rougarou sightings in louisiana

Foret recalls hearing of one legendary rougarou run-in, when a young boy out for a stroll, armed with only his oyster knife, encountered the creature. It's got to be the Rougarou, the infamous werewolf of the bayou. The court would ask the public if they believed the accused to be a loup-garou, and usually the public agreed (mainly for fear that theyd be outed as a witch or a loup-garou themselves). And as the stomping grounds for the rougarou have disappeared, so have tales about the beastuntil Foret made it his mission to save both. Get monthly email updates and the chance to win a prize. Let us know in the comments below! The neighbor, who was unaware of the husbands sighting, stated that while walking with his dog in the woods, his dog got spooked and ran back toward their house. Near Avenue A around 9pm, He arrived at the scene and spoke to the lady that called it in. The cousins decided to turn around and go back the direction they came to avoid a close encounter with this unknown, imposing, bipedal creature. Well written and well documented. Most Christians believe any spirit that is not a holy one is a demonic spirit. He told me it made no since for someone to be crossing the road at that point. The creature is described as half-man, half-dog. Another well-known swamp monster born out of Cajun folklore is the Rougarou. The short answer is oral tradition. Or else you may find yourself prey to the legendary Rougarou. The creature in question was described by the officer as being an eight foot talk, bipedal hominid, dark hair (not fur), and massively build. When travelling down the interstate or the backroads in Louisiana, youll see lots of beautiful scenery. It now craves human flesh and overturns small boats to devour and feast! The seminary student stood still, they got the impression that the source of the noise was moving along a path in the woods and getting closer. At the time of the encounter the officer had no working knowledge of Bigfoot or sasquatch, but having a degree in anthropology left no doubt in the officers mind what he saw was most defiantly not a large, naked, human being. According to Cajun folklore, the monster is said to inhabit the swamps and sugar cane fields around the Acadiana and Greater New Orleans regions. "Who. After Ford's death, a grainy film reel was found in his attic that shows a large and hairy figure shuffling upright between the trees. I found a report from Civil War veteran Fredrick Kliebert who was walking home from a squirrel hunt when he saw what he described as a giant. Its fingernails are grisly claws. Rougaroux Rum, manufactured by donner-peltier distillers in Thibodaux, Louisiana, has a special praline-flavored version called Rougaroux 13 Pennies. In these times, many crimes were blamed on the beast, ranging from theft to kidnapping of children. Despite the Rougarou legend seemingly beginning as a way to scare Catholics and children, many locals maintain its existence and have their own personal stories, especially among the older generation. Stories of these cajun folklore spirits originated in French culture and made their way into Louisiana folklore over time. Other more out there schools of thought would suggest that these creatures or of a different origin, Alien, Spirit, even faerie. Oh wow that sounds like an interested read, Bill! While the officers were talking to the lady, a K-9 unit arrived on scene and when they began their search the dog alerted to something. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. The few folks that lay eyes on these creatures are simply catching an interloper just visiting. I remember when the physician shot himself here in Lockport. But as someone who lives in Louisiana and knows many Catholics who break Lent, I'm not so sure about this myth's validity. Like the childhood game of telephone, the story morphs over the years as it gets passed down from generation to generation. So this happened to me a few years ago, I was visiting a friend's house in the Houston River area, that section of the river is pretty swampy so we were frog hunting at night. If this witness tells anyone about this encounter within a year and a day, they will become a Rougarou themselves. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Is there really a Honey Island Swamp Monster, Louisiana's Bigfoot? And, if you know anything about sleep paralysis, you may have seen the culprit himself! The Rougarou is also thought to be nothing more than a bogeyman story to scare children or Catholics into obedience. Enjoy these allegedly. Usually theyd find someone in the woods or someone in the village who was just acting strange.. They take up residence in your home and play harmless tricks on you, so you shouldnt be too alarmed. Can you really only eat oysters in 'r' months? I'm considering creating a documentary on the legend of the Rougarou when I get some more free time in the future. That gator is looking pretty good right now, huh? According to folklore, a Rougarou is a human that has been placed under a spell. At this point, the beast is forced to retreat as its human form begins to resurface. The Caribbean island nation of Haiti, already steeped in the dark lore of zombies and voodoo magic, also has its own version of the infamous werewolf, which they call the je-rouges, or "red eyes." It is also referred to it as the French loup-garou and by the Creole word lougarou. