After Ford's death, a grainy film reel was found in his attic that shows a large and hairy figure shuffling upright between the trees. Modern claims of Rougarou sightings are few and far between, however, unlike reports of something strange seen in the swamps of Honey Island. The court would ask the public if they believed the accused to be a loup-garou, and usually the public agreed (mainly for fear that theyd be outed as a witch or a loup-garou themselves). Ready for the creatures that will haunt you in your sleep? In 1989 this man was alone on top of the levee near Bayou Steel; He was waiting for his brother to meet him to go hunting behind the levee. It had a face like a man and the body of an animal, said Herman Broom. Sam and Dean had a struggle with this one. He let his mind wander. Also known as Cajun fairies, these creatures can be either good or bad depending on the circumstances. The curse is transferred when it draws another human's blood. There's more to this 19th-century crime than the dark side of fairy lore. The story of the Rougarou supposedly changed once French immigrantsor possibly also French-Canadian immigrantscame to live in the area that is now Louisiana. The story of the Letieche is Louisianas Jungle Book. I am a journalist from Louisiana who has always been fascinated by folk lore and its cultural impact. Stories of these cajun folklore spirits originated in French culture and made their way into Louisiana folklore over time. The Audobon Zoo in New Orleans has an exhibit dedicated to the Rougarou, which includes a statue of the creature itself. Why do Bud's Broiler's burger prices conflict? The commuter stated that the headlights of his car shined directly onto the creature so they got a pretty good look at it. Past participants have described the festival as fun, and until COVID it had managed to attract a decent crowd each year. Their curse usually comes from a local witch, sometimes a Voodoo priestess. When French settlers came to Louisiana, the story came with them. 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. The Rougarou of the Bayou Louisiana is a fascinating place whose history is rich with legends from long ago. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. The cousins decided to turn around and go back the direction they came to avoid a close encounter with this unknown, imposing, bipedal creature. Bears can stand up and run on their hind legs, whereas, wolves cannot. Let us know in the comments below! We do have water spirits, such as Leviathan, a giant alligator spirit, who is actually mentioned in the Bible. Modern claims of Rougarou sightings are few and far between, however, unlike reports of something strange seen in the swamps of Honey Island. 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. 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. Mr. Nameless wasnt sure what he saw, but I was convinced. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. The different versions of the Rougarou beast are as many as reported sightings of the beast. A quick browse and youll find many pictures of the Rougarou. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Despite being a monster of legends, just like its cousin the werewolf, the Rougarou has its weakness. The creature in question was described by the officer as being an eight foot talk, bipedal hominid, dark hair (not fur), and massively build. Could these sightings be and unknown species of hominid living for the most part, undetected in the southeast Louisiana wilderness? A human would have a substantial amount of trouble walking through the terrain. What is the Rougarou? Frogs croak their songs in the distance and mosquitos buzz as they fly around looking for their next meal. The tales of the Rougarou have many variations, but it is mostly described as being a hulking beast, up to 10 feet tall, with the hair covered body of a human and the head of a wolf or in some cases a . 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. Love Louisiana? The anonyms Laplace man said he was out near Ruddock with a friend, they were clearing land with a bulldozer when they came across footprints in the mud that were at least 19 inches in length. The Rougarou roams the bayou in search for misbehaving children to frighten. According to folklore, a Rougarou is a human that has been placed under a spell. Once the human is cursed, it is permanent. I got more specific with my search terms and soon stumbled upon something that reignited the idea of a creature like Bigfoot existing in our parts. Jerry Major's Curious Louisiana question is more than an inquiry about a pronunciation. In the same story from The Nicholls Worth, the author, Brandon Folse, heavily quotes Patricia Perrin, a retired English instructor and folklore specialist. There has been some dispute about whether or not this myth is actually related to the French Louisiana Rougarou legends. One day her husband was walking back from his shop in the backyard, and was pretty shook up over what he witnessed. It was near 2am and both parties were hesitant to walk to the car to retrieve the purse. Some sources claim the myth originated in medieval France, when belief in werewolves would have been far more prevalent. The few folks that lay eyes on these creatures are simply catching an interloper just visiting. In some cases, they are your loved ones coming to greet you and bring good fortune. 7910 park ave houma, la (985) 580-7289 . He told me it made no since for someone to be crossing the road at that point. The creature is only vaguely seen in the film with a head resembling a bear. The monster has its own Wikipedia pageand has been the source of numerous news stories and documentaries. 