Átahsaia: The Zuni Cannibal Demon

The Zuni people of the Southwestern United States maintain an intricate catalog of mythological stories and folktales. Among the many creatures and beings that are mentioned within the tales of the Zuni people, there is one that stands out as one of the more terrible. This entity is called Átahsaia, and he is explained as a spiritual entity or a demon, who appears as a giant. This particular demon is often mentioned in relation to cannibalism. Some texts refer to this being as an ogre rather than a demon, which may be due to the way that he appears when he manifests to interact with the world. He is described as being a great deal larger than a mortal man when he is in his physical form.

Átahsaia is called a cannibal demon, and from this title comes much of his reputation. Calling him a cannibal may, on the surface, imply that he feeds on the flesh of other demons. While this behavior would fit into the idea of social taboo among the Zuni people, it isn’t likely that a demon who kills other demons would strike fear in the hearts of young people who heard his tales. In the case of Átahsaia, when he is called a “cannibal demon,” it means that his diet is based on meat taken from humans. He has also been known to try to trick people into eating other humans, particularly their family or children that he has hunted. This sort of activity is what earned him the title of Cannibal.