Some Louisiana monsters are walking around in plain sight! 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. What he described to me, in my mind was a Bigfoot sighing. He let his mind wander. "I heard the story from veteran hunters. The creature stood upright on two legs. The bright lights of the stars flicker in the murky licks of the waves near the towering, ominous Cypress trees. At the annual October events rougarou costume contest, the fests mascot is reimagined hundreds of different ways, including as an eco-activist. He hides in tall grass near Grunch Road in New Orleans, LA, waiting to prey on teens who park there. Over the decades, numerous people have talked of an ape-like creature or creatures living in swamps. 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. The Legends Of The Rougarou In Louisiana May Send Chills Down Your Spine Since the dawn of time, people have been telling stories. Described as looking like a sloth, the creature was covered in a light grey hair, had a small round head and a brown nose. Or else you may find yourself prey to the legendary Rougarou. It ended up passing within 15 yards of Mr. Klibert. In the official report the officer filed he was honest, but kept the details to a minimum, it was a very tall dark figure, with no description of clothing. No matter how you spell it, the Rougarou, Roux-Ga-Roux, Rugaroo, Rugaru, or Loup Garou is a werewolf type creature living in the folklore of Cajun French Louisiana. About four weeks ago, PB and his 5-year-old daughter were walking along their long dirt driveway that leads to their home. What I saw scared the life out of me. That festival is cool because it links folklore to current issues and things that people need to be aware of, Rabalais says. The unfortunate person is under the spell for 101 days. 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. 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. Once turned around, the cousin looked back and observed the creature now walking in the middle of the road and at a quicker pace toward the children. Even if I didnt believe his story, I believe his demeanor when recounting it. The sounds stopped just before it would have broke the tree line and became visible. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. The Rougarou is also thought to be nothing more than a bogeyman story to scare children or Catholics into obedience. The rougarou is like our Smokey the Bear, says Foret. Like the childhood game of telephone, the story morphs over the years as it gets passed down from generation to generation. By the end, youll know the scariest rumors circulating in cajun land. Who knows what it is? That's how I knew it wasnt a bear, another witness reported. Out hunting for deer, Hubert was perched atop an oak tree when he heard heavy sounds approaching from the woods behind him. However embracing legends, customs and tradition is the very foundation of culture. Origins of the Rougarou lie in 16th Century medieval French Folklore. "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. Childrens authors have started using alligators as characters. In closing Ive always considered Yeti to be more of a possibility than a werewolf. Feel free to email me at jsutherlin@onlyinyourstate.com. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! 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 Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. This was a deep dense pine forest with rolling Knolls and the occasion small marsh(bayou). 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. This legendary creature of Cajun folklore is often depicted in literature and images as a man with a wolfs or dogs head. On the last Saturday in October in the city of Houma, Rougarou Fest is held. Glad the information was here. Too afraid to move, he watched as a figure about 8 feet tall and hairy from head to toe passed slowly below him, eventually disappearing further into the woods. Wow, thank you for that insight! However, due to its incredibly poor math skills, the beast can only count to 12. When travelling down the interstate or the backroads in Louisiana, youll see lots of beautiful scenery. We love meat too, but come on. Is there a Louisiana werewolf? A quick browse and youll find many pictures of the Rougarou. This version varies from being a Bigfoot legend to resembling something more like a wendigo. I spent a couple summers in Sabine Parish out on North Fort Fort Polk on a tract of ground called Peason Ridge(Little Nam). 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 villagers would capture people they believed to be a loup-garou and then hold a public trial. Such monster makeovers are common. Recently I saw a picture of a bear with severe mange which looked like how people describe werewolves and rougarous. The rougarou is closely related to the European version of the werewolf but has a few very distinct differences from the wolfmen seen in movies and on television. A student attending St. Josephs seminary college had an experience that cannot be classified as a sighting, but rather and auditory experience. When the first drop of blood is drawn, the creature returns to human form and tells the attacker who it really is. Thats no werewolf, though. He flagged me down to speak with me. In the swamps within the Greater New Orleans area and the Acadiana is where this beast has come to live. When faced with a supernatural beast that has superhuman strength, speed, and sharp claws and teeth, chances are you wouldnt be feeling very lucky. Your email address will not be published. Aside from snakes and alligators, there are lots of predators and other scary things living there. Local sanitation workers have supposedly reported seeing them raiding garbage cans or chasing trucks. Once the human is cursed, it is permanent. The Rougarou Supernatural Cameo Explained, Legend of the Rougarou: The Complete Loup-garou Guide, US Ghost Adventures New Orleans Ghosts Review. The next day the man found the two Dobermans decapitated. Rougaroux Rum, manufactured by donner-peltier distillers in Thibodaux, Louisiana, has a special praline-flavored version called Rougaroux 13 Pennies. We know what you are probably thinking. However, according to other accounts, there is no escape from the curse. My Encounter With a Rougarou "aka Louisiana Werewolf". The two children ran the entire way home, about of a mile. He sees it as an example of the way cryptids evolve alongside the cultures that created them. Origins of the Rougarou lie in 16th Century medieval French Folklore. He was only about 100 yards away when it crossed so a person would not of had time to get far enough to disappear into the swamp. Crafty. Even the act of self-defense could be life-altering. 