Mythical beasts of canada

It is said the Inuit have 50 words for snow. That may or may not be the case (it's not, they have way more) but, after researching this map, I can tell you they have at least 50 names for Bigfoot. I'm unsure if Canada would be a linguist's dream or nightmare, but it certainly made researching this map harder than the average one.

I've wanted to make this map for a while but had put off starting as I suspected I wouldn't be able to make it as balanced as I'd like, with the Southern cities having plenty of myths and legends, a smattering of things near the coasts, and getting sparser the more North and central you go. And, in a way I was right. That certainly is the case in broad strokes, but fortunately, there was a rich and long enough history to keep finding little bits here and there which helped create a more balanced map. There were a lot of beasts located in vaguely named places such as 'Arctic coasts' which made tying them down to a specific area impossible.

Canada is full of enough things that will kill you: bears, snakes, spiders, the Arctic conditions and the vast wilderness. It's in these environments that people conjure up beasts and stories to help them make sense of, and navigate, the potentially hostile environment.

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In the meantime, here are a few of my favourite beasties and legends -

Kajutajuq

So this is one of the strangest beings I've encountered, certainly in Canada, potentially anywhere. However, there are 2 similar creatures that often become interwoven and confusing. The common theme is that they are giant heads walking around on legs, with breasts starting at their cheeks and a vulva on their chin. I went back and forth on whether to include this or not, as I try to keep the maps open to any age group. I decided it was too unique to leave, and did my best to represent it as family-friendly as I could - if you want to make up a lie about a beard, that's your call.

The motif can be broken down into 2 separate creatures: The Kajutajuq and the Tunituaruk (I've seen different spellings of each name). I don't want to go on a limb and say which is which, as I've read contradicting sources, but one lives in abandoned huts and igloos and will make you gravely ill if you see one, and the other seems totally shy and benevolent. So if you encounter one of these, apologies that I couldn't clear it up for you.

Mishipeshu

I wanted to include Mishipeshu when I initially made the "Mythical Beasts of the United States" map, but it didn't fit quite right in the layout, so I was glad to include it here.

Mishipeshu is the 'great-lynx', the natural enemy of the Thunderbird, and whilst the Thunderbird has dominion of the skies, the water absolutely belongs to Mishipeshu. They live in Lake Superior, specifically Michipicoten Island, where they guard their hoards of copper.

Mishipeshu can control the water creating whirlpools and storms or splitting the frozen ice sheets. Generally, they are viewed as malevolent but are to be shown respect. Offerings would be made to Mishipeshu for safe crossings, and although people had taken copper from the river prior to white settlers arriving, by the time Europeans had turned up it was considered taboo and no longer done. Enter stage right some European settlers, who promptly broke native rules and paid the price for it. There are many accounts of people who tried to take copper from the lake and did not live to regret it, with many ships sinking in freak storms. Despite Mishipeshus being feared, they are also revered, and can provide good luck on fishing expeditions, are tied to medicinal beliefs, and help keep the world in balance. So it serves a vital role, just don't touch its stuff!

Ogopogo

Canada's answer to Nessie. It is possibly Canada's most famous mythical beast, and certainly the one I would get yelled at me repeatedly on forums if I didn't include it. The unfortunate thing is that it occupied the same space as other potentially more interesting lake monsters.

In the exact same water, there is a much older beast known as Naitaka, who was revered but altogether more fierce, demanding live sacrifice in exchange for safe travel across the water. If the offering was not acceptable, Naitaka would whip up the surface of the water pulling canoes to the bottom. Another interesting lake monster from the same region is the Seelkee, which has a head at both ends. Still, Ogopogo is the most well-known, and I had to include it - I'm not here to gatekeep myths, I'm not someone who's gonna hate on a band because they've had some success. Ogopogo gets people into myths and that is awesome; we need the Nessies and Ogopogos.

