Shivering in French class: 4 legends to discover

This is a monster that terrified me when I was little (no, really – I bought the first DVDs of Supernatural, and I watched the first two episodes, the White Lady and our dear Wendigo, and I was so scared that I put the DVDs in a corner for four years 😂) 

The Wendigo – or Windigo – is a very old monster, native to Canada, and especially to what is now Quebec (yes, it does NOT come from the United States, contrary to what pop culture might lead you to believe!). It was the indigenous populations who began to talk about this creature, we don't know exactly when, but it is very old. We find writings from the 1600s, but it is clear that it existed before in oral tradition and mythology!

So, what is the Wendigo? In fact, since it is an ancient legend, there are many versions. That said, it always involves a man, at first, who ate human flesh (or a heart in some versions, hello Piper Halliwell in Charmed !) and transformed into a Wendigo. By the way, linguistically the word Wendigo means “the evil spirit that devours humanity”. 

So Wendigos are very powerful, very large, evil cannibalistic creatures associated in indigenous cultures with cold and famine. They usually have a deformed head and yellow fangs, bloody of course, and powerful claws on their hands and feet. 

In some versions, the Wendigo is also able to possess its victim to force it to hunt and devour its kin (cool, right?😅 )

Throughout history, there has been a rather interesting link between the legend of the Wendigo and mental and psychological disorders. Various events in several countries have been associated with Wendigos, such as in 1878 with the case of the trapper Swift Runner (I'll let you look for more information on this somewhat sordid affair!). 

Of course, since Wendigos are associated with cannibalism, evil creatures, etc., they are widely used in popular culture, whether in books, movies or video games, they are found almost everywhere! They have also been exported far from Canada, and are known more or less all over the world. 

What is interesting is that the legend has also entered academic debates! It serves as a symbol of humanity's destruction of nature, but also as a symbol of greed in psychoanalysis. 

And most importantly, before moving on to the next monster...If you come across a Wendigo, call the ghost busters Winchesters! 

This is a monster that neither Dean Winchester nor Buffy could fight, but which is oh so interesting! 

This time, we're going to Bretagne, THE land of legends, myths, King Arthur (and the awful Merlin who has nothing to do with the Disney version) and...Bugul Noz! 

This monster, which is typically Breton although it has similarities with the werewolf, the bogeyman and the scarecrow (yes, all of these at the same time, Breton monsters are effective!), has been mentioned since the 17th century. For the little linguistic point (you know me, I love words, their nuances and their origins, it is not for nothing that one of my favorite activities in private lessons is analysis of a text by Victor Hugo), his name means both “shepherd of the night” and “child of the night”. Indeed, in old Breton, Bugul could mean either 'child' or 'shepherd', depending on the context. 

But then, who is he? He lives in the Breton forests, far from the paths and the light of the villages. He has an appearance that terrifies men: he is tall, with a deformed face, he has a gigantic hat “wider than a cart wheel” (hence the scarecrow aspect), and a long white coat. Legend has it that he is so scary that even animals flee when they see him. At midnight, when the moon is high, he puts on a large wolf skin that allows him to run fast, and he is also said to have the power to metamorphose into creatures to surprise his victims.

It terrifies travelers, as noted in the 1878 Traveler's Guide, which advises fleeing if you hear whines at night, because these are the complaints of the victims of Bugul Noz! 

And yet, the Bugul Noz is not really evil. Its mission is to protect nature and animals, and it terrifies men who do not respect the forest and its mysteries. It is also very lonely, and therefore sad. In some stories, the Bugul Noz even helps lost innocents find their way, although it does so without showing itself. 

On the other hand, be careful never to whistle in the forest at night...It makes him lose his calm, and he will attack you! 

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I recently discovered this myth, and I found it super cool! Well, I already loved Bretagne and its legends, so I'm not super objective, but it's a monster that is both scary, and at the same time with a super interesting moral about respecting nature! I love this ambiguous side, typical of Breton legends (hello Morgana in the Arthurian legend for example - which will also be the theme of the next thematic box for FLE teachers !), and which allow us to reflect on psychology, linguistics (we recall that Bugul is the word for child/shepherd…a clue which shows its benevolent nature in reality!), and to discover French-speaking culture. 

Although little known, Bugul Noz still appears in a few video games, and above all inspired a Belgian punk rock band and completely crazy deeply rooted in Celtic culture who made it their stage name! They sing in French, so go see them to practice your French or introduce them to your students! I admit that I discovered them while doing research for this article, and I loved them, they are completely offbeat and crazy, clearly with them you will not shiver in French class, but I am a fan 🤣
(on the other hand, it's not easy, I advise you to take the words to listen and understand, and in class to analyze the words, the context, all that - like what, with something completely crazy you can do lots of things, I'm probably going to do one with my students!)