Ethereal Chronicles

If you are out alone at night and you hear a baby crying, or somebody calling out your name, do not respond. Run.

Bloodthirsty, shapeshifting tricksters. Their very name a subject of terror that the indigenous people of America can not even bear to speak openly about. The Skinwalkers.

THE CREATION OF THE SKINWALKER

There are many ways in which a person may become a skinwalker. Transgressions against cultural values and engaging in acts considered taboo by the community might trigger a transformation. Others believe Skinwalkers to be the soulless remnants of witches who traded their souls in return for forbidden knowledge and the power of immortality.

APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES

A Skinwalker is a malevolent entity, with the ability to shapeshift into anything it desires. Although commonly associated with the appearance of a large, feral wolf, they may assume the guise of other animals. Skinwalkers can also become human, infiltrating communities and making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Some people believe that a Skinwalker’s transformative powers can only be used with the hide or skin of the animal or person it has consumed.

The most sure way to know if you come across a Skinwalker is the subtle, unsettling imperfections in its appearance, something that is always slightly amiss. If a Skinwalker appears as an animal, the sign of its true identity can be found in its eyes, which reflect a distinctly human quality rather than the characteristics of the animal it mimics.

Skinwalkers usually appear in secluded areas, far from the safety of civilization. Here, they trick and lure out unsuspecting people to their deaths before consuming them. In these isolated spaces, a traveler might hear their name whispered through the darkness, or the innocent cry of a child in the distance. Perhaps you might hear a familiar voice call out to you, or a woman wailing. Do not believe it. These are the sounds of a Skinwalker.

The call of the Skinwalker is an illusion that cannot be trusted. A clear, close sound may offer a glimmer of hope for escape, as the creature is still at a distance. But if you hear a distant, faint cry then you stand no chance against the immense speed and strength of the monster.

Once consumed by the Skinwalker, it is believed that the victim’s soul remains forever trapped, unable to find peace or move elsewhere.

HOW TO KILL A SKINWALKER

Despite their terrifying nature, Skinwalkers are not without vulnerability. One of the most well known weaknesses is their susceptibility to silver. Supposedly, dipping a bullet into white ash and firing it at a Skinwalker’s head can destroy it. In other variations of the folklore, confronting a Skinwalker with its true name will cause it to die.

SKINWALKERS IN NAVAJO CULTURE

The subject of Skinwalkers holds immense influence over Navajo culture; these beings are as real to them as everyday objects are to us. To even speak of the Skinwalker aloud is frowned upon, a cultural prohibition born from the fear that doing so runs the risk of attracting one or bringing misfortune to the individual. Because of this fear so deeply rooted in society and reluctance to openly speak of the myth, details surrounding Skinwalkers are scarce.