Qamulek

This is possibly my favourite one I encountered making this map. The Qamulek pulls a sledge in a straight line across the Arctic and he has a face that is beyond human comprehension, so it is best not to have a cheeky peek. In conjunction with his unimaginable face, on the sledge he has a bag full of unimaginable horror. Do not look in there either. Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) lack of appetite, uncontrollable shaking, unexpected weeping, suicidal ideation and ultimately a case of the full-blown brain scramblies. Think of its face as the briefcase from Pulp Fiction, and the bag as the Ark of the Covenant from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Who knows where they came from or where they are going but they are going there in a distinctly Roman fashion and, if you block their path, they will freeze in place unable to proceed. This gives you the leverage to ask of the Qamulek anything your heart desires - probably something obvious like money, longevity, wisdom or land. So long as you then move out of the Qamulek's path and don't look back, you will receive your boon.

Interestingly, there are stories of a Qamulek being responsible for the Klondike gold rush.

Sasquatch

Canada has a deep love and obsession with the Sasquatch, it is right up there with lake monsters. He goes by many names, and there is a chance that other mythical beasts are a regional variation that has developed from the Sasquatch myth, or that old myths have adapted to fit a more generic Sasquatch motif.

The areas more associated with the Sasquatch are the wooded areas of the southwest, particularly British Columbia and Alberta. However, it is truly ubiquitous and you could have some variation almost anywhere, It may be possible to make a map with 100 Bigfoots covering Canada like a hairy wallpaper.

I don't think there is much for me to say about the Sasquatch, we are all pretty aware of the king of cryptids. Sasquatch has older and more important roles in the Inuit community, where he is seen as a guardian of the land and an omen of good luck. There are similar myths the world over. We all love the Squatch.

Waheela

A jacked-up wolf, way bigger and stockier, with a body somewhere between that of a wolf and a bear. It is considered an evil spirit and rightly so given its tendency to remove people's heads. It is located in the Nahanni Valley, also charmingly known as "the headless valley", which sounds super chill. It is full of beasts, curses, cryptids, hidden treasures and, of course, bodies with no heads turning up on a more frequent than ideal basis. The Waheela is one of the candidates for why this happens but really you can take your pick, there are also Nakini that frequent the area. In the words of the mighty Wu Tang Clan - "protect ya neck".

Wasgo / Gonakadet

Half wolf, half killer whale - yes I would very much like to draw that, please and thank you. I've found it hard to find a definitive myth about Wasgo; there seem to be several, none of which I can find a second corroborating source for, so, given it isn't my culture, I want to tread carefully with how I describe these stories. I'm guessing others feel similar as most articles/journals you will find on Wasgo very quickly pivot into telling you about a sub-species of grey wolves who will swim long stretches of water and whose main diet is fish. Which is super cool, but it also seems like quickly distracting you with a shiny object. The general vibe of the Wasgo is strong, humble, generous and kind, so despite its fierce appearance, it is viewed as fortunate if you are ever to encounter one.

Probably the most popular story of the Wasgo comes from the Haida people, which tells the story of a young high-born man and his troubles with his mother-in-law.

She was the wife of the chief and did not like her new son one bit; she believed he was not good enough for her daughter. After constant snipes, he had enough and built himself a cabin by the river where he went to live, which seems a solid strategy for most stressful scenarios life could present. However, he had not given up but had decided he would prove his worth but capturing a Wasgo.

Eventually, he managed to trap one and skin it. When he wore the skin, he found he gained the Wasgo's powers. He began to explore the lake bottom, where he found the house in which the Wasgo had lived. He kept this a secret from everyone but his wife.

Using his newfound abilities, he caught a salmon and left it outside his mother-in-law's house who assumed it had drifted in with the tide and, according to custom, it must be shared with the community. The next day he left 2 salmon - at this point, she assumed it must be spirits. The next day, he left a halibut. The mother-in-law, seeing a pattern, said "I predict there will be 2 halibut tomorrow". Wanting full credit for the finds, she ordered her husband to demand that no one else go to the beach each day before her.

