Disclaimer: Whether the Rougarou is truly a cryptid stalking the streets at night just waiting to pass its curse on to the next unfortunate soul, or whether it is merely a tool used to scare Catholics into keeping Lent, it is clear that the Rougarou has left its mark on Southern Louisiana. 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. Coming across this story made me reach out to Mr. Nameless to see if he would entertain the idea answering some questions about the experience he had in the early 90s. The boy saw the dog turn into a man, then ran home to tell his family. After the initial sighting by the husband, the wife reported that a neighbor came by in an adjatated state. I want more! According to some other accounts, the process of transferring the curse involves the willingly human drawing the blood of the Rougarou. Your email address will not be published. No purchase necessary. Across French Louisiana, it is a very common legend, and most Louisiana natives are very familiar with at least the name, if nothing else. When they got to the spot they noticed the earth and surrounding plant life was disturbed like something big frequently passed there, a game trail of sorts. People claim he leaves behind webbed footprints (presumably to navigate the swamps effectively) and mutilates wild boars. Massive Bigfoot Observed by Pennsylvania Hunter. He checked out the deer kept driving and turned around at the lake headed back towards Hwy. There were no apparent wounds or blood, but the fresh carcass looked like it had been battered and crushed. Victoria. What he described to me, in my mind was a Bigfoot sighing. The Bible tells us to test the spirit(s) to see if it (they) come from God. Today, theyre suave and sexy, thanks in part to pop culture hits such as Interview with the Vampire, Twilight, and True Blood. The Rougarou is a legendary creature that is often depicted on shirts, cups, and other forms of merchandise. You can find information on the legend of Cauchemar in folklore from all around the world, and it even exists in the Deep South. Required fields are marked *. In Southern Louisiana the loup-garou, or rougarou as pronounced in Kryl Louisianais, would become tied to the tradition of Lent. Described as looking like a sloth, the creature was covered in a light grey hair, had a small round head and a brown nose. This terrifying creature has evolved over millenniabut never lost the need to feed. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Such monster makeovers are common. And as the stomping grounds for the rougarou have disappeared, so have tales about the beastuntil Foret made it his mission to save both. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Whereas the loup-garou in France roamed the forest looking for children, the rougarou of Southern Louisiana lurks about the Bayou looking for prey. If you thought voodoo was a thing of the past, think again! June 7, 2022 . She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." Ready for the creatures that will haunt you in your sleep? Their body would then undergo a transformation, and they would develop a craving for meat. Local stories say the Rougarou roams the streets at night, antagonizing people to attack it. About half way back to the railroad crossing, 100 yards up the road. He hides in tall grass near Grunch Road in New Orleans, LA, waiting to prey on teens who park there. Makes that morning commute not seem so bad, right? 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). A human would have a substantial amount of trouble walking through the terrain. As the rougarou lunges forward he defends himself and cuts its arm, thus releasing the curse from that person and putting it onto [himself].. Stories of these cajun folklore spirits originated in French culture and made their way into Louisiana folklore over time. For instance, in 2015, the floorless roller coaster Mantis was renamed Rougarou. Stories on its origin vary, but some say its a spirit while others claim its a child that was raised by alligators. A spell that as you will soon find out is not that easy to break. 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.. upper neuadd reservoir history 1; downtown dahlonega webcam 1; permeated by a sense of longing. Most Christians believe any spirit that is not a holy one is a demonic spirit. They are a defining characteristic of Louisiana culture and make the state a truly unique place to live. A woman reports that several nights before the actual sighting there was something rummaging around underneath ther house. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. The Husband also described the creature as being dark in color and large. Full report can be found on http://www.gcbro.com/LAassumption03-12-2016.html. Sorcery is everywhere, and after repeated viewings of Hocus Pocus, we know what were dealing with. Could these sightings be and unknown species of hominid living for the most part, undetected in the southeast Louisiana wilderness? Every year in October, there is a festival held in downtown Houma called the Rougarou Fest. And then I realized that is what I saw! We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Another telling of the story says that the Rougarou is under a 101-day curse, unless the affected person can transfer the curse to another human being. This creature, also called Loup garou, is so popular it was depicted on the hit television series Supernatural. Full report can be found at http://www.gcbro.com/LAsttammany0004.html. 