Creature Feature Friday: Kushtaka, the 'Land Otter Man'
TODAY, April 30, The Confessionals Podcast and Anointed AK are dropping three new paranormal beard oil scents, in the form of Wendigo, Rake, and Kushtaka. While the two former creatures may be notorious enough to strike fear in your heart, the latter may not be so widely known. What IS Kushtaka… and just how frightening is it?
1) Kushtaka - or Kooshdakhaa - are supernatural shapeshifting creatures that stem from legends of the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. The name Kushtaka loosely translates to ‘Land Otter Man’ in direct correlation to its ability to shape-shift into a species of otter, or into human form; the shape they choose may depend on how the Kushtaka is attempting to lure its prey.
2) Some legends hold that the Kushtaka can transform into the likeness of a family member or friend (even a deceased one), tricking a victim by using the visage of someone their trust. In this form, the Kushtaka may lead their intended victim into the wilderness to be torn to shreds, or may turn them into a Kushtaka themselves, forever preventing their soul from reincarnating. In otter form, the Kushtaka’s playfulness lulls victims into a sense of safety, not suspecting something so adorable on the surface is really an evil spirit underneath. Other methods of deception used by the Kushtaka include imitating the cries of a baby or the screams of a woman.
Image from Legends of Alaska.
3) The most malevolent stories suggest the Kushtaka can make real a person’s most nightmarish fears, or even possess a human being in order to wreak havoc and harm on others.
4) Some Alaskan natives consider Kushtaka to be the reason behind many mysterious disappearances in the area known as ‘the Alaska Triangle.’ Since 1988, over 16,000 people have gone missing inside this remote piece of Alaskan frontier, a missing person rate that is more than twice the national average.
5) Though powerful and manipulative, Kushtaka is not without vulnerability. Should you ever encounter one of these supernatural creatures, you can stand a chance of escaping by warding them off with copper, urine, possibly fire, and the thing that will almost assuredly always send the Kushtaka running: man’s best friend, the dog.
Is the Kushtaka a man, a monster, or a myth? Share your favorite folklore legends with us in the comments!
