Despite the Rougarou legend seemingly beginning as a way to scare Catholics and children, many locals maintain its existence and have their own personal stories, especially among the older generation. In Assumption Parish it is common place for house to be built substantially off the ground to withstand inevitable flood waters. The Rougarou is an important figure in Cajun legends. A woman reports that several nights before the actual sighting there was something rummaging around underneath ther house. The Rougarou (Cedar Point) roller coaster is located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Rougarou Caught on Aerial Footage Breakdown The Paranormal Review, Barbeque, and the Outdoors! Where are you from? Kliebert got no response. There are many people in Louisiana who practice magic and wish curses upon us. Full report can be found on bfro.net Report # 56107. 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. When the child saw the dog transform into a man, he dashed home to tell his family. Southall returns for second stint as Rougarou manager in 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. 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. Sometimes I mix all of these subjects together. Acadiana. This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not be specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Often the story of the Rougarou has been used to instill fear in the hearts of Cajun children as a way to command obedience. A close friend of the family who was on his way to pick up his girlfriend, she lived down the street from my dad. Crafty. 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. Only you can prevent forest fires, and so only you can save Louisianas wetlands.. Seguin. This beast first sighted in 1963 is reminiscent of the popular DC character known as Swamp Thing. 1990-1992 (early 90s) St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Some legends of the beast say it can only be killed by fire, others say it can be killed while its in its vulnerable human form. 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. She witnessed someone slinking around her property. Listen Live . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com. Catholics are told it will hunt down and kill them if they don't obey Lent. This will perplex it, and it will keep recounting until the sun comes up and it must flee. Other more out there schools of thought would suggest that these creatures or of a different origin, Alien, Spirit, even faerie. Ready for the creatures that will haunt you in your sleep? Tell your version of this mythical creature in Louisiana in the comments below! She describes the Rougarou as "an important identification marker for South Louisiana's culture." The earliest report takes place in the swampy forest of Back Vacherie in 1891.An excerpt from Along The River Road, Past and Present on LouisianasHistoric Byway by Mary Ann Sternberg. Whereas the loup-garou in France roamed the forest looking for children, the rougarou of Southern Louisiana lurks about the Bayou looking for prey. Ruston doesnt have a swamp, but if it did. We love to hear your feedback. 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. Then, they would round up village folks that they assumed were Loup-Garous, and hold public trials for them. By the end, youll know the scariest rumors circulating in cajun land. I came across a LObservateur article that ran around Halloween 2002, titled: Let the haunting good times roll. I suppose anything is possible, and while the Bigfoot sighting phenomena originated in the Pacific Northwest, it seems more than plausible that such a creature could exist here. Over the last century, hurricanes, sea level rise, and problematic development projects, such as damming the Mississippi River, have caused Louisiana to lose more than 2,000 square miles of land. It was still very much daylight when this happened but the only detail he could make out was that the creature was upright and a bipedal hominid, dark in color. The brave friend stated that something in her mind told her to look ahead. Local stories say the Rougarou roams the streets at night, antagonizing people to attack it. For the sake of anonymity this family friend will remain nameless, so I will refer to him as Mr. Nameless. Generations of youngsters have heard the scary tales. The name Rougarou (Loup-Garou) is a French term meaning warewolf. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Tue 05/30/23. Mr. Nameless wasnt sure what he saw, but I was convinced. And then I realized that is what I saw! It's okay, because we're here to bust them! No purchase necessary. Other variations say a Rougarou can turn their victims merely by making eye contact. I remember when the physician shot himself here in Lockport. The hybrid whimpering could still be heard, and was clear and near, but still no visible sign of what was producing these sounds. According to reports, this Louisiana monster looks human, except for his sharp teeth, goat legs, and many abnormalities. Stumbling upon the LObservateur article reignited my borderline obsessive interest in these types of creature sightings. Where can you find a Rougarou? There are documentaries about this you can easily find on YouTube. People who didnt have a lot of physical or social power in society found a way to survive through being clever., Even Louisianas infamous and very real alligators have undergone a rebranding. According to these legends, the Rougarou when it comes across the pennies will begin to count them. An elderly witness recently observed a pair of 8 foot tall upright canines stalking a herd of cattle in southern Beauregard Parish On May 4, 2020 I posted the following - Upright Canine (Possible 'Rougarou') Encountered in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana - In which a Beauregard Parish, Louisiana property owner and his young daughter encountered an utterly terrifying upright canine near their home. It was near 2am and both parties were hesitant to walk to the car to retrieve the purse. Their friendly, but often sinister, nature makes these Cajun fairies some of the most dangerous Louisiana monsters. For instance, in 2015, the floorless roller coaster Mantis was renamed Rougarou. