Local Folklore

“Reach home before dew ketch yuh.”

“Doh be outside at mid-day (or mid-night).”

“Doh go outside after dark.”

“If you hear any noise outside in de night doh look.”

“Put salt by de windows and doors to keep out soocoonyah (soucoupyant).”

I’m sure those of you born in the 1980s and before would have been warned about these things by a parent, grandparent, cousin, aunt, uncle, neighbour or somebody.

All of these admonitions and more would have been as a direct influence of our rich and colourful folklore, a folklore that would have been taken from the home lands of slaves, indentured labourers and colonists. Some of our folklore characters can be seen directly in the folklore those countries and again some characters are similar but have been influenced by other cultures and distilled in to a total Trinbagonian character. Each island of the Caribbean also have their very own unique characters.

In the earlier days before streetlights became widespread darkness and fear were the choice of tools to teach values. Children especially lived in fear of douens, lagahoo, soocoonyah, lajablesse, Papa Bois while Bre Anansi was the trickster that taught another set of values.

Douens were said to the spirits of children who died before being christened; their feet were turned backwards and wore large straw hats. If people were out by themselves in forested areas around mid-day, the douen was said to scramble them and get them lost in the forest.

Lagahoo was the naked man with a coffin for a head and a chain around his waist that dragged on the ground as he walked. He was the evil spirit that walked at night and announced its presence by the sound of the dragging chain and the seven lit candles on the coffin. Anyone who looked at it was supposed to be struck blind and lose their soul to the devil.

The Lajablesse (la Diablesse) was the evil spirit that took the shape of a beautiful woman in flowing dress and large hat that covered her face. She avoided light and walked with one foot always hidden in the grass because it was that of a cow’s hoof. If any is seduced by her charms then she will take their soul but if any light shone on her she would scream and show her true features which were large, sharp teeth and a blood curdling laugh.

These folktales were brought from West Africa and France and all the other countries that slaves and indentured labourers came from. These stories were used to teach people values of family life, honesty and spirituality. But the proliferation of electric streetlights began eroding the fear of the darkness and eroding the teaching effect of the folktales.

But some people even to present will tell you about their encounter with a soocooyah or a hunter may tell you about his run in with, what could only be, Papa Bois. These tales are another reflection of the rich and diverse heritage of the Caribbean. Many local artists and authors have produced works of these characters.

Which is your favourite character?