Thinking Out Loud -- Skinwalkers

The Navajo Skinwalker legend is wrapped in enigma. It's a subject that requires much dredging through material to gleen anything from. The mixture of legend, myth, and actual data leaves one -- with few first person experience -- scratching one's head. Thus, I'll through out legend and myth and a few first person experience. Skinwalkers is a generic term comprised of three kinds: converted medicine man gone bad -- wearing clothes under the animal hide and walking on two legs; the "apprentice" -- naked under the hides and walking on two legs; and finally the yenaldlooshi -- fast moving, quadrupedal runners like animals and the most frequently witnessed.

Skinwalkers are said to possess the powers of shapeshifting -- attained from absorbing the power from the animal's hide. The common shape they take is that of a wolf, raven, coyote, and owl among other animals. It is said they use these forms for traveling -- being human form is much slower. There is a Skinwalker legends often akin them to werewolves - either walking upright or on all fours, covered in fur -- this legend is consider false by most. The Navajo name for Skinwalkers Yeenaaldlooshii literally translates "with it, he goes on all fours". However, don't place the Skinwalker into the category of American Werewolf in London/Paris and whereever else its been. Skinwalkers have been reported to be wearing the hides of wolves -- this is to embue the power of the wolf into their form and magick -- creating the werewolf label. Even on occassion, Skinwalkers have been compared to the legendary Bigfoot.

Skinwalkers are often consider the material of black magick, dark shamans, or evil medicine men. (Occassionally, childless women accept this role as well but is mostly men.) Skinwalkers flaunt the cultural taboos-- appearing naked, necrophilia, and curse or killing people. The weapons used often are corpse power, drugs, bone or turquoise and a masterful hand. The use of corpse powder on a victim turns the tongue black, causes convulsions and eventually death. Skinwalkers, however, do not use human skins to assume that person's identity. They will use stolen body parts in their magickal workings and the body paste they cover themsselves in. The black or white paste used is from the skin and lard of humans. The smell from the past is said to wreak wretchedly of decomposition.

Describing what a skinwalker might appear to look like a forum member posted, "From my own personal experience ... take a human who has mastered the ability to run/spring on all fours, has developed something of a red eye sheen because of all the nocturnal activity. They use something to paint their bodies black ... are covered in black paint that they prepare. It usually has some dreadful smell, and it alarms the animals of any house and often frightens them. Then they will don a skin of an animal, coyote, wolf, bear, mountain lion .... They tend to mimic the animal, however they aren't terribly hard to identify. Once you've seen the ethereal like movement they can do, it can be quite unnerving. They are pretty quick, running on all fours, but they can go bipedal as well. It's rare when you see their eyes, usually the hollowed out skull of the skin they are wearing. Usually don't come out until the environment best suits them-- no full moon, hardly any light, as well as a decent wind to hide or carry their scent depending on what they want to do. The wind also cuts down on their noise." (www.unexplained-mysteries.com)

The Skinwalker has been attributed to breaking into houses and attacking people. It has been reported that the Skinwalker will bang on walls, knock on windows, and climb and stomp on roofs. Skinwalkers have been reported to approach or attack cars causing accidents. Stories of Skinwalkers attacks on cars can be frequently observed on Route 666 (or those sections that have had their names respectively changed by the state) and Route 66. The stories of motorist and Skinwalkers come from all over.

One recounting from a Navajo reservation concerning a woman who delivered newspapers in the early morning hours. Allegedly, during her rounds, she heard a scratching on the passenger door of her vehicle. Her baby rested in the car seat next to her. The door flung open and she saw the horrifying creature she described as half-man, half-beast, with glowing red eyes, reaching for her child. She fought it off, pulled the door closed, and sped off. To her horror, she claims, the creature ran along with the car and attempted to open the door again. It stayed with her until she reached an all-night convenience store. She ran inside, screaming and hysterical, but when the store employee dashed outside, the being had vanished. (Skinwalker: What are they?)

A New Mexico Highway Patrol officer reported while patrolling a stretch of highway south of Gallup, New Mexico, he had had two separate encounters with a creature that seemingly attached itself to his vehicle. During the first encounter, the officer said the unearthly being appeared to be wearing a ghostly mask as it kept pace with his patrol car. To his horror, he realized it wasn't attached to his door after all. Instead, he said, it was running alongside his vehicle as he cruised down the highway at a high rate of speed. (Skinwalker: What are they?)

Skinwalkers aren't limited to the Navajo but seems to be the most documented. What was covered was just a brief glimpse into what is comprised of the Skinwalker legend, myth, story. Dog Man, Snake Girl, Bigfoot, and Sasquatch arise while looking into information on the Skinwalkers.



An interesting oral history from a Navajo Elder on Skinwalker and other Najavo legend can be viewed at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1160605431986874649

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t110549.html Battleangel December 28, 2007 02:02 AM

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t110549.html
So..-bits..adi..niliid March 19, 2008 10:59 AM

http://www.dailygrail.com/node/5130
Skinwalkers: What Are They? Greg Guest August 10th, 2007

http://dbstorytellingblogs.blogspot.com/2005/10/skinwalker-stories.html Skinwalker Stories October 03, 2005


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As always, I welcome comment, criticism, and feedback on the topic.