Trinidadian Folklore?

Question

Hello. I'm interested in the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago.

Basically I'm a half Trini trying to learn more about the folklore.

If you could tell me about some of the various myths, supersitions that you have heard while in Trinidad it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

LOL @ first answer

Well i dunno much, but I cud try a ting :) There's the douen, papa bois, soucouyant, , mama malady, la diabless ( la gabless).

Douen : It's the spirit of the child who died before being baptized. The douen foot is turned backwards and they wear a wide brim hat. They're usually sexless and they love to lure little chirren into the woods to get them lost. Dats why dey say when parents yuh parents callin u, is not to answer after the first time , because it cud be a douen who callin u. I heard dats why they give children saint names too, just in case the douen carry them away, u can call them by their saint names to find them.

Papa Bois - He's considered the guardian of the forest. He protects the animals. Dey say he turns into a deer and lures men into the forest and then he resumes his true shape and gives them a stern warning. He doesn't accept killing of animals for killing sake & dey say when u meet him u have to be very polite and say "bon jour vieux papa". Dey also say if he pauses to spend time with u, stay cool & do not look at his feet. (So dey say, i dunno, i never meet one)..

Socouyant - Dats the lady dat turns into a ball of fire. She's usually an old woman who lives alone at the end of the village road. When the nite reach, she takes off her skin and turns into a ball of fire and flies,  in search of a victim to suck. Then before the mornin reach, she goes back home and prepares to put on her skin, when she realise she can't put it on. Dey say she says " kin kin u na kno me" or somethin so. Only to realise, the boys of the village filled her skin with salt and pepper and she can't put it on.. dey also say dat if u want to kno who is the soucouyant in ur village, empty 100 lbs of rice at a cross road and she has to count dem, one by one.. by d time she finish counting, mornin reach..

Mama Maladay - Dats the spirit of the lady who die durin child birth. She's roamin d street crying and lookin for her chile. Dey say if u hear somebody cryin outside, doh look outside, cuz then she takes u..

La Diabless- The devil woman. She does dress up pretty pretty with one good foot and one cow foot. Her feet never touch the ground & she loves men and she usually carries them somewhere and get them loss- eventually they end up mad, cuz they're never themselves..

Answer 2

hear what, since your interested, lemme give you a link to a page that covers some of our folklore and then some other things....

http://berdina.tripod.com/folklore.htm

http://www.tntisland.com/folklore.html

it doesnt mention the phantom here but if i find anything else of interest i will come back.

(Posse, ent we talk this aready? i not finding the Question.  IF any one finds post it nah, it may have more info than what is here right now.)

Answer 3

Well cuz friggy and hotta done set yuh up on de rite track dey

if i come cross more i go link yuh

Answer 4

I met this guy from Trinidad and he was only interested in one thing... Very smokin' hot though.

Answer 5

~Friggy Frigg~ gyal yuh forget di otha one bout

mama river or glow mama she is a pretty beautyfull woman

she always comb her hair but when u see her u have to run away most people said people or man that there to go by her never been seen since

it have a other one but i cyaan memba she name

i remeber once a man went to party and she saw this beautyfull woman they dance then after the party they went out  and you know s*x and all then after they was walking and the woman felt cold and he borrow the girl his jacket so he also ask for his numba so the next day he call and the he ask for the girl and a woman start cry then the man was like what

so when he came by the house the woman tell him that he she died over50 years ago and he didnt believe so the woman sent him to her grave and guess wah the jacket was on the grave!

and i remeber this one that my grandmother experciene

she said that in the woods have a lost soul and she needs a man so one day a man decide to go so his mother say before u go in the woods u have to put 3 charms andbath with lime and coconut and boil garlic and onion  the bath with it so the man didnt care so after the man went then after he was missing for days weeks so everybody get worried and they went to the woods everybody call the obeah man he said 3 person stand infront and 4 a side and he said the soul  will pas so fast that you have to try to catch it to save him so the obeah man said one two tree vammmmmmm the soul or the man fast and they lost him

Answer 6

my granpa used to tell me d one abt d dwen.... dat used to scare d c**p outta me jed......lol