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. The commuter stated Unlike the sloth, it was man-like. Full report can be found on bfro.net Report #514. Our parents would say things like, you better behave or the rougarou is gonna get you, says Jonathan Foret, a native of Terrebonne Parish, a patchwork of bayou and lowlands on the Gulf shore. The Rougarou (Cedar Point) roller coaster is located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. This way, his spell was broken, making him able to turn back into human form. This special character in Cajun folklore got his name from a version of the French word for werewolf, loupgarou. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Your email address will not be published. Where can you find a Rougarou? If you have lived in Louisiana, there is a significant chance you have heard the lore of the Rougarou (also spelled as Rouxgaroux). The Rougarou of the Bayou Louisiana is a fascinating place whose history is rich with legends from long ago. By using the Phantoms and Monsters Site, you acknowledge that you may be exposed to Content from other users that is offensive, indecent, inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise objectionable. The Rougarou has also been tied to the story of the Deridder Roadkill. Nope, not The GrinchThe Grunch. I remember he kept repeating something to the effect of look, Im not sure what I saw. At that time the only reference I had to Bigfoot was a few TV shows and a book I checked out a few times from my schools library. Driving west on Airline Hwy. For the original report of this sighting visit bfro.net Report #2764, Late October, near Sorrento, Louisiana a commuter was heading home. Legend says a group of albino dwarves isolated themselves from society in the woods just outside of New Orleans. The full moon hangs high over the Louisiana swampland. Their curse usually comes from a local witch, sometimes a Voodoo priestess. Back in the thick, fog-covered swamplands is where youll find the true beauty of Louisiana and perhaps even a monster or twoincluding the legendary beast called the Rougarou. Often the story of the Rougarou has been used to instill fear in the hearts of Cajun children as a way to command obedience. The mud was too sloppy to retain any prints. The cousins were ridding toward the creature when they spotted it walking on side of the road in their direction. Outside of the infamous Honey Island Swamp Monster, there were not many stories that I found in my preliminary search. Recently I saw a picture of a bear with severe mange which looked like how people describe werewolves and rougarous. The French Catholics claimed that you would be turned into a loup-garou if you did not follow the rules of Lent for seven consecutive years. 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. It was getting late so I was heading back to my dads house for the evening. There are documentaries about this you can easily find on YouTube. The article contained a short anecdotal account of an unnamed Laplace man that in 1983 saw something correlates with what Mr. Nameless saw. It was late in the evening when Mr. Nameless flagged me down. Other variations say a Rougarou can turn their victims merely by making eye contact. Offer subject to change without notice. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. Definitely a loup-garou. The K-9 unit lost the scent once it ran into the marsh. In this version of the story, once a human has turned into a Rougarou, they will roam the streets on the night of the full moon, focusing on small towns. You understand that all Content posted on, transmitted through, or linked from the Phantoms and Monsters Site, are the sole responsibility of the person from whom such Content originated. Honey Island Swamp Monster If you dont have the stomach to fight the beast, you can protect yourself through other means. For Foret and many other Cajun residents in the area, the real possibility that climate change will eventually force them from their homes is particularly upsetting. It is said that you can protect yourself against the Rougarou by laying 13 small objects by your doors. Love Louisiana? These Louisiana monsters claim they feel lethargic and drained if they dont get the proper serving size of blood in on the regular. The officer reported that the creature crossed a 22 foot wide street in three strides. Other more out there schools of thought would suggest that these creatures or of a different origin, Alien, Spirit, even faerie. I tend to lean more on the flesh and blood theory but I think it is important to keep all possibilities in play. Dragons, once the ultimate test of a heros courage, have been effectively domesticated. We use cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. I'm considering creating a documentary on the legend of the Rougarou when I get some more free time in the future. I got more specific with my search terms and soon stumbled upon something that reignited the idea of a creature like Bigfoot existing in our parts. In others, they are demonic forces that play tricks and lead you to your demise in the swamps. If youre familiar with Louisianas history, you know voodoo is part of it. Theyre not trying to eat you, Ancelet says. 