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Audobon's website also has Rougarou t-shirts for sale. Is one of these crafty cryptids on display in a small museum? We got kicked out of Nova Scotia, and now were getting kicked out of Louisiana and it just feels like theres some generational trauma linked to being forced to move over and over again, he says. The name changed to rougarou in Cajun Louisiana because l and r are linguistically liquid consonants and they change places a lot, says Barry Jean Ancelet, a Cajun folklorist and professor emeritus with the University of Lafayette. I was compelled to dig in further to see if I could find more sighting reports in the Southeast Louisiana area, if only to substantiate these other reports. The rougarou once served to scare adults into being good Catholics, and children into staying home after dark, Rabalais says, adding, Now there are other things to be scared of, like rising water levels and hurricanes.. Love Louisiana? Dont believe us? This creature, also called Loup garou, is so popular it was depicted on the hit television series Supernatural. No one agrees what it looks like because they dont really have wolves in this part of our country, says Nathan J. Rabalais, author of Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana. At this point, you are probably wondering just how the legend began. Despite the fact that it was originally a legend, there are still claimed sightings of the Rougarou to this day, though it has died off a bit in the past decade. Official Post from Deborah Hatswell BBR Being Believed Research & Investigation The bright lights of the stars flicker in the murky licks of the waves near the towering, ominous Cypress trees. More than a millennium ago, vampires were demonic vectors of disease, possibly reflecting the very real threat of rabies. Its a hybrid mixture of escaped circus chimpanzees and alligators which now live in the swamps of St. Tammany Parish. Mr. Nameless admitted that he did not want to slow down to get a good look. It will begin to recount the pennies, continuously perplexed as it encounters the number 13, until sunrise. Rougarou Sightings According to a lady from Louisiana, a local child was being chased by a dog when he decided to cut it with his pocketknife. The Rougarou (Cedar Point) roller coaster is located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. But first, lets dive into some of its histories. As the name implies, it pays homage to the legendary beast. Apparently that was a thing they did back then. Theres an annual Rougarou Festival in Houma every year, and the Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has a Rougarou exhibit, which includes a statue of the creature in all its swampy glory. How did one Louisiana town's name get a bizarre pronunciation? Last but not least, the pinnacle of mythology in the bayou state and kingpin of all Louisiana monsters the Rougarou. However, according to other accounts, there is no escape from the curse. But for decades, hes wondered about one of the swamp's fabled creatures the Honey Island Swamp Monster, a legendary 500-pound beast that some claim hides amid the cypress trees andmurky waters. The Rougarou life involves shapeshifting into its beast form every night, then being forced to transform back into a human at sunrise. Outside of the infamous Honey Island Swamp Monster, there were not many stories that I found in my preliminary search. According to Breaux, as Hubert retold the story, he began clenching his teeth and breathing rapidly as if he were reliving a terrifying experience. There are quite a few roads that are known to be haunted or spirited in Louisiana, but none is quite as infamous as Bayou Sale Road, a long curvy road that connects Dulac, LA to Cocodrie, LA. People claim he leaves behind webbed footprints (presumably to navigate the swamps effectively) and mutilates wild boars. "I think that there's magic in the swamps that's celebrated at Rougarou," Foret says. Across French Louisiana, it is a very common legend, and most Louisiana natives are very familiar with at least the name, if nothing else. The jury is still out on this one, because people cant seem to figure out exactly what the Lutin isand theres good reason! I tend to lean more on the flesh and blood theory but I think it is important to keep all possibilities in play. Origins of the Rougarou lie in 16th Century medieval French Folklore. A version from the 16th century paints it as being seen as something similar to a genetic disorder, rather than the curse most other versions of the myth portray the Rougarou as being. For instance, in 2015, the floorless roller coaster Mantis was renamed Rougarou. Even the act of self-defense could be life-altering. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Since the dawn of time, people have been telling stories. Frequently referred to as beast in the story, the part-man, part-animal with piercing yellow eyes has appeared in several anecdotes by self-styled witnesses since the 1960s. I suppose anything is possible, and while the Bigfoot sighting phenomena originated in the Pacific Northwest, it seems more than plausible that such a creature could exist here. The rougarou, the Cajun cryptid said to haunt Louisiana's wetlands, is the mascot of a conservation effort for its traditional habitat. When I asked Mr. Nameless if the creature was covered in hair he told me that he could not make out any detail other than the figure was large, and almost black. