The wendigo (also known as windigo, weendigo, windago, waindigo, windiga, witiko, wihtikow, and numerous other variants) is a creature appearing in the legends of the Algonquian people.
It is thought of variously as a malevolent cannibalistic spirit that could possess humans or a monster that humans could physically transform into. Those who indulged in cannibalism were at particular risk, and the legend appears to have reinforced this practice as a taboo.
Wendigo psychosis is the name conventionally given to a disputed culture-bound disorder featuring an intense craving for human flesh and the fear that the sufferer would turn into a cannibal. This was alleged to have occurred among Algonquian native cultures.
Recently the wendigo has also featured in modern horror fiction.
Read more about Wendigo: In Algonquian Mythology, Human Wendigos, Wendigo Ceremony, Wendigo Psychosis, References in Popular Culture