Sunday, April 5, 2009
Soukouyaun dupies lageblese in Dominica
By Francis Joseph
Dupies, lougawoos, spirits, soucouyans, ghosts and lagablese has been part of our living culture for years and will continue to be for some time as long as we continue to maintain some level of humour, fun and a quest to search for the truth.
I am intrigued by the interest to open up this topic for discussion even if to some, it is still an area of fear, getting into the unknown and the return of childhood memories (good or bad, fun or frolic), and for me that is growing up in Church Lane, Potterville and in Castle Bruce (my family village) where I lived and worked.
I only believe in these “spirits” so long as they are remaining just that, mysteries of interests, intrigue, curiosity and a little laughter in the dark night when DOMLEC deprives us of electricity.
You see these stories and mysteries have clinged us together under circumstances when we start off the Tim Tim – “Bwa cheche” “belle tory” and we are packed like sardines and scared to death on our parents porch or clinged together on a bed in a closed room, when the rain is ponging heavily on the roof, the thunder is bursting noisily at distant intervals over head and the lightening brightening up the night like the flash of a camera taking us un noticed with no time to smile and say “cheese” everyone.
I therefore do not believe in these sprits only for what they are worth as I mentioned above and admittedly have brought a mixture of mixed feelings to me of fear, eagerness to discover of the unknown and as I grew up into maturity my curiosity was confirmed that this was just part of growing up. So that passage of life was extremely enjoyable, rewarding and uplifting.
I can identify with the story Celia raised in her comment where it was reported that a soucouyan was captured in the late 60`s and brought to the Princess Margaret Hospital. I recall taking my fastness and running to the hospital morgue to see for myself (I always wanted to see for myself, and not take anyone’s word or interpretation).
Upon arrival at the morgue there was this female, naked head to toe, no hair on her head and no pubic hair lying there dead with patches of burnt skin over her body. Someone said that she was a soucupyon flying by night and crashed landed after sucking too much blood ( in other words, in modern day flying language, that soucouyan was overweight). I said that it was either a dead body found somewhere or she was a victim of a fire and got burnt over her body. End of story for me.
These sprits then are powerful and convincing depending who tells the story. According to Paul Keens Douglas, “……people always tell you, when relating these stories, that they hear, or someone tell them, but they never reveal their source nor have they seen or experience it themselves, so it is either you learn to pray or your learn to run”
Here is one true, true story, I personally experienced that I wished to share with you and you can either pray first or run after you read it. Picture this: the place Castle Bruce Primary School, the time, about 7:30 pm, the weather, heavy pouring rain and hallowing wind, the right scene for a good TIM TIM, story telling and beff, one would say. Now, for those of you reading who do not know Castle Bruce and where the school is located, well, the school is located as you enter the village beyond the police station.
When you stand on the school platform looking towards the sea, between the sea and the school are; 1. The generator house feeding electricity to the police station, 2.the Police station, 3, the cemetery, 4, the health clinic and 5.the Atlantic Ocean, all in that order.
I hope that you are still with me, as it is important to the story. Now Castle Bruce had no electricity then and the only source of electricity came from the generator (1 above) of the police station. That generator also supplied the school with electricity with a long electrical wire running from the generator house over its galvanized roof to the school.
The night as I said earlier was dark, raining heavily with some thunder and lightening and while I stood there a friend in excitement and awe brought to my attention that there is a soucouyan flying in the distance over the cemetery.
In my usual doubting Tom manner I said no, it is impossible, I just do not believe in flying soucouyan and that if LIAT do not fly in that weather why would a soucouyan risk doing that? My denial and challenge brought no relief and stirred up the enthusiasm more, as others jumped into the melee and curiosity of discovering a flying soucouyan.
I then challenged my friends that we should walk down to the position of the cemetery giving us the opportunity to be the first ones to make headline news of capturing a soucouyan and revealing to Dominica for sure that these old odd women do fly at nights sucking people’s blood and are referred to as soucouyan.
All denied the challenged for fear that they would be sucked of their blood. I choose not to go on my own as it would be my word ONLY and therefore will lose all credibility and opportunity to confirm the existence that soucouyans are real.
I however pursued that it is false and finally to my dismay and satisfaction discovered what the flying lights was. It certainly was not a soucouyan.
Here is what it was. You recall the location of the school, the generator and the cemetery, good? And you also recall that Castle Bruce had no electricity then and that the electricity came from the generator house onto the school via a long electrical wire over the generator house which was covered in galvanize - good? And you recall the weather that night - rain, lightening, thunder wind etc.
