September 11, 2018 ▸ Cryptids, Myth & Folklore

EPISODE 329: Skinwalkers: Navajo Abominations

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On this episode of The Sofa King Podcast, we pry back the secrets, rituals, and horror stories of the supernatural creatures known as Skinwalkers. Skinwalkers exist through multiple groups of Native Americans, but they are mostly attributed to the Navaho. According to their beliefs, they are medicine men who have turned into harmful witches and can change their form into animals. However, their transformations are not all cool and seamless; instead, they are twisted, unhealthy, corrupt version of the animals. They are deformed and often injured and matted and don’t move as they should.

In the Navajo language, Skinwalkers are called yee naaldlooshii, which means roughly “by means of it, it goes on all fours.” Many people think the story of Skinwalkers comes from early medicine men who would disguise themselves in animal pelts to spy on other groups. Indeed, they are portrayed as people who used to do good for the communities.

However, somewhere along the line, they became twisted and evil. They are so terrifying that even today, Navajo won’t talk about them at all to outsiders, and they won’t openly discuss them on the Navajo Nation for fear of drawing their attention. Their powers supposedly include the ability to shape shift into animals, polymorph into other humans, hypnotize, run as fast as a car, perfectly mimic the voice of your loved ones, fire blowdarts made of human bone, and kill you with corpse powder made from the bones of twin infants. In other words, true horror shows.

So, how do you kill a Skinwalker? What is their weakness? Where are you safe from them if they target you? Do we think there is any truth to this creature, or is it just a blown up boogey man? Did Brent actually encounter a Skinwalker in Mexico, tapping on the glass of his rental? Most importantly, what are the spooky-ass stories that are told about specific encounters with Skinwalkers? Listen, laugh, learn.

Hunt for the Skinwalker Film: http://www.hunttheskinwalker.com/about/

Horrible Video by Sir Spooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MGiBGbkzro