I grew up that way and you would hear about strange things.. Growing up, my Mom always called it the Wigawoo, and I never knew any different til I was 30something. Another well-known swamp monster born out of Cajun folklore is the Rougarou. You interact with them, theyre dancing and theyre nice. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." Other variations say a Rougarou can turn their victims merely by making eye contact. He might even be neighbors with the Honey Island Swamp Monster, which is also known as Louisianas bigfoot of the swamp.. Well written and well documented. The Rougarou is a legendary creature that is often depicted on shirts, cups, and other forms of merchandise. Foret grew up in southern Louisiana, between the Atchafalaya Basin and New Orleans, where stories of the rougarou are most often heardand he wouldnt venture into wooded areas at night because of them. The brave friend stated that something in her mind told her to look ahead. 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. 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. This suggests an explanation for the abundance of stories from locals about seeing a Rougarou for themselves. In these times, many crimes were blamed on the beast, ranging from theft to kidnapping of children. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! 9 REAL Sightings of the Rougarou | Darkness Prevails Darkness Prevails 631K subscribers Subscribe 4.7K 136K views 3 years ago It's like a real life werewolf, but worse. The short answer is oral tradition. The friend described a chilling encounter one warm morning. Out hunting for deer, Hubert was perched atop an oak tree when he heard heavy sounds approaching from the woods behind him. 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. According to Native American legends, theres a creature in Terrebonne Parish that is the spirit of a child reincarnated as a beast. 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 creature is only vaguely seen in the film with a head resembling a bear. Overall, Weve seen the evolution of the werewolf become a more sophisticated, debonair character, Ancelet says. The commuter stated that the headlights of his car shined directly onto the creature so they got a pretty good look at it. Subscribe to the Pelican State of Mind blog by providing your email below! The Giants body appeared to be covered with reddish hair. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. There she saw standing next to a tree 25 feet away a creature that she described as being extremely tall and white. This version varies from being a Bigfoot legend to resembling something more like a wendigo. Mr. Nameless wasnt sure what he saw, but I was convinced. 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. Turns out voodoo is still in. Recently I saw a picture of a bear with severe mange which looked like how people describe werewolves and rougarous. If you dont have the stomach to fight the beast, you can protect yourself through other means. [10] [11] Boxer Regis Prograis (of Creole descent) goes by the nickname Rougarou. I had been riding my bike through the trails in the woods that were in the back of Laplace Park. For those of you who haven't heard th. He slowed down when he saw it because he got the impression that this was not a man. Their friendly, but often sinister, nature makes these Cajun fairies some of the most dangerous Louisiana monsters. Louisiana has a Nightmare on Bourbon Street situation going on that some arent aware of. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. 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. Deep within the swamps of south Louisiana, legend has it, there lives the Rougarou a legendary werewolf sort creature with sharp claws and glowing eyes. In an interview conducted by Carter Buschardt, the officer stated that he went back to look at the end of shift report he filed the night of the encounter, but was unable to find the report. In a 2008 Fox News special,people claimed they'd seen the beast. Described as looking like a sloth, the creature was covered in a light grey hair, had a small round head and a brown nose. Loup is French for Wolf, and Garou refers to a man that transforms into an animal. This is why I always read terms and conditions. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. Theres a lot of blue tarps still on roofs everywhere, says Foret. If this witness tells anyone about this encounter within a year and a day, they will become a Rougarou themselves. 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. Can you really only eat oysters in 'r' months? The tale of Rougarou originates from Southern Louisiana, and is often told to young children to prevent them from misbehaving. 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. With the head of a werewolf and the body of a man, the creature is said to prey on misbehaving children and dates back to medieval France. It was late in the evening when Mr. Nameless flagged me down. The brave friend continued on to the car, opened the door and started to feel around in the dark for the purse in the passenger seat. Oh wow that sounds like an interested read, Bill! Most Christians believe any spirit that is not a holy one is a demonic spirit. When they were choosing the new name, one of the trademarks filed for was the name the New Orleans Rougarou. Cauchemar is a monster that leaps out of childrens dreams and rides their backs. Love Louisiana? He hides in tall grass near Grunch Road in New Orleans, LA, waiting to prey on teens who park there. A large dark figure on two legs crossed the road. Foret is now director of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, a nonprofit that educates students, in the classroom and on field trips, about the challenges of sea level rise, climate change, and living in a coastal communityone still recovering from 2021s Hurricane Ida. An illegal moonshine distilling business once drove much of the area's economy, but competition could be shot down without any repercussions, according to the article. by Joel Balsam October 19, 2022. Origins of the Rougarou lie in 16th Century medieval French Folklore. As outlandish as that sounds some of the very details in this essay support that. The lady said, "The next day, a distinguished physician arrived in town with his right arm bandaged and cut. French and Canadian settlers as they migrated brought with them the legend of the beast to Louisiana. Will Seals' home was set afire and he was shot down while trying to escape the flames. Its too late to turn back! 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. Folklore will have us believe that a Rougarou has the opportunity to change back to a human after 101 days, but only after finding another human who is willing to have the curse transferred to them. The Cajuns (also known as Acadians) are an ethnic group that makes up a significant portion of south Louisianas population. He told me it made no since for someone to be crossing the road at that point. In this article, were going to highlight the top 9 Louisiana monsters from folklore and legends. Stumbling upon the LObservateur article reignited my borderline obsessive interest in these types of creature sightings. Was there really a monster in the swamps? "This thing had a flat back. 