Therefore what was really happening as the wind blew heavily, the electrical wire rubbed on the galvanize creating some friction and apparently that part of the wire was scratched and exposed and when that part of the wire touched the galvanize (zinc) it created sparks (fire like reflections) intermittently and that is what caused the flying lights seem to be that of a soucouyan flying.
Now the scene as I said was well set for this; the cemetery (dead people) no one goes or trespasses in cemetery at night, it is only soucouyan who does, this is our belief. The howling wind gave the scene more or greater impact to this belief, the wire flapping on the roof of the generator house so fast gave even greater impact. Standing on the school platform and looking towards the sea in the same direction of the cemetery, MY God what would you think of, Only a Soucouyan?
I took my friends closer to the generator house and only then they were convinced that it was not a soucouyan. Come on no need to pray and run, let us go the backyard and play some hopscotch and laugh it off.
Dupies, lougawoos, spirits, soucouyans, ghosts and lagablese has been part of our living culture for years and will continue to be for some time as long as we continue to maintain some level of humour, fun and a quest to search for the truth.
I am intrigued by the interest to open up this topic for discussion even if to some, it is still an area of fear, getting into the unknown and the return of childhood memories (good or bad, fun or frolic), and for me that is growing up in Church Lane, Potterville and in Castle Bruce (my family village) where I lived and worked.
I only believe in these “spirits” so long as they are remaining just that, mysteries of interests, intrigue, curiosity and a little laughter in the dark night when DOMLEC deprives us of electricity.
You see these stories and mysteries have clinged us together under circumstances when we start off the Tim Tim – “Bwa cheche” “belle tory” and we are packed like sardines and scared to death on our parents porch or clinged together on a bed in a closed room, when the rain is ponging heavily on the roof, the thunder is bursting noisily at distant intervals over head and the lightening brightening up the night like the flash of a camera taking us un noticed with no time to smile and say “cheese” everyone.
I therefore do not believe in these sprits only for what they are worth as I mentioned above and admittedly have brought a mixture of mixed feelings to me of fear, eagerness to discover of the unknown and as I grew up into maturity my curiosity was confirmed that this was just part of growing up. So that passage of life was extremely enjoyable, rewarding and uplifting.
I can identify with the story Celia raised in her comment where it was reported that a soucouyan was captured in the late 60`s and brought to the Princess Margaret Hospital. I recall taking my fastness and running to the hospital morgue to see for myself (I always wanted to see for myself, and not take anyone’s word or interpretation).
Upon arrival at the morgue there was this female, naked head to toe, no hair on her head and no pubic hair lying there dead with patches of burnt skin over her body. Someone said that she was a soucupyon flying by night and crashed landed after sucking too much blood ( in other words, in modern day flying language, that soucouyan was overweight). I said that it was either a dead body found somewhere or she was a victim of a fire and got burnt over her body. End of story for me.
These sprits then are powerful and convincing depending who tells the story. According to Paul Keens Douglas, “……people always tell you, when relating these stories, that they hear, or someone tell them, but they never reveal their source nor have they seen or experience it themselves, so it is either you learn to pray or your learn to run”
Here is one true, true story, I personally experienced that I wished to share with you and you can either pray first or run after you read it. Picture this: the place Castle Bruce Primary School, the time, about 7:30 pm, the weather, heavy pouring rain and hallowing wind, the right scene for a good TIM TIM, story telling and beff, one would say. Now, for those of you reading who do not know Castle Bruce and where the school is located, well, the school is located as you enter the village beyond the police station.
When you stand on the school platform looking towards the sea, between the sea and the school are; 1. The generator house feeding electricity to the police station, 2.the Police station, 3, the cemetery, 4, the health clinic and 5.the Atlantic Ocean, all in that order.
I hope that you are still with me, as it is important to the story. Now Castle Bruce had no electricity then and the only source of electricity came from the generator (1 above) of the police station. That generator also supplied the school with electricity with a long electrical wire running from the generator house over its galvanized roof to the school.
The night as I said earlier was dark, raining heavily with some thunder and lightening and while I stood there a friend in excitement and awe brought to my attention that there is a soucouyan flying in the distance over the cemetery.
In my usual doubting Tom manner I said no, it is impossible, I just do not believe in flying soucouyan and that if LIAT do not fly in that weather why would a soucouyan risk doing that? My denial and challenge brought no relief and stirred up the enthusiasm more, as others jumped into the melee and curiosity of discovering a flying soucouyan.
I then challenged my friends that we should walk down to the position of the cemetery giving us the opportunity to be the first ones to make headline news of capturing a soucouyan and revealing to Dominica for sure that these old odd women do fly at nights sucking people’s blood and are referred to as soucouyan.