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. Childrens authors have started using alligators as characters. Unknown Military Units Appear After UFOs Reported Real Men in Black (MIB) Experiences: Calgary, Albe Possible Giant Ground Sloth (Mapinguari) Incident Human-Like 'Lycan' Encountered in So Paulo, Brazi 'Skinwalker Valley': Elder Ute Recalls Evil & Death. Your email address will not be published. What tales of the Rougarou did you grow up with? 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. There was a significant belief in the beast by the populace that people were put on trial and found guilty of being the fabled beast. Discover Louisiana's legendary werewolf: the Rougarou. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. A woman named Barbara Mullins discovered a supposedly unidentifiable carcass on the side of the road in 1996. The woman also reported finding hair all over the yard front steps, and porch. It's okay, because we're here to bust them! In this version, the Rougarou would live life as a normal person until some event occurred that triggered their condition. Some Louisiana monsters are walking around in plain sight! We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific, social justice, and religious issues, etc. After the officers spoke to the complainant they decided to do a search of the perimeter. The curse is transferred when it draws another human's blood. Generations of children have heard the scary. A few seconds passes and she started to feel a fear building inside. The seminary student continued to stand still to observe further when the creature started to pace back in fourth just out of sight, beyond the tree line, all why still producing the strange whimpers. In the swamps within the Greater New Orleans area and the Acadiana is where this beast has come to live. In the late summer of the early 90s (actual year up for debate), I was riding my bike. Feel free to email me at jsutherlin@onlyinyourstate.com. He flagged me down to speak with me. Then, they would round up village folks that they assumed were Loup-Garous, and hold public trials for them. As it gets to 13, it becomes confused. Deep in the rural wooded swamp of Livingston Parish and young girl was having a friend of hers spend the night. But now, the story of the once-terrifying rougarou is changing, along with the coastal wetlands it has long called home. She says a local boy was being followed by a dog when he decided to cut it with his pocketknife. The commuter stated that the headlights of his car shined directly onto the creature so they got a pretty good look at it. Legend says that the Rougarou will hunt these individuals down and suck their blood, feeding on their energy for up to 101 days. Its popularity has seen it placed on shirts, mugs, in Hollywood and even seen roller coasters named after it. More than a millennium ago, vampires were demonic vectors of disease, possibly reflecting the very real threat of rabies. The rougarou, the Cajun cryptid said to haunt Louisiana's wetlands, is the mascot of a conservation effort for its traditional habitat. Cauchemar actually means nightmare in Louisiana French and Creole. Some have claimed it to be the body of a Rougarou, though others have speculated it might be a Chupacabra or Devil Monkey. When many of the French migrated to Canada and the southern United States, they took the legend of the loup-garou with them. One day her husband was walking back from his shop in the backyard, and was pretty shook up over what he witnessed. We do have water spirits, such as Leviathan, a giant alligator spirit, who is actually mentioned in the Bible. Wow, thank you for that insight! Its essentially a werewolf with a cajun spin on it. one football field of coastline was lost per hour. The two young women decided they would go to the car together. When this is done on the 101st after the curse was initially placed, the former Rougarou is freed from the curse and allowed to take human form permanently. The story of the Letieche is Louisianas Jungle Book. Stories of cajun folklore monsters have been passed down for decadescenturies even. It was enough just enough working knowledge for me to form an opinion. In France during the 16th century, they used to blame various crimes that were committed throughout the villages on the Loup-Garou. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! Then my son started asking me about the rougarou legend and I was like a wha t? They had no clue to what creature could make such a sound. Growing up, my Mom always called it the Wigawoo, and I never knew any different til I was 30something. Saw a picture of a different origin, Alien, spirit, even faerie as a normal person until event... Section 107 of the past, think again seen roller coasters named after.... 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