Upping the stakes, she predicted the next day would deliver a seal and sure enough, the next day, a fully prepared and cooked seal was delivered to the community. At this point, the mother-in-law goes a bit power mad and orders a headdress to be made and declares herself to be a great and powerful shaman, and knowing no different the community assumes she must be. She then places orders for 2 seals, a sea lion, 2 sea lions, and then a whale. The young man completes these tasks but is starting to feel the strain of hunting ever harder animals all night and putting up with his mother-in-law's increasing cruelty all day. He senses something and says to his wife, "Do not take any of the food your mother is storing unless it is offered, and if I die in this skin put me and the skin in the place where I have been hiding it and you will receive help."

The next day, upping the stakes as ever, 2 whales were demanded. Obviously, hunting 2 whales proves too much and as he drags them onto the shore he dies, falling between them. The next day the mother-in-law reaches the beach and sees the 2 whales and a strange creature in between them. The villagers came down and were amazed at the sight of 2 whales. Their amazement turned to confusion when the daughter came running down crying and lamenting the passing of her husband. The villagers investigate and reveal her husband within the skin, she berates her mother for her vanity, lies, unkindness and ever-greater demands.

She dutifully follows her husband's instructions and they take his body and the skin to the hiding place where all the villagers see the traps he had made and realise the truth of what had been going on. The village all praise the man for his efforts and for saving them all from starvation - that is except one person, the mother-in-law, who through her shame (and penchant for dramatics) starts to convulse and drops down dead.

The woman visits the spot each day to mourn her husband until, one day, a Wasgo with her husband's voice arises from the water and says to hold on tight to him. She obliges and he dives below the water to the house where they live happily ever after raising no doubt a very strange family together.

Mother-in-law jokes are a bit retro and cringey now, and mine is pretty sound, so we'll just move on shall we?

Windigo - Wendigo

This is one legend that I hope returns back to its proper usage at some point. Hollywood and the creative community in general have a lot to answer for in terms of taking the more sensational parts of a myth and discarding anything that doesn't suit their means. Google Wendigo or Windigo and you will mostly see images of giant antlered skeletal beasts - which admittedly look very cool, but bear very little resemblance to the true legends. You will see similarities in so many myths, for example; Gorgons (such as Medusa) look so different when you read into how they were originally depicted. And it's a shame, mainly because culture and history get lost when we choose to follow these modern interpretations, and secondly because the originals are often so much better. I hope I do a good job of digging out the original forms. I'm sure inevitably on the deep dives that I do, I may get misled from time to time, but I try my best to find the truth and represent these cultural icons as faithfully and respectfully as I can, whilst still injecting just a little bit of fun.

The Wendigo/Windigo is a complex myth - there are naturally so many stories about them given the important role it play in the culture. It was used as a cautionary tale to teach about greed: to warn members of the community not to take more than was needed; to look after each other and not to believe you are entitled to more than the next person; to not take too much from nature; not to self-aggrandise. It's an important lesson and one that in current times seems as relevant as ever, if not more. When a person is so out of balance with the natural world and the community, it unravels them until they become a fearsome cannibalistic giant who will never be satisfied - despite their constant consumption they will always be empty. The only solution at this point is to destroy them; the person warped by the Wendigo is beyond saving. You've been warned, Bezos et al.

Also featured on the map:

Ahungahungaaq

Ch'ii Choo

Cressie

Erqigdlit (Adlet)

Gaasyendietha

Haietlik

Ijiraq

Kraken

Kukilialuit

Kushtaka

Lutin

Mahahaa

Mangittatuarjuk

Manipogo

Miqqiayuuq

Nakani

Nennorluk

Qallupilluk

Qiqirn

Sabawaelnu

Snow Wassett

Talillajjuut

Turtle Lake Monster

Tuutarjuit

Uenitshikumishiteu

Wechuge

Yes-yu