Horoscopes
Zodiac Signs
As the long, dark road of winter stretches out in front of us, what dangers may await? This time of year has historically been one of scary stories, spooks and specters. With long nights and chilling winds, there are many frightful creatures walking amongst us. Let’s learn about the 5 cryptids to watch out for during the winter months.
The Yeti, often called the white-coated brother of the North American Sasquatch, roams the Himalayan mountains. This large, bipedal beast frequently appears on Mount Everest, its lore rooted in the stories of the Sherpa people who call the region home. Although native to Asia, reports place the Yeti on other towering mountain ranges, so stay alert the next time you hit the ski slopes. Some accounts describe this ape-like creature as 6 feet tall, while others claim it can grow to a staggering 9 feet or more!
The best way to protect yourself against the Yeti is to avoid its snowy mountainous home. Of course, what fun is Winter time without winter sports? Stick to the tourist spots where many people are known to roam. The Yeti is thought to be shy, so it won’t frequent places that humans do.
However, if you do find yourself encountering a Yeti this winter you may want to pack some extra food as offerings. Yetis like to eat berries and potato pancakes (the traditional Sherpa potato pancake riki kur is their favorite). They hunt and scavenge for food during the day, so leaving them food as offerings is a great way to protect yourself against them.
The next Cryptid comes from Japan and is known as the Yuki Onna. Yuki Onna is the spirit of a woman who froze to death and seeing her could be an omen for the danger. She usually appears in all white with her long black hair worn down, and she is known to be quite beautiful. Sometimes she has a child with her, but be sure to never try to take her child from her or Yuki Onna is sure to enact revenge!
Some believe she is good while others think she is evil. Just in case it’s the latter, the best way to protect yourself against Yuki Onna this winter is to dress warmly. Yuki-Onna is an omen for freezing to death, so bundling up and staying warm this winter will keep her at bay. Be sure to lock your doors at night as well because she can blow your front door open and freeze you in your sleep.
The Wendigo comes from the First Nations in America, specifically the Algonquian speaking peoples. This spine chilling winter beast is actually a human, one who has been taken by the spirit of the Wendigo. When stranded in the wilderness sometimes humans resort to feasting on the flesh of others in their party to survive intense winter conditions. However, resorting to cannibalism is the gateway for the Wendigo spirit to invade. The possessed become pale white with hard skin, so hard it can protect against bullets!
The first and best way to avoid the Wendigo is to not eat human flesh. Still, it is possible to encounter a bloodthirsty Wendigo even when your diet has remained pure. When in the woods be cautious if the temperature suddenly drops and the smell of rotting meat fills the air–a Wendigo is likely near. Luckily, it seems to be kept at bay by fire. So starting a campfire or keeping a torch handy can be an easy way to avoid possession and death. And remember, if you hear the wind suddenly calling your name, never follow the sound.
If you took a Wendigo and merged it with a Yeti, you’d have something akin to a Chenoo. In fact, these giant monstrous beasts also come from the First Nations in North America. The Chenoo is similar in origin to the Wendigo in that it was once a human before it consumed human flesh. By turning to cannibalism, the human’s heart gets frozen. As its hunger grows, the Chenoo becomes bigger and bigger, until it is giant like! Sometimes its own hunger becomes so intense it will feast on its own flesh while awaiting a tasty meal of human flesh.
The key to surviving a Cheeno is in its frozen heart. Some say that salt will thaw the heart of a Chenoo, but unfortunately the human it once was will be gone. In some tales, the Cheeno can be put into a sweat lodge where the beast will become so hot it is forced to cough up its icy heart. The only other way to defeat a Chenoo is by chopping up its body and freezing the remains.
Unlike many others on this list, the Nuckelavee actively roams the coast. Trapped in the sea during most of the year, it emerges in winter to unleash terror. Originating from Scotland, this creature is arguably the most visually terrifying monster here. Descriptions depict the Nuckelavee with the torso and head of a man fused to the body of a horse, as if the man were riding it. However, the man has no legs, and his arms dangle toward the ground. The horse’s head features a single glowing red eye, but the most chilling detail is its skinless body!
Most people fear the Nuckelavee so deeply that they refuse to speak its name, and those who dare often follow it with a prayer. If you ever face the terrifying sight of these skinless beasts, run as fast as you can toward freshwater. These monsters thrive in the sea, but freshwater drives them away. However, if you spot the dreaded Nuckelavee on your coastline, prepare for the grim aftermath of famine and plague.
