What is the purpose of monsters in folklore and myth?

  Please explain how the purpose of

monsters is illustrated in the tales of skinwalkers and the wendigo.
Monsters in Folklore
One of the globally universal folklore elements is the presence of monstrous,
malicious creatures. The motif of these malevolent beings is present on each continent and
transcends time from the Bible until the living folklore of the present. This essay will examine
the cultural roles they fulfill in greater detail, then a discussion on skinwalkers and the
wendigo will follow.
Monsters serve several purposes in a nation’s cultural life. Perhaps the most well-
known of these roles would be the use of monster stories when raising children: there are
several frightening creatures and legends to scare children into good behavior and obedience.
The Boogeyman in the United States or the Schmutzli in Switzerland serve the same goal as
the monsters even the ancient Romans used to have: to frighten children enough to stop their
mischief by introducing creatures that punish bad behavior.
However, some monster stories surface to control adults and to enforce certain morals,
whether it is being scared to go to church by the Rougarou or to dictate more sexually
conservative behavior by female vampires or witches. On the other hand, the latter concept
shows another purpose, namely, to shift the blame (in this case on women) or explain why a
negative situation occurred, such as giving a reason for death, illnesses, epidemics, or
misfortune. These ideas are not restricted to a region or a time period: monster stories can be
found in any culture, and the concept of vampirism, for instance, exists since Abraham and is
still a part of folklore to this day in many countries or communities.
Monsters can however be used as tools to keep people away from certain places as
well, taking haunted houses or the Snallygaster as an example, but they can also serve
financial purposes the way the Hodag did when people created stories just to drive down the
prices of a property. They are also used to explain certain symptoms, conditions, or sensations
like the Boo hag serves as a reason for sleep paralysis.
The wendigo is human-like creatures that embodies cannibalism and greed or
represents harsh winters which cause people to starve. The wendigo serves as an explanation
for corruption as well as constraints on forms of behavior that are not accepted in society as
they ruin the balance of a community, such as excessive greed or selfishness. Thus, this
creature encourages putting the community first in order for everyone to survive. Skinwalkers
are shapeshifters, showing part human, part animalistic features. They also represent
corruption and harm evil intentions can bring on innocent members of a community.
To sum up, monsters serve several different purposes in a culture’s life, ranging from
explaining bad events to enforce the morals of a community and punish any behavior that
violate them. Monsters are not reserved to children’s tales only as they frequently appear in
roles that serve as guidance for adults. These beings are still present in modern day folklore,
being ubiquitous tools throughout the world today as well.