Mysterious Cryptids of Alberta: Wendigo, Fire-Breathing Monster, and More

If you're a fan of cryptids and the unexplained, then you'll want to check out this video from the YouTube channel Strange North. In the video, titled "Top 5 Cryptids in Alberta," the narrator gives an overview of the top five cryptids in Alberta, Canada. These aren't just any cryptids, either - some of them are specific to Alberta, while others have been seen across Canada and even parts of the U.S. First on the list is the wendigo, a mythological creature in the folklore of many First Nations groups in Canada, including those in Alberta. The wendigo is said to be a spirit that wanders the northern expanses of Canada and possesses people, causing them to cannibalize and murder others. It is described as a gaunt, emaciated humanoid with gray skin and sunken eyes, and is constantly hungry but never satisfied. The wendigo is associated with the north, winter, the night time, and the wilderness, rather than settled areas. One of the most famous cases of wendigo possession occurred in Alberta in 1878, during a harsh winter when food was scarce. A Plains Cree trapper named SwiftRunner was living with his family, and they were starving. SwiftRunner's firstborn son died of starvation during that winter, and SwiftRunner eventually murdered and ate his wife and remaining children. He was brought to a court facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta and was eventually convicted and executed for his crimes. SwiftRunner maintained that he was possessed by the wendigo and that it caused him to do these things. Next on the list is the fire-breathing monster of the North Saskatchewan River, a creature that was cited in the river from 1939 until about 1947. This strange creature was described as large and gray, with dinner plate-sized eyes that were pinkish red, and horns instead of ears. According to witnesses, it breathed fire. The creature was blamed for the loss of livestock from farms along the river, and was seen by a Scottish Royal Air Force man in 1947, which was the last official sighting of this monster. At number three is the river monster of the South Saskatchewan River, which flows through the southern portion of Alberta, including the town of Medicine Hat in the province's southeast. Many First Nations groups from throughout Canada and the United States have legends and stories of these large, talking horned serpents that live in bodies of water. There are specific legends about the South Saskatchewan River near Medicine Hat, involving a particular bend in the river where the ice does not freeze over completely in the winter due to strong currents. According to legend, this bend of the river had a section where steam came out of a hole in the ice, and the pole in the ice was considered the breathing place of the great spirit who would often appear out of that hole as a giant talking serpent. The video also covers the Bigfoot-like creature known as the Saskatchewan Sasquatch, which has been seen in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as the Ogopogo, a lake monster said to live in Lake Okanagan in British Columbia. If you're interested in learning more about these cryptids and the legends and stories surrounding them, be sure to check out the video from Strange North. And who knows - maybe you'll even spot one of these creatures yourself on your next trip to Alberta.