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. Buy Tickets. Southeast Louisiana Bigfoot Sightings. The French actually have a similar story of the Loup-garou. Glad the information was here. Scary Bigfoot Incident Near Daniels, Maryland. Some have claimed it to be the body of a Rougarou, though others have speculated it might be a Chupacabra or Devil Monkey. Lurking in the woods and wetlands of southern Louisiana, according to Cajun legend, theres a ferocious monster that attacks the wayward and the wanderer. What he described to me, in my mind was a Bigfoot sighing. A human would have a substantial amount of trouble walking through the terrain. The rougarou is like our Smokey the Bear, says Foret. 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. Werewolves have transformed, too, and not just into the Teen Wolf tv show and movie. all proceeds from rougarou fest go to the south louisiana wetlands discovery center click here to learn more. However, many people also believe it's just a dog. If you thought voodoo was a thing of the past, think again! At the annual October events rougarou costume contest, the fests mascot is reimagined hundreds of different ways, including as an eco-activist. Once the human is cursed, it is permanent. The Rougarou of the Bayou Louisiana is a fascinating place whose history is rich with legends from long ago. The neighbor, who was unaware of the husbands sighting, stated that while walking with his dog in the woods, his dog got spooked and ran back toward their house. About half way back to the railroad crossing, 100 yards up the road. Now, nearly 400 years since the legend of the Rougarou first began to circulate, people are encountering the creature once again. In France during the 16th century, they used to blame various crimes that were committed throughout the villages on the Loup-Garou. An unknown creature has been mutilating and killing animals and perhaps humans in southern Louisiana; some locals attribute the attacks to a rougarou. We love meat too, but come on. Deep in the swamps of south Louisiana, legend has it, there lives the Rougarou a mythical werewolf type creature with sharp claws and glowing eyes. This a great article!! If a child disappeared or a house was ransacked, loup-garou often became the scapegoat. 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. Cajun legend says that the Rougarou is under a 101-day curse, unless the affected person can transfer the curse to another human being. Out of the shaking bush came a large hairy arm, grabbed a handful of leaves then went back in. DATE. But as someone who lives in Louisiana and knows many Catholics who break Lent, I'm not so sure about this myth's validity. This was a deep dense pine forest with rolling Knolls and the occasion small marsh(bayou). We got kicked out of Nova Scotia, and now were getting kicked out of Louisiana and it just feels like theres some generational trauma linked to being forced to move over and over again, he says. I spent a couple summers in Sabine Parish out on North Fort Fort Polk on a tract of ground called Peason Ridge(Little Nam). Kezia Kamenetz is a native to southern Louisiana and lives in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans currently. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. There she saw standing next to a tree 25 feet away a creature that she described as being extremely tall and white. Personally, Id never hear about something terrible and say, Yep, thats definitely the work of a werewolf. Louisiana native. There were no apparent wounds or blood, but the fresh carcass looked like it had been battered and crushed. Mr. Nameless admitted that he did not want to slow down to get a good look. The giant was walking westerly at a quick pace with a sorrowful but purposeful look. After that point, her spell was lifted. Despite being a monster of legends, just like its cousin the werewolf, the Rougarou has its weakness. Theres an annual Rougarou Festival in Houma every year, and the Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has a Rougarou exhibit, which includes a statue of the creature in all its swampy glory. 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They look for blood donors who are willing to sell them blood, and yes, they drink it. 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 Rougarou And Other Fearful Creatures That Haunt The Bayou By Brad Goins Cryptozoology is the study of imaginary or mythical creatures. 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. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Discover Louisiana's legendary werewolf: the Rougarou. Massive Wolf-Like Creature Encountered by 2 Friend 1919 BEK (Black Eyed Kids) Incident in Sandoval, I 9 Ft. At this point, the beast is forced to retreat as its human form begins to resurface. A year later the boy killed himself and left a letter that the family turned over to the sheriff. 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. If you have lived in Louisiana, there is a significant chance you have heard the lore of the Rougarou (also spelled as Rouxgaroux). 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. Oh wow that sounds like an interested read, Bill! The concepts surrounding the Rougarous supernatural abilities link it closely with traditional concepts of the mythical werewolf. Bears can stand up and run on their hind legs, whereas, wolves cannot. Strange noise ? Its too late to turn back! An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. He hides in tall grass near Grunch Road in New Orleans, LA, waiting to prey on teens who park there. While the officers were talking to the lady, a K-9 unit arrived on scene and when they began their search the dog alerted to something. Audobon's website also has Rougarou t-shirts for sale. Modern claims of Rougarou sightings are few and far between, however, unlike reports of something strange seen in the swamps of Honey Island. There wasnt much to his story, but the seriousness of his delivery, and the apparent reluctance to tell me, gave his words credence. The Same LObservateur article that mentioned the Laplace mans sighting near Ruddock in 1983, also makes mention of another Laplace man that had a strange encounter on top of the levee near Bayou Steel. The report suggests that these two encounters took place in roughly the same area. As outlandish as that sounds some of the very details in this essay support that. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. 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