Betsy Ross mends her Flag

Ah get so much jook in meh finger, I need Detol fast

Feinin- Hermes – Betsy Ross is mending her Flag which Old Calypso is fraying apart leaving only one colour resembling stained blood red

One evening, La Diablesse and Betsy went to the Queen’s Park Savannah to get some beastly cold coconut water from a vendor you wouldn’t want to be his wife from the way he handled his cutlass. Diablesse was still upset over her failing looks, and for the third week straight she didn’t cause any car wrecks like before when men strained their necks to see her gait.

Across from the street, where the Majestic Seven stood, and fences to protect seven erected RESTORATION IN PROGRESS billboards, Betsy noticed that her beloved flag conceived over the great wars of Independence in !962 was fraying. The symbolic bands of Red, White and Black were separating. This was the home of Mama Dlo’s current husband and something had to be done for such a show of degradation and disrespect.

At the stroke of twelve midnight, Ligahoo and Soucouyant members of the Super Seven whose motto reads, “You tink yuh smart, yuh grave dig already, Shadow waiting at yuh home” fell upon the gates of White Hall. Soucouyant put she Bmobile free minutes after 12pm spell on de sleeping real African guard and wake he quick. Ligahoo, disguise and climb up de flag pole as a manicou, turn and he and he bamsee look down at Soucouyant too, making free calls she self. She calling she neighbour to check in on she skin, if it still hanging.

When de Super Seven arrived by Betsy, Betsy find it strange, why dem two bring she flag in two HiLo bag, is one nation she remember. The rags smelled of oil, gas and Mint printing ink dirty up wit many clawing hands, local and foreign. “Mildred, where de Clorex, meh flag have stubborn stain to remove”.

A State of Emergency – Betsy Ross works throughout the night to finish her task to cover her coffin with her beloved flag, then leaves to work on a two hundred year old year old cloth called, Old Glory

Addendum: Betsy Ross 1752 – 1836 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been credited with assembling the first American flag. I sat in my chair and thought about God, duty and the freedom fighters. The stars left hope for the birth of the confederation of an untied union

Ligahoo or Loup Garou Trinidad and Tobago Folklore

Loup Garou fools villagers

What a Loup Garou looks like and what animal he transforms to

The “Ligahoo” or “Loup Garou” is a Trinidad and Tobago folklore character who can change into a werewolf. He is a beast you should not cross yet dealing with him in trade is another matter. If ever you see a Ligahoo he would see you before you wink of an eye, then you’ll see something else. The Ligahoo owns the streets and can be distinguished as a go happy man dragging his coffin around with full with Bush Rum and by a chain. The Werewolf creature can be seen if dog yampee is placed in the corner of your eye. The Loup Garou can’t see you or can he?. The myth over the dog yampee remains as the ability to see spirits of the afterlife.

Loup Garou morphs into a wolf and fools villagers as a transparency to transports his goods to his many Bush Rum clients. Neighbor is your dog howling so?

Now you interviewing me, yuh ain’t see is six o’clock, meh body time ready. I have meh business to carry. Dat coffin ain’t light with all dem spirits. Yeh brother still want a few nip bottles?

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The Shadow / Basile Caribbean Folklore

The Shadow or Basile a Caribbean folklore character that addresses premise of death. If you regrettably encounter him, he will appear as a man in a black suit that will stand in your path. The shadow holds two sticks to prevent you from passing him. Other superstitions on death’s waiting door are seeing a black moth, or that of a bird trapped in your house. Basile will visit.

listen Shadow Basile man, stay away from my window, no interviews today

You, you in here, I have no time to waste. Think very carefully over your next choice. I am not leaving here alone. I hope what you left behind on this earth is of worth. You better not tell me that you cause harm to others getting the things you wanted. Look at those things now, is its worth greater than you life.

Maman de l’eau Trinidad Folklore

Maman de l’eau sex down the place with the Prime Minister

Maman de l’eau finds no water and her rivers clogged with refuse of man made materials of plastic, paper, glass and poisonous chemicals – See the other Trinidad and Tobago’s folklore characters

The folklore character Mama Dlo’, whose name is derived from the French which means ‘mother of the water’ is a hideous creature, Mama Dlo’s lower half takes the form of an anaconda. She is said to be the lover of Papa Bois. Hunters tell of hearing a loud, cracking sound which is said to be her tail as she snaps it on the surface of a still lagoon. Mortal men who commit crimes against the forest, like burning down trees or indiscriminately putting animals to death or fouling the rivers, find themselves married to her for life.

Sometimes Maman de l’eau takes the form of a beautiful woman singing silent songs on still afternoons, sitting at the water’s edge in the sunlight, lingering for a golden moment. If you were to meet Mama Dlo in the forest and wish to escape her, take off your left shoe, turn it upside down and immediately leave the scene, walking backwards until you reach home. Transcribe in part Newsday Newspaper Millennium Special, 2000

Maman de l’eau showing off her real Coconuts in a classic Marilyn Monroe pose

Its true, I marry to he, the Prime Minister because he repeatably commit crimes against the forests and rivers of my homeland. Is forty seven years I marry to he, over and over. A different face but to same behavior. I can’t take it, he need help before Papa Bois flood he out like last year. So how is your love life? Dat man strip down all the Bois Band bark and ah still not satisfied.