All denied the challenged for fear that they would be sucked of their blood. I choose not to go on my own as it would be my word ONLY and therefore will lose all credibility and opportunity to confirm the existence that soucouyans are real.
I however pursued that it is false and finally to my dismay and satisfaction discovered what the flying lights was. It certainly was not a soucouyan.
Here is what it was. You recall the location of the school, the generator and the cemetery, good? And you also recall that Castle Bruce had no electricity then and that the electricity came from the generator house onto the school via a long electrical wire over the generator house which was covered in galvanize - good? And you recall the weather that night - rain, lightening, thunder wind etc.
Therefore what was really happening as the wind blew heavily, the electrical wire rubbed on the galvanize creating some friction and apparently that part of the wire was scratched and exposed and when that part of the wire touched the galvanize (zinc) it created sparks (fire like reflections) intermittently and that is what caused the flying lights seem to be that of a soucouyan flying.
Now the scene as I said was well set for this; the cemetery (dead people) no one goes or trespasses in cemetery at night, it is only soucouyan who does, this is our belief. The howling wind gave the scene more or greater impact to this belief, the wire flapping on the roof of the generator house so fast gave even greater impact. Standing on the school platform and looking towards the sea in the same direction of the cemetery, MY God what would you think of, Only a Soucouyan?
I took my friends closer to the generator house and only then they were convinced that it was not a soucouyan. Come on no need to pray and run, let us go the backyard and play some hopscotch and laugh it off.
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// posted by TheDominican.net @ 6:31 PM
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LOL...real interesting story. I'm a skeptic as well when it comes to things of that nature...I like to think logically, its always safer that way.
# posted by 
: April 10, 2009 8:57 PM
: April 10, 2009 8:57 PM
Francis,
Your story is very interesting and enjoyable. I wasn't as fortunate as you to dispel a story about soukoyans but heard all about them from my late grand father Teatang' (Hiltan J. Finn)in Castle Bruce when ever I came to visit him in Jalousie aa a little boy.
But growing up further east in La Plaine there were always stories about these creatures of the night and many claims of encounters with them. Of course whenever one of them was 'heading your way' the fastest thing we use to do was take off our shirts and put it back as quickly as we could the wrong way. That was to netralize the power of the creature.
I believe I may 'have seen one ot two' (a big light in the early morning La Plaine night sky when my friends and I went for mangoes about 4:30 in the morning. It was next to a lady's house who everyone 'knew' was definitley a soukoyan'.
Over thee years I began to think about soukoyans, lageblesse and logugawons and such and have had some discussions on that subject as well. I wrote an article entilted 'lagablesse and cell phones'. I content that now that every one has a cell phone does not mean that the creatures of the night have moved to the mountains away from civilization? Or are there any left in the villages?
But the question is who were being tagged as soukoyans? Years later I determined that it was the poor old women ('malaeway') of the villages (certainly in La Plaine) who were rumored to be soukoyans. Was it old age, poverty or not having a husband or something else that made people think that someone was a soukoyan?
What about the lageblesse? She was always a white woman with one foot human and the other foot horse or donkey. Where did she come from? The lougawons were always men and somehow theyhad some standing in the community......The lougawous would be riding a horse with a unbrella and deck out in a white suite....They would venture out after 12:00 midnight. You didint want to get in that horse's way for that would spell trouble for you.
I would like to hear your thoughts on that. But your story is very interesting, funny and it brought back nostalgic memories for me of an earlier time when life was a bit simplier back in the Au vent region far far away from Washington DC where I now make my home.
Maybe you should write a book Francis on that topic.
Thanks
Emanuel Finn
Your story is very interesting and enjoyable. I wasn't as fortunate as you to dispel a story about soukoyans but heard all about them from my late grand father Teatang' (Hiltan J. Finn)in Castle Bruce when ever I came to visit him in Jalousie aa a little boy.
But growing up further east in La Plaine there were always stories about these creatures of the night and many claims of encounters with them. Of course whenever one of them was 'heading your way' the fastest thing we use to do was take off our shirts and put it back as quickly as we could the wrong way. That was to netralize the power of the creature.
I believe I may 'have seen one ot two' (a big light in the early morning La Plaine night sky when my friends and I went for mangoes about 4:30 in the morning. It was next to a lady's house who everyone 'knew' was definitley a soukoyan'.
Over thee years I began to think about soukoyans, lageblesse and logugawons and such and have had some discussions on that subject as well. I wrote an article entilted 'lagablesse and cell phones'. I content that now that every one has a cell phone does not mean that the creatures of the night have moved to the mountains away from civilization? Or are there any left in the villages?
