The unexplained

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This is authentic Folklore that the world may not know about. I heard these while growing up. These were accounts from my grandparents who had their own experience. I'll share info on Folk characters and urban legends.

One day, I would love to see people use it for fics or any sort of media. Like how almost everyone knows about Japanese folklore.

This creature is more Guyanese, but a few Trinidadians allegedly own them now.

Think of this as the evil Caribbean version of an Irish Leprechaun.

A Buck is a short creature/goblin from Demerara (yes. Where you all get your brown sugar from) that's said to give you immense wealth. But the catch is, if you forget to feed it, they will kill you.

They're kept in jars, boxes and cages, and sre a secret to everyone else. Some say that they're an indigenous tribe of magical beings, much like a leprechaun. However they're not as adorable. The bucks feed on fruits, milk, water and bread, but you NEVER make the mistake of not feeding them.

My grandmother told my cousins and I about a businessman who owned one. He forgot to feed him and went on his way. The buck was said to run into his store and ask his whereabouts. A few hours later, he died mysteriously in a car accident. Some speculate that the buck had a hand in it.

It comes from an African Fulani word that means witch or shapeshifter.

A Soucounyant is a REALLY old lady, who appears normal, but at night, she sheds her skin and bursts into a ball of fire. She travels across the sky and enter people's houses through cracks or opened windows. Back then, in my grandmother's time, everyone used to sleep with the windows opened.

The Soucounyant will suck their victims, leaving a blue mark. It's believed, to repel her, you must put salt on your window sill and and around your bed. Some say, if you throw rice grains and corn kernels, she would have to pick up and count each one.

There's a Caribbean poem that explains it, called Ol Higue (which is a Jamaican name for Soucounyant)

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Hearing from my grandmother, she said that the Soucounyant will leave her skin in a bucket, and if you hide it, or put salt on it, she can't chsnge back to her human form. The Soucounyant would say " 'kin da me. Kin Kin, come on me."

Meaning, this is my skin. Oh skin, come on me.

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(Pronounced as Dwen)

Douens (plural) look like bare-chested children wearing straw hats that covered their eyes. They have backwards facing feet, and reside in forested areas, thorn bushes and Gru Gru trees (which are thorny palm trees).

They're believed to be children who had died without being Christened.

Personally I think this has 18th century Catholic (and Protestant) beliefs. Because, back then in Europe, when a child was sick and the parents weren't sure that they would make it, they would rush to Christen the child before they die.

The name Douen come from Duende, which is Spanish for goblin.

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The Douens move in a cluster, where they lure children with snacks or companionship. And like all children, they're unable to resist those two things. They would also remember and mimic the voices of elders/parents, and remember the child's names. Hence parents would give their children a nickname, that only them and the village know.

They mostly appear in the evening or late at night.

"The demoness."

All of our Folklore characters have French names, as we had French/Patois settlers that came here in the 18th and 19th century. First we were a Spanish Colony, where the Spanish Crown had granted French citizens asylum during the French Revolution. It was called the Cédula de Población. Hence many French people and Corsicans came to Trinidad. So French + Spanish and African languages had influenced our language.

In 1793, we became a British colony, which brought in English. And until this day, we still speak English, but kept in our Spanish, African, French Patois vernacular and sentence structure. Soon after, In 1875, Hindi, Bihari and Bhojpuri came in with Indian Indentured Labourers, and influenced our language some more.

Yes. Trinidadian dialect is a mouthful.

We don't know know the Languanges fluently by themselves, But the Trinidadian dialect is multilingual.

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Hence La Diablese is a perfect example of French Patois. It means The Demoness. Personally I think she's the Trinidadian equivalent to a Fox Spirit (Hulijing) in Chinese folklore. But yhe thing is that, we dont have any Chinese influences 🤣. Yes, we have Chinese and Cantonese descendants, but they don't really mix with people. Not that they're r*cist but they rather keep to themselves. Also, Chinese families would make their children go back to China, to learn their culture. I think it's because they're the "adopted children" Of Trinidad, where the rest of "siblings" grew up together, and are now in their 30s.

(She's on my profile pic)

She's described as being a beautiful woman in a long dress (probably dating back to the early 1800s, in between the French Revolution and the time when the Empire waist dresses were in.) who charms men deep into the forest at night. He would be so enchanted, that he would offer to walk her home. (The) La Diablese would keep walking and walking. Her house will never appear. But little does he know the one of her feet is that of a cow's. He's too infatuated to wonder why one of her heel sound heavier than one. She would then get him lost and snap his neck.

My grandmother said that one time, she was in a car with someone, where he picked up some random lady on the side of the road. Keep in mind, this was a forested area at midnight. The random woman sat quietly in the back seat. But an hour after, she vanished.

This isn't a La Diablese, but just recently, my mom's friend said that she was driving late at night through a forested area with her family. Suddenly, a person appeared in the backseat. When they stopped the car, they could hear a door close. And the random person vanished as well.

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#Home Horrors ~ Legends tied to the home, or only seen at home.

#Haunting Histories~ stories with Historical ties.

#Guaico Accounts~ though most of the accounts wrre from my grandmother, my (deceased) grandfather has seen and experienced shit too. As well as my mom and her siblings who grew up with him.