The Wendigo

Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo" tells the story of a camping trip in the Canadian wilderness that goes horribly wrong when the hunters become the hunted. Drawing on the mythical creature known as the Wendigo, this story is regarded by many critics to be one of the best horror tales of all time.

Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo" tells the story of a camping trip in the Canadian wilderness that goes horribly wrong when the hunters become the hunted. Drawing on the mythical creature known as the Wendigo, this story is regarded by many critics to be one of the best horror tales of all time.

Algernon Blackwood's novella The Wendigo was initially released in The Lost Valley and Other Stories (Eveleigh Nash, 1910). Simpson, a divinity student, and his uncle Dr. Cathcart, an author of a book on collective hallucination, are two Scotsmen on a moose-hunting trip with guides Hank Davis and the nature-loving French "Canuck," Joseph Défago, in the forest north of Rat Portage in Northwestern Ontario. Simpson eventually succeeds in returning to the main camp, where he meets up with the others. Dr. Cathcart and Hank follow him back to continue the search for Défago, and as they set up camp once more in the bush, Défago or some repulsive impersonation of Défago appears before them before slipping away into the darkness once more. They return to the main camp feeling conflicted and frightened by what they have seen, only to discover that Défago-the actual Défago this time-has made his own way there while experiencing delirium, exposure, and frostbite. He passes away shortly after, leaving the three guys perplexed and unsure of what happened. Punk could have been the one to explain it to them, but as soon as he smelled the awful odor Défago was carrying, he ran away to his house.

Premise: Dr. Cathcart and his nephew Mr. Simpson go on a moose hunting trip deep into the wilderness of northern Canada with their guides Hank Davis and the French Canadian Joseph D fago, along with their Indian cook, Punk. They split up to cover more ground, Dr. Cathcart with Hank and Simpson with D fago, but the rumor of a creature that wanders the wild where they are headed begins to stir in their minds. Themes: The Wendigo is a story of the unknown, not only the stories and rumors of something in the wilderness, but the sheer anxiety of going into unexplored territory and living off the land and by your wits. This is a classic monster tale that asks the question, "Who or what is the monster here?" The changes someone goes through when facing uninhabited lands can be thrilling, but it can also take a toll on your mind. At least, that is what The Wendigo says to us. The "call of the wild" can bring about a ferocity in a man that makes him lose a little of himself in the wild. And when brought back into civilization, that part of himself may not come back.

Premise: Dr. Cathcart and his nephew Mr. Simpson go on a moose hunting trip deep into the wilderness of northern Canada with their guides Hank Davis and the French Canadian Joseph D fago, along with their Indian cook, Punk. They split up to cover more ground, Dr. Cathcart with Hank and Simpson with D fago, but the rumor of a creature that wanders the wild where they are headed begins to stir in their minds. Themes: The Wendigo is a story of the unknown, not only the stories and rumors of something in the wilderness, but the sheer anxiety of going into unexplored territory and living off the land and by your wits. This is a classic monster tale that asks the question, "Who or what is the monster here?" The changes someone goes through when facing uninhabited lands can be thrilling, but it can also take a toll on your mind. At least, that is what The Wendigo says to us. The "call of the wild" can bring about a ferocity in a man that makes him lose a little of himself in the wild. And when brought back into civilization, that part of himself may not come back.