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. This is similar to that of a traditional werewolf, however, unlike a werewolf, the Rougarou during the day appears weak, sickly, and vulnerable. The Bible tells us to test the spirit(s) to see if it (they) come from God. Louisiana has the most unique culture Ive discovered in the US and thats saying something being a native of Appalachia. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Considering how many hunters love senselessly killing wild boars, we really cant blame the swamp monster. He has the body of a man, head of a werewolf, and sharp teeth that can seamlessly tear through flesh. The next day Mr. Nameless, his older brother, and a mutual friend went ride back out to Peavine. Lapin, the trickster rabbit rooted in African folklore traditions that were brought to Louisiana by enslaved people, has also seen a transformation. Jerry Major's Curious Louisiana question is more than an inquiry about a pronunciation. I came across a LObservateur article that ran around Halloween 2002, titled: Let the haunting good times roll. Not in the Pacific Northwest, but right there in Laplace! In the late summer of the early 90s (actual year up for debate), I was riding my bike. The Rougarou will see the 13 objects, try to count them, and be unable to count them all. This will perplex it, and it will keep recounting until the sun comes up and it must flee. Both the officer and his partner got a good look at the creature when it passed under the streetlight. The rougarou is closely related to the European version of the werewolf but has a few very distinct differences from the wolfmen seen in movies and on television. People who didnt have a lot of physical or social power in society found a way to survive through being clever., Even Louisianas infamous and very real alligators have undergone a rebranding. Once turned around, the cousin looked back and observed the creature now walking in the middle of the road and at a quicker pace toward the children. Honey Island Swamp Monster troy landrey talked about it on swamp people. After the initial sighting by the husband, the wife reported that a neighbor came by in an adjatated state. While you're in Houma, don't forget to stop by A-Bear's, home to some of the most delicious homemade desserts in Louisiana. The question nagged him into adulthood. There is also a Native American story of the "Rugaru." A student attending St. Josephs seminary college had an experience that cannot be classified as a sighting, but rather and auditory experience. Their curse usually comes from a local witch, sometimes a voodoo priestess. The details of just seeing the eyes suggest that this sighting happened in the early morning while it was still dark. A recent novel called The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. [10] [11] Boxer Regis Prograis (of Creole descent) goes by the nickname Rougarou. A spell that as you will soon find out is not that easy to break. That kind of transformation happens and I suspect that whats going on with this festival., But unlike sexy vampires or friendly alligators, Forets rougarou has been reimagined to champion a specific cause: protecting its habitat, which in turn will protect our own. The beast is also a hit in pop culture here in Louisiana. The two children ran the entire way home, about of a mile. In fact, instead of wolfish features, most Cajuns will describe the rougarou as resembling a dog or owl. And above all else, remember thisdont go into the swamps alone! The two young women decided they would go to the car together. She described it also as being tall and hairy and went on to further say that it was almost so white it was glowing. She also described the creature to be staring in her direction. Its incredible that I actually witnessed one and I do believe thats the only thing it couldve been. 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Cauchemar actually means nightmare in Louisiana French and Creole. In 2011, Foret launched Rougarou Fest in Houma, Terrebones parish seat and largest city, as both a fundraiser for the center and a way to revive the fading cryptid tradition. In 1974, Ford, a wildlife photographer and former air traffic controller, claimed to have witnessed the creature while exploring potential hunting grounds. Proud foodie. Personally, Id never hear about something terrible and say, Yep, thats definitely the work of a werewolf. I had been riding my bike through the trails in the woods that were in the back of Laplace Park. About four weeks ago, PB and his 5-year-old daughter were walking along their long dirt driveway that leads to their home. The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has an exhibit dedicated to the Rougarou, which includes a statue of the creature itself. Here's what health officials, restaurants say. There was also a story that was told to kids that if they didnt do what their parents asked, a loup-garou would come and steal them away in the middle of the night. The rougarou (or loup-garou) is a monster from Cajun folklore.

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