51. There are documentaries about this you can easily find on YouTube. A story in The Nicholls Worth, a local college paper, titled "Rougarou Remains Strong Figure in Cajun Folklore," recounts a story from a woman about an experience in her youth. The officer reported that the creature crossed a 22 foot wide street in three strides. While most likely these stories are cautionary tales meant to keep kids from wandering into dangerous situations, it does make you think! Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. For instance, instead of labourer, meaning to plow, sometimes youll hear Cajuns say rabourer. The New Orleans Pelicans had originally thought about changing their names from the Hornets to the Rougarous at one point! I need to do some more research on those spirits! Discover the secrets of Louisiana lifestyle and explore Ruston, home of the Peach Festival. 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. Theres a lot of blue tarps still on roofs everywhere, says Foret. Louisiana native. The only one I say can I truly believe is the sighting told to me by Mr. Nameless and that is only because I have known him my entire life and trust him. 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. Massive Wolf-Like Creature Encountered by 2 Friend 1919 BEK (Black Eyed Kids) Incident in Sandoval, I 9 Ft. The article does not specify if this happened in the same area that he and his friend found the large footprints. Catholics are told it will hunt down and kill them if they don't obey Lent. If you decide to attend the festival or find yourself around the swamps, make sure to remember the tricks and tactics we covered in this article. Described as looking like a sloth, the creature was covered in a light grey hair, had a small round head and a brown nose. Childrens authors have started using alligators as characters. Since Cajun dialect is a mix of French and English and well-known for changing words completely to roll off the tongue easier, the name of the beast changed from loup-garou to Rougarou (also spelled roux-ga-roux, rugaroo, or rugaru). An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. This is similar to that of a traditional werewolf, however, unlike a werewolf, the Rougarou during the day appears weak, sickly, and vulnerable. Loup is French for Wolf, and Garou refers to a man that transforms into an animal. 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. Get more stories delivered right to your email. This version varies from being a Bigfoot legend to resembling something more like a wendigo. Its popularity has seen it placed on shirts, mugs, in Hollywood and even seen roller coasters named after it. This creature, also called Loup garou, is so popular it was depicted on the hit television series Supernatural. However, it is unlikely you will find any real pictures of a Rougarou, if there are any, as most claims of sighting have turned out to be a hoax. Thank you! Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Where can you find a Rougarou? In fact, instead of wolfish features, most Cajuns will describe the rougarou as resembling a dog or owl. To kill some time before his date, Mr. Nameless decided to take an evening cruise down Peavine Road to the lake. 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. They appear as fluorescent balls of light which loom over the marshlands of Louisiana. Rougarou. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. They are a defining characteristic of Louisiana culture and make the state a truly unique place to live. 9 Scariest Louisiana Monsters from Folklore, Legendary Monsters of Louisiana: Rougarou, Legendary Monsters of Louisiana: Cauchemar, 6 Exercises You Can Do with a Resistance Band, 4 Southern Traditions You Should Know About. She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." Sometimes I mix all of these subjects together. In these times, many crimes were blamed on the beast, ranging from theft to kidnapping of children. And speaking of scaring Catholics, one French Catholic myth claims that in order for someone to turn into a Rougarou, they must break Lent seven years in a row. 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. Logic would dictate that any such creature living in southeast Louisiana would appear thinner in both frame and hair because of the climate and wet conditions. Cajun legend says that the beast hunts down Catholics who dont follow the rules of Lent, which is similar to the telling of the old French stories. Despite your personal beliefs in the supernatural, these legends abound and continue to be told in the cajun lands to this day. These loup-garous became a fear for many people in the country, leading to them earning their place in legends passed down to children. I had been riding my bike through the trails in the woods that were in the back of Laplace Park. There wasnt much to his story, but the seriousness of his delivery, and the apparent reluctance to tell me, gave his words credence. Such monster makeovers are common. What he described to me, in my mind was a Bigfoot sighing. The Rougarou life involves shapeshifting into its beast form every night, then being forced to transform back into a human at sunrise. The commuter stated that the headlights of his car shined directly onto the creature so they got a pretty good look at it. Personally, Id never hear about something terrible and say, Yep, thats definitely the work of a werewolf. When not writing about all the amazing things to be found in her state, her central passion is dreams and the wisdom they can offer, which you can learn more about by visiting KeziaVida.com, Treat Yourself To A Homemade Ice Cream Cone At The Sweetport In Louisiana, This Train Restaurant In Louisiana Is The Most Enchanting Place To Eat, This Enchanting And Historic Town In Louisiana Is The Perfect Day Trip Destination, Best Hotels & Resorts in Louisiana: 12 Amazing Places to Stay, Theres Something Truly Unique About This Mom & Pop Truck Stop in Louisiana, 7 Folktales, Legends, and Superstitions Every Louisianian Has Heard At Least Once, The Spooky Legend Behind This Louisiana House Will Keep You Up At Night, 7 Creepy Louisiana Ghost Stories That Will Make You Sleep With The Lights On. Rougarou Caught on Aerial Footage Breakdown The Paranormal Review, Barbeque, and the Outdoors! "Who. Long, thin arm attached to