4. Lover of all things comedy, photography, and travel related. Your email address will not be published. [10] [11] Boxer Regis Prograis (of Creole descent) goes by the nickname Rougarou. He checked out the deer kept driving and turned around at the lake headed back towards Hwy. A woman named Barbara Mullins discovered a supposedly unidentifiable carcass on the side of the road in 1996. Both the officer and his partner got a good look at the creature when it passed under the streetlight. The mud was too sloppy to retain any prints. 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. 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. Registration begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, and the contest begins at 4 p.m. If youre familiar with Louisianas history, you know voodoo is part of it. Dragons, once the ultimate test of a heros courage, have been effectively domesticated. The Rougarou has a varied history, though all variations seem to trace it back to the French. How safe are you from this magnificent monster? You can reach the Curious Louisiana team at CuriousLouisiana@theadvocate.com. Official Post from Deborah Hatswell BBR Being Believed Research & Investigation You have permission to edit this article. Well written and well documented. Love Louisiana? More than a millennium ago, vampires were demonic vectors of disease, possibly reflecting the very real threat of rabies. All the cliches are therethey come out at night mostly. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. They are a defining characteristic of Louisiana culture and make the state a truly unique place to live. The rougarou, the Cajun cryptid said to haunt Louisiana's wetlands, is the mascot of a conservation effort for its traditional habitat. Two dead squirrels and a dead rabbit were found under the house where the creature had been rummaging. But for decades, hes wondered about one of the swamp's fabled creatures the Honey Island Swamp Monster, a legendary 500-pound beast that some claim hides amid the cypress trees andmurky waters. The Rougarou at Cedar Point is a prime example of Rougarou supernatural popularity. Local stories say the Rougarou roams the streets at night, antagonizing people to attack it. 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. 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. This will perplex it, and it will keep recounting until the sun comes up and it must flee. 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. These Louisiana monsters claim they feel lethargic and drained if they dont get the proper serving size of blood in on the regular. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have successfully subscribed to the PeachTown newsletter. The Rougarou myth is even so prevalent that the term "rougarouing" or similar terms have become used to describe a person who stays up late or is active at night. That kind of transformation happens and I suspect that whats going on with this festival., But unlike sexy vampires or friendly alligators, Forets rougarou has been reimagined to champion a specific cause: protecting its habitat, which in turn will protect our own. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Well, the rougarou of the Bayou country has a pretty strong link to the werewolf of ancient times in Europe and France. 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 . The creature is only vaguely seen in the film with a head resembling a bear. Dont believe us? Today, theyre suave and sexy, thanks in part to pop culture hits such as Interview with the Vampire, Twilight, and True Blood. The seminary student stood still, they got the impression that the source of the noise was moving along a path in the woods and getting closer. This creature, also called Loup garou, is so popular it was depicted on the hit television series Supernatural. Its too late to turn back! I tend to lean more on the flesh and blood theory but I think it is important to keep all possibilities in play. Did your house get ransacked during the night? Children can see and hear everything that happens, but they are unable to move. The next day Mr. Nameless, his older brother, and a mutual friend went ride back out to Peavine. And we value equal representation for allso they deserve a spot on our list of the scariest Louisiana monsters! This continued for 15 minutes until the sound started to travel away. The Rougarou at Cedar Point is one example of many as to how popular the folklore surrounding the beast truly is. It was eventually through the Cajun French that the name Rougarou came to be. 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. The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has an exhibit dedicated to the Rougarou, which includes a statue of the creature itself. The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has an exhibit dedicated to the Rougarou, which includes a statue of the creature itself. When French settlers came to Louisiana, the story came with them. 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. 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. 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. If you dont have the stomach to fight the beast, you can protect yourself through other means. Jerry Major's Curious Louisiana question is more than an inquiry about a pronunciation. It is most often described as having a human body with the head of a wolf or dog, with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth. They look for blood donors who are willing to sell them blood, and yes, they drink it. Coming across this story made me reach out to Mr. Nameless to see if he would entertain the idea answering some questions about the experience he had in the early 90s. What is the Rougarou? It throws its head back, letting out a blood-curdling howl to the moon. Discover the secrets of Louisiana lifestyle and explore Ruston, home of the Peach Festival. 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. Im not making this up. It was enough just enough working knowledge for me to form an opinion. 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. As outlandish as that sounds some of the very details in this essay support that. Apparently that was a thing they did back then. Just hope this Louisiana monster doesnt get hold of you. According to Native American legends, theres a creature in Terrebonne Parish that is the spirit of a child reincarnated as a beast. I dont remember verbatim what he told me that day but the gist of that conversation has stuck in my psyche with clarity for nearly 30 years. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Perrin's statement is quite obviously true due to the Rougarou's clear influence on local culture and beyond. