Churile is the spirit of a pregnant woman who died during childbirth. The spirit roams the earth in search of her baby and it mourns as loud as a woman in labour. It is said that the screams sound similar to a cat howling or baby crying. She appears to her victims cuddling a foetus and attacks pregnant women […]
You might wonder how a tree can be a folklore character. But for many centuries, the majestic towering canopy of the silk cotton tree (also known as the ceiba, kapok, or jumbie tree), has held a fantastical place in the lore of some Caribbean cultures. The first peoples on Trinidad, the Amerindians, believed that the […]
Translated as “female devil,” La Diablesse is the devil woman, a seductress, and a temptres to male travellers. She is recognised for her beauty and as a symbol of demonic lust. The story of La Diablesse is well known to all who cherish traditional stories. With her voluminous skirts and womanly figure, La Diablesse appears […]
Like her husband Papa Bois, Mama D’leau is associated with nature, specifically rivers and river dwellers. Just like La Diablesse, she is deceptively beautiful until exposed as a monster. For Mama D’leau, the transformation occurs when she is angered. She becomes a monster with a scaly upper body and snake-like appendages, including her snake-strand hair […]
Tales of bloodsuckers preying in the night go back throughout almost all of human history. From vampires to incubi and succubi, most cultures have detailed folklores about mysterious creatures draining one’s life essence while they sleep. A soucouyant is a version of a succubi, a female blood-sucking demon. In Caribbean and Creole mythos she is […]
If you never encountered a strange child who tried to lure you into the forest when you were a child, then you were probably baptised or christened at a young age. Good for you. Douens are the spirits of young children who died before being baptised or christened. As a result, they roam around communities […]
Papa Bois Papa Bois, also called Maître Bois, is the protector of the forest, the keeper of the trees, and the master of the animals. He is a well-known figure in the folklores of Trinidad, St Lucia, and Grenada and the husband of Mama D’Leau. He is depicted as an African man with at least […]