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. He let his mind wander. Werewolves have transformed, too, and not just into the Teen Wolf tv show and movie. A year later the boy killed himself and left a letter that the family turned over to the sheriff. I spent a couple summers in Sabine Parish out on North Fort Fort Polk on a tract of ground called Peason Ridge(Little Nam). The officers came around the corner of the house and saw a creature standing up, pressed against the side of the house, trying to maintain cover. Be careful, because Louisiana monsters are all over! Such monster makeovers are common. The officer that reported this sighting stated he and his partner did not discuss this much past that night. Official Post from Deborah Hatswell BBR Being Believed Research & Investigation Ruston doesnt have a swamp, but if it did. The rougarou, the Cajun cryptid said to haunt Louisiana's wetlands, is the mascot of a conservation effort for its traditional habitat. Usually theyd find someone in the woods or someone in the village who was just acting strange.. The history of the Rougarou is centuries-old and has many different origins, but the earliest mention of the infamous, mythical Louisiana werewolf comes from medieval France. Beasts called loup-garous, which means werewolves in French, were also infamous throughout the country. Variations also associate it with animals such as pigs, cows, and chickens, due to the fact that wolves are not often seen in the area. The 12 year old that was operating the mini-bike accelerated so hard that thier cousin fell off the back. The creature was black, hairy, and walking upright on two legs. In another variation of the story, the half man half wolf monster targets and kills Catholics that have failed to follow the rules of Lent. In 1989 this man was alone on top of the levee near Bayou Steel; He was waiting for his brother to meet him to go hunting behind the levee. "I think that there's magic in the swamps that's celebrated at Rougarou," Foret says. There has been some dispute about whether or not this myth is actually related to the French Louisiana Rougarou legends. Your email address will not be published. Ready for the creatures that will haunt you in your sleep? Frogs croak their songs in the distance and mosquitos buzz as they fly around looking for their next meal. How did one Louisiana town's name get a bizarre pronunciation? The story of the Rougarou supposedly changed once French immigrantsor possibly also French-Canadian immigrantscame to live in the area that is now Louisiana. The dark figure crossed the road from the passenger side to the driver side, so it was traveling due south when it crossed the road. Some even suggest a mix of biological and fringe. The Rougarou is often also associated with the Skunk Ape or the Honey Island Swamp Monster, likely due to another variation of the myth that states the creature is a shapeshifter that can change forms between human and animal at will, sometimes making it seem more like a swamp Sasquatch than a werewolf. The same 12 year old child claims that about a month after, they were out with the same cousin in the woods that bordered their neighborhood, when they spotted a bush along the train track shake. Children can see and hear everything that happens, but they are unable to move. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. The villagers would capture people they believed to be a loup-garou and then hold a public trial. Thank you! An estimated 15,000 people now attend Rougarou Festival, which still manages to provide a very genuine peek into a culture and a land unlike any other in the world. I want more! In this version, the Rougarou is in human form during the day, only transforming at night, meaning he could blend in with society and no one would ever know! When they reached the paved section of the driveway, PB noticed a dead 90 lb male Bobcat laying along the edge. Driving west on Airline Hwy. Where are you from? Kliebert got no response. The student claimed it was the exact same sounds they heard during their encounter. The different versions of the Rougarou beast are as many as reported sightings of the beast. I had almost forgot about it since no one answered phone when I wanted to tell someone what I just seen was so weird. But now, the story of the once-terrifying rougarou is changing, along with the coastal wetlands it has long called home. Hi, I live in Terrebonne Parish near swampy land that was formerly called Devils Swamp. one football field of coastline was lost per hour. When faced with a supernatural beast that has superhuman strength, speed, and sharp claws and teeth, chances are you wouldnt be feeling very lucky. It was a full moon so it made spotting the Bullfrogs easier "super tasty btw", anyway we're wondering down by the . According to Breaux, as Hubert retold the story, he began clenching his teeth and breathing rapidly as if he were reliving a terrifying experience. This creature, also called Loup garou, is so popular it was depicted on the hit television series Supernatural. She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." Perrin's statement is quite obviously true due to the Rougarou's clear influence in local culture and beyond. My Encounter With a Rougarou "aka Louisiana Werewolf". That is if we are to believe that these creatures are flesh and blood biological entities. On a different occasion that same Laplace man was out in the swamp with these two Doberman pinchers when he spotted a 7 foot tall bi-pedal creature that caused the dogs to run off. It was eventually through the Cajun French that the name Rougarou came to be. Required fields are marked *. A woman named Barbara Mullins discovered a supposedly unidentifiable carcass on the side of the road in 1996. One of the most compelling reports occurred in Marrero, LA circa 1970. Some months prior to this her entire family told her they hear a woman screaming at the top of her lungs, followed by a gurgling noise coming from the woods. The Rougarou will see the 13 objects, try to count them, and be unable to count them all. The jury is still out on this one, because people cant seem to figure out exactly what the Lutin isand theres good reason! "Reporting a sighting of Bigfoot, Sasquatch and even the Honey Island Swamp Monster does not get you labeled a crazy person anymore, and therefore, those who believe eyewitnesses are not labeled crazy either," said Dana Holyfield, granddaughter of Harlan Ford a man often credited with having the first recorded encounter with the purported swamp monster. This was a deep dense pine forest with rolling Knolls and the occasion small marsh(bayou). Thanks for sharing it with us! Only you can prevent forest fires, and so only you can save Louisianas wetlands.. Honey Island Swamp Monster Well, the rougarou of the Bayou country has a pretty strong link to the werewolf of ancient times in Europe and France. 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. Is there a Louisiana werewolf? Even today he refuses to let anyone see it.". The next day the man found the two Dobermans decapitated. Had me captured. That gator is looking pretty good right now, huh? Or else you may find yourself prey to the legendary Rougarou. The monsters reputed locale, in the Honey Island Swamp, has an ominous and deadly history that precedes the legend.