Wendigo--- malevolent, cannibalistic spirit--- capable of possessing a human. Also a monster that humans could physically change into, were they to indulge in cannibalism. Present in the Algonquian-speaking tribes in the Northern United States and Canada-- specifically among the tribes of Ojibwe, Saulteaux, Cree, Naskapi and Innu People. The legend of the Algonquian people--- fear of becoming a Wendigo was strong enough to make the idea of cannibalism completely taboo--- even in extreme starvation situations. It was more accepted and perhaps encouraged that individuals commit suicide or await death by starvation in times of extreme famine, rather than risk becoming a Wendigo. The creature was most strongly associated with winter and the north, the combination of cold and starvation. Wendigos were the embodiment of greed and gluttony--- never being sated, always looking for the next victim to consume. It is this idea of greed/over-consumption that led to the belief, for s...