Willows (story)">The Willows
The Willows may refer to:
Places
* The Willows, El Paso, Texas, USA
* The Willows, Queensland, a town in Australia
* The Willows, Salford, home of Salford Rugby League club in Salford, England, UK
* The Willows, Saskatoon, a residential community ...
] is ''The Wendigo'', where we are confronted by horrible evidences of a vast forest daemon about which North Woods lumber men whisper at evening. The manner in which certain footprints tell certain unbelievable things is really a marked triumph in craftsmanship."
*
'' on ''The Wendigo'', and in his earlier Wendigo-inspired story, ''The Thing That Walked on the Wind'' (''
'', January 1933), he directly namechecks Blackwood and his story of 'air elementals'.
*A half hour episode of the television series, ''
'' and titled ''The Wendigo'' aired in 1961. It followed the plot of the novel and starred Barbara Barrie and Walter Matthau (IMDB).
* A loose adaption of ''The Wendigo'' by
, in reference to both the author and this tale.