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. See. The K-9 unit lost the scent once it ran into the marsh. 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. Whether the Rougarou is truly a cryptid stalking the streets at night just waiting to pass its curse on to the next unfortunate soul, or whether it is merely a tool used to scare Catholics into keeping Lent, it is clear that the Rougarou has left its mark on Southern Louisiana. The student waited 5 more minutes to see if the sounds would return but the encounter was over. You can find information on the legend of Cauchemar in folklore from all around the world, and it even exists in the Deep South. The human animal sobbing sounds were also accompanied by the snapping of branches and the crackling of leaves that gave the impression of something large moving through the woods. The officer that submitted this report has over 40 years in military and law enforcement, a degree in Anthropology, and self educated in Darwinism, math and quantum physics. A recent novel called The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. In fact, instead of wolfish features, most Cajuns will describe the rougarou as resembling a dog or owl. Your email address will not be published. It is most often described as having a human body with the head of a wolf or dog, with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth. I was thinking the same. Be careful, because Louisiana monsters are all over! The cryptid, usually described as a towering, hairy monster, is allegedly a human cursed to take beastly form. Its fingernails are grisly claws. The report suggests that these two encounters took place in roughly the same area. The lady said, "The next day, a distinguished physician arrived in town with his right arm bandaged and cut. Required fields are marked *. But you should 100% be on the lookout for alligators if you find yourself in the swamps at night. The concepts surrounding the Rougarous supernatural abilities link it closely with traditional concepts of the mythical werewolf. You interact with them, theyre dancing and theyre nice. 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. If you'vegot a questionabout something Louisiana-centric, ask us. Numerous ghost sightings have been reported over the years, making it one of the most haunted landmarks in the USA. In one version, the beast hunts down and kills anyone who doesnt follow the rules of Lent. I grew up that way and you would hear about strange things.. Louisiana has the most unique culture Ive discovered in the US and thats saying something being a native of Appalachia. 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. Their property backs up to a vast cypress swamp. Thank you! Bears can stand up and run on their hind legs, whereas, wolves cannot. 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.. 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. Often the story of the Rougarou has been used to instill fear in the hearts of Cajun children as a way to command obedience. For the sake of anonymity this family friend will remain nameless, so I will refer to him as Mr. Nameless. For more information, visit the Rougarou Fest website, and don't forget to give them a follow on Facebook so you don't miss out on any announcements. There are many people in Louisiana who practice magic and wish curses upon us. Beasts called loup-garous, which means werewolves in French, were also infamous throughout the country. A long-simmering proposal to dam the Pearl River near Jackson, Miss., has prompted concerns in southeast Louisina and southwest Mississippi about how such a project would impact the lower Pearl River. For centuries, if you didnt follow Catholic traditions, such as observing Lent, or if you hunted on holy days, the rougarou would get you. There were no apparent wounds or blood, but the fresh carcass looked like it had been battered and crushed. Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! Also known as Cajun fairies, these creatures can be either good or bad depending on the circumstances. After the officers spoke to the complainant they decided to do a search of the perimeter. Is there really a Honey Island Swamp Monster, Louisiana's Bigfoot? Near Avenue A around 9pm, He arrived at the scene and spoke to the lady that called it in. Let us know in the comments below! 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. Children are told by their elders to behave or else the Rougarou will get them. I believe that people are seeing these poor mangy bears instead of werewolves. Talk of the monster, of course, is also a staple of some of the swamp tours operating in the area. For instance, in 2015, the floorless roller coaster Mantis was renamed Rougarou. There wasnt much to his story, but the seriousness of his delivery, and the apparent reluctance to tell me, gave his words credence. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Not in the Pacific Northwest, but right there in Laplace! It's okay, because we're here to bust them! Some have claimed it to be the body of a Rougarou, though others have speculated it might be a Chupacabra or Devil Monkey. The sounds grew faint as the creature traveled deeper into the woods until they faded completely. Sam and Dean had a struggle with this one. The tale of Rougarou originates from Southern Louisiana, and is often told to young children to prevent them from misbehaving. A 9ft tall man with a black beard and what appeared to be a cloak of brown fur hanging from his neck by a rope. Proud foodie. Some sources claim the myth originated in medieval France, when belief in werewolves would have been far more prevalent. The woman also reported finding hair all over the yard front steps, and porch. Sorcery is everywhere, and after repeated viewings of Hocus Pocus, we know what were dealing with. The Loupe Garou has to be based on stories told by parents wanting there children to behave and make there beds clean the dishes ect ect. If you thought voodoo was a thing of the past, think again! Louisiana monsters have been the subject of controversy for years. Some even suggest a mix of biological and fringe. To my surprise I got text response saying Im outside in my backyard if you want to come over, its not much of a story. I remember it was a brief encounter and not many details but my objective was to write down what he remembered from his perspective, rather than a second-hand accounting from my childhood perspective. The name changed to rougarou in Cajun Louisiana because l and r are linguistically liquid consonants and they change places a lot, says Barry Jean Ancelet, a Cajun folklorist and professor emeritus with the University of Lafayette.