The Trinidad
experience
Trini Folklore, Folktales and Myths... Our rich storytelling tradition Illustrations courtesy Paria Publishing
By Nasser Khan
In the book Folklore and Legends of Trinidad and Tobago, author Gérard Besson, tells us what is so typical of many of us who have grown up in these islands...that one of the distinct memories of school vacations were the times spent with extended families. Times when parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents or older cousins would take much delight in telling the younger ones the “jumbie” (invisible, superstitious, mischievous evil spirits that roam both day and night) and Anansi (the spider folklore storyteller) stories. Predominantly of African origin, with French/ Patois, Spanish, English and Indian influences, these were usually hair-raising, heart-thumping tales of scary creatures and terrifying encounters with the supernatural and other make-believe mythological characters. Trinis are well known for their unique knack for storytelling and there is an abundance of mythical folklore and folktales that have been handed down over the years, all rooted in the islands’ rich culture. Lies or excuses are often referred to as “nanci stories” (after Anansi). In Trinidad, the popular folklore characters (“jumbies” as they are generally termed) are: the Soucouyant, La Diablesse, Douen, Lagahoo, and Papa Bois. There is also the myth of the Silk Cotton Tree. Tobago has its unique legendary jumbies like Gang Gang Sara and Mermaids and Fairymaids.
La Diablesse
La Diablesse
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The Ins & Outs of Trinidad and Tobago
French for “devil woman,” an evil spirit who roams quiet offbeat roads in the form of a voluptuous woman, looking for men. Any man she meets, she leads to his death. She is recognisable because she always wears a large hat and carries a fan, but mainly, because one of her feet is normal and the other is a cloven hoof.