a 6 to 7 foot frame. Tall Pale Humanoid Observed by a Young Man Near Tw Sparsely Furred Humanoid Encountered in Eastern Ke Shapeshifting 'Skitini' Monster Seen by Native Boy 8-9 Ft. Not in the Pacific Northwest, but right there in Laplace! In one version, the beast hunts down and kills anyone who doesnt follow the rules of Lent. A story in The Daily Comet titled "Tales of The Rougarou Still Haunt Local Memories" states, "In the past, rumors about strange or eccentric neighbors would float through small bayou communities, labeling various people as the dreaded Rougarou." When the child saw the dog transform into a man, he dashed home to tell his family. If you thought voodoo was a thing of the past, think again! They described it as a cross between a whimpering dog and human crying. The Rougarou Supernatural Cameo Explained, Legend of the Rougarou: The Complete Loup-garou Guide. This continued for 15 minutes until the sound started to travel away. Dragons, once the ultimate test of a heros courage, have been effectively domesticated. Overall, Weve seen the evolution of the werewolf become a more sophisticated, debonair character, Ancelet says. You are responsible for all Content that you post, email or otherwise make available via the Phantoms and Monsters Site. I spent a couple summers in Sabine Parish out on North Fort Fort Polk on a tract of ground called Peason Ridge(Little Nam). It was late in the evening when Mr. Nameless flagged me down. Stories of werewolves and hideous creatures from hell have their roots in human behaviors that are seen as beastly and satanic. He has the body of a man, head of a werewolf, and sharp teeth that can seamlessly tear through flesh. Discover Louisiana's legendary werewolf: the Rougarou. Required fields are marked *. According to folklore, a Rougarou is a human that has been placed under a spell. 61 when they saw a creature pop up out from the bank of the canal that parallels Airline. 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. We can only hope Ruston, LA never decides to build a Grunch Road. The mud was too sloppy to retain any prints. DATE. Case closed. This was one interesting problem that they had to deal with centuries ago. The next day Mr. Nameless, his older brother, and a mutual friend went ride back out to Peavine. What he told me next has stuck in my memory, and was the spark that lit the flame regarding personal interest I took in all things weird, and strange. The trickster figure really went from being the bad guy, the one to watch out for, to being a hero, says Rabalais, adding that the shift reflected the reality of the people who told and retold the stories. 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. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Thu 06/01/23. It was late in the evening and getting dark, so they could not see into the bush. Your email address will not be published. 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 few folks that lay eyes on these creatures are simply catching an interloper just visiting. Once the girl was halfway to the vehicle she noticed her friend was still standing at the front door of the house. By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. 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. Stories on its origin vary, but some say its a spirit while others claim its a child that was raised by alligators. She witnessed someone slinking around her property. 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. Offer subject to change without notice. Listen Live . 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. Thanks for sharing it with us! If a child disappeared or a house was ransacked, loup-garou often became the scapegoat. After being spotted, the creature ran between two houses then continued to the street when it passed under a streetlight. According to some other accounts, the process of transferring the curse involves the willingly human drawing the blood of the Rougarou. Just hope this Louisiana monster doesnt get hold of you. Kezia Kamenetz is a native to southern Louisiana and lives in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans currently. 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 two young women decided they would go to the car together. 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. Some Louisiana monsters are walking around in plain sight! The report suggests that these two encounters took place in roughly the same area. It was eventually through the Cajun French that the name Rougarou came to be. Official Post from Deborah Hatswell BBR Being Believed Research & Investigation The neighbor then said he saw an 8 foot tall creature standing on two legs. The bright lights of the stars flicker in the murky licks of the waves near the towering, ominous Cypress trees. In the late summer of the early 90's (actual year up for debate), I was riding my bike. Most Christians believe any spirit that is not a holy one is a demonic spirit. Theyre not trying to eat you, Ancelet says. Full report can be found on bfro.net Report # 56107. Perhaps this giant was not a fan of small talk, and from the direction of travel I suspect the giant was heading home to Chackbay. Definitely a loup-garou. Legend says that the Rougarou will hunt these individuals down and suck their blood, feeding on their energy for up to 101 days. Love Louisiana? Audobon's website also has Rougarou t-shirts for sale. Wow, this is most definitely going to be my art project gonna be difficult but I'll get it done. There were no apparent wounds or blood, but the fresh carcass looked like it had been battered and crushed. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. Back in the 16th century, theyd regularly blame various crimes on loup-garous. The Giants body appeared to be covered with reddish hair. Where are you from? Kliebert got no response. It happened to three of us on Texas river,not sure if it was real or not ,but what we heard was not native to Texas . An unknown creature has been mutilating and killing animals and perhaps humans in southern Louisiana; some locals attribute the attacks to a rougarou. 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.. They had no clue to what creature could make such a sound. Or else you may find yourself prey to the legendary Rougarou. 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