In the mythology of the Zuni people, what is the name of the cannibal demon?
Átahsaia is a giant cannibalistic demon in the religion and mythos of the Zuni people.
Depicted as several times larger than a human, with his torso described as being as big as a large elk, he possesses long grey hair as prickly as porcupine quills, skin so thick the knuckles appear horned, muscular arms covered in black and white scales, and a swollen red face in which his bulging eyes never blink.
A minority of stories also claim he has long yellow tusks and long talons. He is regarded as an incorrigible liar in addition to being a cannibal of both humans and his fellow demons. He is routinely depicted with a giant flint axe or a flint knife “as broad as a man’s thigh and twice as long”.
In the story "Átahsaia, the Cannibal Demon," the demon lies to two young maidens, who (believing he is their ugly grandfather) follow him to his home. The demon tries to feed them a soup made of human children, but they trick him and do not eat it.
In the story "The Rabbit Hunter and His Adventures", a girl leaves her family starving to hunt rabbits for food. She is a skilled hunter, she catches a lot of rabbits. She is caught in a blizzard and seeks shelter in a cave. Átahsaia finds her there, but she cannot enter due to her enormous size. He demands to eat everything he has, and she gives him everything she has, even her own clothes. As he begins to destroy the cave, the twin gods of war, Åhayúta and Mátsailéma, hear the commotion and kill him.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org