I read a fan theory somewhere that the windigos in the Hearths Warming Eve episode were a metaphor for nuclear winter. Strife causing winter clouds to block out the sun, starving everyone because nothing can grow. I’m not sure if that was explicitly the show writers’ intention, but the thought does make the things a bit more intimidating.
 
Not that they need to be tied to nuclear winter to be awesome as mythological bad guys. I mean, evil spirits of winter and starvation (and cannibalism, but you can’t really blame Hasbro for leaving that part out). Forget Discord and Chrysalis. The Windigos are the best villains in MLP.
 
MLP: FiM and the characters in it belong to Hasbro.