Talk:Wendigo/Comments

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This has the potential to eventually become a great article--the Wendigo is a fascinating figure in the traditions of a number of tribes. The work Witiko has been doing in adding info on Wendigo Psychosis is a good start, but of course much remains to be done. There need to be sources given for the description of the Wendigo's position in Aboriginal mythologies, and the lists need massive pruning and cleanup. The two most important things about the Wendigo are: (1) its importance in the mythological traditions of many northern American tribes, and (2) the phenomenon of Wendigo Psychosis. The fact that, say, "[a]n episode of PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal depicts the Wendigo as being normal in appearance, concealing its ravenous intent in order to avoid capture", or that "[i]n the role-playing game Shadowrun, the Wendigo is an orc infected by the HMHVV (Human Meta Human Vampiric Virus). He feeds on human flesh and looks like a white Sasquatch" are not what is important to note about the Wendigo in a Wikipedia article. That the pop-culture references list section is longer than the description of both the Wendigo's place in Native traditions and the phenomenon of Wendigo Psychosis combined is unacceptable. The three most important tasks, in my opinion, are:

  1. Finding and providing citations for information (descriptions of Wendigo mythological tradtions, which tribes had Wendigo myths, the section on Wendigo Psychosis, etc.)
  2. Expanding the sections mention in #1
  3. Gutting the pop-culture reference lists and keeping only the most notable and relevant things

--Miskwito 06:49, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

I've removed most of the useless lists sections. --Miskwito 00:33, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

After I've removed a bunch of other inappropriate stuff, we're left with what's basically a longish stub. Needs:

  • inline citations
  • discussion of Windigo Psychosis (with some examples of documented cases)
  • discussion of the purpose of the Wendigo myth in Algonquian societies
  • better description of the Wendigo's characteristsics

At the least. Since I've been doing/will do a lot of work on this article, it needs (or will need) an independent review --Miskwito 18:16, 17 March 2007 (UTC)