Trinidad Folklore & Mysteries
Since the beginning of time, man has been ever so fascinated with himself as well as his surroundings.
As we all know, in the olden days, media and the art of electricity, was a thing of the imagination.
Our predecessors had a limited amount of entertainment. One of them was telling stories depicting an antagonist and a protagonist. Mainly good verses bad……. Their imagination was vivid, for they had no television, radio and currently the world wide web. Our forefathers, be it which faith or creed, told stories, myths, legends, as well as truth. But as the generations grew, so did the legends…..So my friends what u are about to read, to some are just a fable and ghost stories, to others, the nightmare that never ceased to exist. What have u seen?……….
Trini Folklore
- DOUEN :(Pronounced DWEN) A Douen is said to be the spirits of children who died before they were baptized. For it is said they are doomed to roam the earth forever. Their feet are turned backwards and they have no faces.They are found near rivers and swamps and call upon young children , where they are lead into the forests to be lost .Or sometimes come to people houses at night , whimpering and crying for the love of a mother.......
- SOUCOUYANT :(Pronounced SUKUYA) Is a supernatural being , who has said to make a pact with the devil.At night she sheds her human skin and changes into a ball of fire or any kind of animal and casts spells on people to turn them into animals also, but she has to slip back into that skin before dawn breaks and the cock crows, otherwise she will not be able to get back into it. The one way to kill a soucouyant is to find her skin and put salt into it. You know how it feels to put salt on your cuts and bruises, imagine how she would feel.....
- PAPA BOIS :(Pronounced PAPA BOYA) lives in the forest and he protects the animals that live there. He is often seen by hunters and other people who live near the forest. He gets animals out of snares and treats sick animals at his dwelling. He is an old man who is very hairy, like an animal and usually is only dressed in a pair of ragged trousers with a bamboo horn hanging from his belt.
- LA DIABLESSE :(Pronounced LAJABLIS) Roams at night. She has eyes like burning coals and a face resembling that of a corpse, but hides it under a beautiful wide-brimmed hat and a veil over her face. She is dressed exquisitely in a blouse with puffy sleeves and long, petticoated, skirts.She has one cloven foot, which she tries to hide under her long skirts. She turns up at village dances, where she is immediately disliked by the women present, but she utterly charms the men and then asks one of them to take her home. He follows her, totally under her spell. She leads him deep into the woods and then suddenly she disappears. Unable to find his way home, the poor fellow stumbles around in the dark wood until he either falls into a ravine or a river to his death or gets attacked by wild hogs.
- LAGAHOO : Also called a CENTUAR in greek mythology, is a man with the body of a horse. He is also seen dragging chains at night disturbing the villages. He is most commonly found in mountainous regions.
Trini Links
Trinidad Mysteries
Florida Melody Makers
Indian Art Orchestra
Trinidad Guardian
Email: nigelsankar@excite.com