But the question is who were being tagged as soukoyans? Years later I determined that it was the poor old women ('malaeway') of the villages (certainly in La Plaine) who were rumored to be soukoyans. Was it old age, poverty or not having a husband or something else that made people think that someone was a soukoyan?
What about the lageblesse? She was always a white woman with one foot human and the other foot horse or donkey. Where did she come from? The lougawons were always men and somehow theyhad some standing in the community......The lougawous would be riding a horse with a unbrella and deck out in a white suite....They would venture out after 12:00 midnight. You didint want to get in that horse's way for that would spell trouble for you.
I would like to hear your thoughts on that. But your story is very interesting, funny and it brought back nostalgic memories for me of an earlier time when life was a bit simplier back in the Au vent region far far away from Washington DC where I now make my home.
Maybe you should write a book Francis on that topic.
Thanks
Emanuel Finn
# posted by : April 12, 2009 1:13 AM
: April 12, 2009 1:13 AM
Yeah Francis, this is a topic that almost everyone is scared to discuss but you are very brave I must say. I guess facts are better than fiction. Good job..... This could develop into good Mesye Kwik! Kwak! stories....Good job.
# posted by : April 13, 2009 1:28 PM
: April 13, 2009 1:28 PM
Emanuel, thanks for your response and much appreciate the comments. I have heard so much about Teatang from my mother Dora and from my holidays spent as child in Tranto and when I lived and worked in Castle Bruce. It is from there that my interest in this culture of soukouyan intensified as many people tried to scare me as I took the long walk home to Tranto having to cross the river either at the Bochiwi end or the Deeper end.
I feel that with the absence of electricity that gave it more impact for example when I lived in Madrelle, Loubirere, between that village and Citronier is a stretch of road called La La Coco and at that time there was no electricity as the street was dark, very dark and most people would chose to run that strecth until they arrived in Loubiere under the safety of street lights. The thing is I enjoyed and marvelled that people always saw soukouyans etc flying high up in the mountains and on lonely pieces of road like La La Coco and why all of a sudden in the early 1980`s all that disappeared. The simple answer is this, that is when Domininca undertook a massive islandwide electiricty programme under Miss Charles (Mamo) and her Freedom Party Government. Before that these places was extremely dark and people went hunting mostly every night for manicou, agouti etc and they each walked with their Bozie (or beer size bottle with kerosene in it and lit by a piece of cloth at the end). As these local hunters walked and hunt, the wind would blow the light and remember these hunters were never at one spot, they kept on moving and with all the leaves and trees and waving with the wind, that will determine how one down in the village see the light, that is at one point disappear and then reappear. So I would always hear people in the village shouting out there goes a soukouyan. So modernisation and elctricity has put the soukouyan industry out of business. I think they will emerge with cell phones one day, but who will top them up?
You are also right to ask about who was being labelled as soukouyan and it was always some unfotunate old lady with peculiar ways and habits, so unfortunately they just happen to innocently fit into the scheme of things. I think more research will have to be done to find out more the description, role and fetures of all the others like the lageblese and lougawous. Amen for that.
Mesye kwik ---------Kwak
I feel that with the absence of electricity that gave it more impact for example when I lived in Madrelle, Loubirere, between that village and Citronier is a stretch of road called La La Coco and at that time there was no electricity as the street was dark, very dark and most people would chose to run that strecth until they arrived in Loubiere under the safety of street lights. The thing is I enjoyed and marvelled that people always saw soukouyans etc flying high up in the mountains and on lonely pieces of road like La La Coco and why all of a sudden in the early 1980`s all that disappeared. The simple answer is this, that is when Domininca undertook a massive islandwide electiricty programme under Miss Charles (Mamo) and her Freedom Party Government. Before that these places was extremely dark and people went hunting mostly every night for manicou, agouti etc and they each walked with their Bozie (or beer size bottle with kerosene in it and lit by a piece of cloth at the end). As these local hunters walked and hunt, the wind would blow the light and remember these hunters were never at one spot, they kept on moving and with all the leaves and trees and waving with the wind, that will determine how one down in the village see the light, that is at one point disappear and then reappear. So I would always hear people in the village shouting out there goes a soukouyan. So modernisation and elctricity has put the soukouyan industry out of business. I think they will emerge with cell phones one day, but who will top them up?
You are also right to ask about who was being labelled as soukouyan and it was always some unfotunate old lady with peculiar ways and habits, so unfortunately they just happen to innocently fit into the scheme of things. I think more research will have to be done to find out more the description, role and fetures of all the others like the lageblese and lougawous. Amen for that.
Mesye kwik ---------Kwak
# posted by : April 14, 2009 2:10 PM
: April 14, 2009 2:10 PM Links to this post:
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