Addendum: Maman de l’eau is Papa Bois’ consort and spends most of her time sitting on a rock combing her yellow hair

Soucouyant Trinidad Folklore

A Soucouyant at the moment she sheds her skin and turns into a ball of fire. Take a handful of salt to protect yourself. If you see the ball of fire coming fast towards you, pelt she with it

Soucouyant ain’t easy, she is a wicked flying vampire who likes to suck the blood of the young first born who have dirty thoughts on their mind. No matter where what you do, she knows what you are thinking. And when you think is safe, she’ll appear and bite and suck all the blood out. Only when they find two pin marks on your body, she’ll live another day. If you see a ball of fire in the sky, run for salt . Soucouyants generally attacks you while you sleep. To prevent a Soucouyant from entering your home, you must leave a plate of rice near the window where she will count every grain before she can enter. If she miscounts, she’ll start counting the rice again.

Soucouyant opens up, I is a strong and independent lady, neighbors does jealous over dat

Miss Soucouyant (spinster) orignally from Mayaro village, Trinidad sits down for an exclusive interview to quell the misconceptions over her alleged blood addiction, fire and skin issues of tormenting her community. Her skin she says is all natural. “The skin the the largest organ in the body, you have to take good care of it”. With a few dry tear drops wiped with a orange hankie taken from her brassiere, Miss Ball of Fire always wanted to be a seamstress, she went to morning school to learn the trade, but her natural routine kept her up all night and she was too exhausted. “Its something my grandmother always taught me, kept your family customs, instead of two bites, just bite one” Miss Soucouyant said the only way to stop her is to stop thinking of naughty thoughts and stay awake all night. She also mentioned she’s extremely allergic to salt.

The moral of this myth is based on the stigma or ostracizing of a woman if she lives alone or is unmarried. There terms are to keep your mind clean and not to gossip over things that not concern you.

Addendum: One of the most believed folklore characters with stories of seeing a Soucouyant in the sky and of one been stoned (Old railway, San Fernando). The victim being a sick old woman who lived alone and was believed to be a Soucouyant based on a skin malady.This is the result of the salt affects on her skin. The Soucouyant sheds her skin and hangs it up before she turns in a ball of fire. At night, you must enter her house and put salt on it.

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La Diablesse Trinidad Folklore

La Diablesse protected under a Silk Cotton tree and sweet smell of eau de perfume – See the other Trinidad and Tobago’s folklore characters

La Diablesse, Lajablesse, – Female Devil, a folklore character of a beautiful woman who is dressed in white and wears a white brim hat. She has one foot like a cow. La Diablesse entices men astray at night and into the forest where they both disappear. The moral of this myth stems from preventing men from the wondering eye or being mislead by the ills of a woman’s lure causing harm by the possibility of contracting a venereal disease or committing adultly

Girle, is hard times, I have to complete with dem younger Diablesses fighting over prime territory in Port of Spain, Woodbrook area. Meh mind strong but meh body weak. Fellas does pass meh straight on the street, when times I was Nanny Queen. I losing meh charm, meh eyes getting puffier, meh face falling, meh hoof need filing. I ain’t like going home in the forest by myself. Sometime I have to storm wedding to get attention. I does feel shame when no man does break their neck at see me these days. I go salt dem young Wajang with Obeah.

Addendum: The La Diablesse ‘s beauty is transformed when the whatless man discovers who she really is after she smokes Papa Bois’ pipe to reveal her honorific face. She then exposes her cow hoof. Papa smoke he pipe, yuh done. The whatlesss man is one who is drunk after a village dance and on his way home through a lonely sugar cane patch.

Douens Trinidad Folklore

A douen calling your disobedient children into the forest – See the other Trinidad and Tobago’s folklore characters

Douens lurk on the fringes of your garden and call out to your unattended children to come out and play. Douen are one of the many colourful yet frightening folklore characters from Trinidad and Tobago and are the result of children who have died before they have been baptized.

Douens have a distinguishing deformity as their feet are backwards. This is to cover their tracks as they lure children into the forest and get them lost. These stocky creatures are faceless with the exception of having a mouth to eat their favourite food, land crab.

Morals: children should be baptized, Children should not wonder far from their parents and to scare and place some order of obedience if a child does not listen to her or her parent.

Hey Douen, keep still

A douen takes time out of its mischievous life to cause more mischievousness. ” You know my story, you should know why I feel this way. Not baptized before my time, do you know what this means, and the stigma it carries in families generations and generations to come. I’m lost here, I need your children to play with. Can you understand that? I’m just a short child. And don’t look down at my feet. Thats my parents inbreeding. Don’t you know cousins aren’t to marry each other. Don’t you know it causes madness. Check any royal blood line, ain’t dem people different from us? Its a defect, genes aren’t to be from the same pool”.

Addendum: The douen character also applies to the lost a fetus through an abortion or miscarriage