1983 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Honey Island Swamp Monster Personally, Id never hear about something terrible and say, Yep, thats definitely the work of a werewolf. She finally located the purse she grabbed it and quickly ran inside the house. If your keys go missing without explanation, it could be a Lutin! I came across a LObservateur article that ran around Halloween 2002, titled: Let the haunting good times roll. Address: Rougarou Fest, 7910 W Park Ave, Houma, LA 70364, USA. This sighting took place just north of the Manchac Swamp region, about a quarter mile away from Hwy. The brave friend dismissed what she saw for a moment and continued to search for the purse in the dark. The plantation's most popular (and yet to be debunked) encounter is the apparition of a young . Foret is now director of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, a nonprofit that educates students, in the classroom and on field trips, about the challenges of sea level rise, climate change, and living in a coastal communityone still recovering from 2021s Hurricane Ida. Discover the secrets of Louisiana lifestyle and explore Ruston, home of the Peach Festival. She says a local boy was being followed by a dog when he decided to cut it with his pocketknife. Louisiana has the most unique culture Ive discovered in the US and thats saying something being a native of Appalachia. The New Orleans Pelicans had originally thought about changing their names from the Hornets to the Rougarous at one point! There were no apparent wounds or blood, but the fresh carcass looked like it had been battered and crushed. I'm considering creating a documentary on the legend of the Rougarou when I get some more free time in the future. Then my son started asking me about the rougarou legend and I was like a wha t? There are multiple categories you can enter, including ones for kids and pets. 1989 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. Legendary Monsters of Louisiana: Rougarou | PeachTown One recent supposed sighting came from a woman in Harvey, Louisiana, who claimed she saw a Grunch eating one of her neighbor's dogs. Legends of the Rougarou. This was a deep dense pine forest with rolling Knolls and the occasion small marsh(bayou). Great words, you could make a short story out of that Peason Ridge setting! 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. It was eventually through the Cajun French that the name Rougarou came to be. Mr. Nameless admitted that he did not want to slow down to get a good look. Rougarou - Wikipedia As outlandish as that sounds some of the very details in this essay support that. Cauchemar is a monster that leaps out of childrens dreams and rides their backs. Southeast Louisiana Bigfoot Sightings. The monsters reputed locale, in the Honey Island Swamp, has an ominous and deadly history that precedes the legend. I had relatives that lived in Covington," Brettel said. On the last Saturday in October in the city of Houma, Rougarou Fest is held. The article reported the murder of a man killed because his whiskey was too good and too profitable. Hi, I live in Terrebonne Parish near swampy land that was formerly called Devils Swamp. 22. There was a problem saving your notification. I want more! The tale of Rougarou originates from Southern Louisiana, and is often told to young children to prevent them from misbehaving. Theyre not trying to eat you, Ancelet says. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. 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. ", This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Louisiana is a lovely place to visit. Bobby Brettel grew up in New Orleans, nearly 40 miles away from the moss-tangled bayous of eastern St. Tammany Parish's Honey Island Swamp. History of the Rougarou: Louisiana's Werewolf - Pelican State of Mind They take up residence in your home and play harmless tricks on you, so you shouldnt be too alarmed. 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. Even today he refuses to let anyone see it.". "I heard the story from veteran hunters. Local sanitation workers have supposedly reported seeing them raiding garbage cans or chasing trucks. We all have a notion that this world is a lot stranger than it seems on a surface level. A Police officer and his partner, responding to a neighborhood prowler call. The three adult men surveyed the area from the inside of the truck. In one version, the beast hunts down and kills anyone who doesnt follow the rules of Lent. Legend of the Rougarou: Louisiana's Werewolf Turns out voodoo is still in. I hunt all over america and even in Africa a couple times ive run across crap that has made me avoid entire states and run across other things that i tried to stalk and kill one of these things i tried to kill is a loup garou i lived in deep louisiana until i was 11 i know about these things your gonna need some back story for this i subscribe to the idea that they are cursed humans and will have the curse till they die like wherewolves and the loup garou may even be a wherewolf because the only time ive ever found a claim of one that i couldnt easily blow off the description was the same as a where wolf like a humanoid grizzly bear on two legs with lots of steroids that aside i was doing some hunting one night for hog and saw a huge animal walk out stood 6 or 7 feet tall on two legs couldnt make out fine details due to light but i took a shot at it after i saw enough to realize it wasnt human i shot it in the head with a 45-70 those of you who dont get that its a rifle capable of taking large game like an elephant with one shot very strong round and for those of you who are gun people ill give some specs it was a 500 grain soft lead bullet hot loaded on 72 grains of powder (that doesnt sound like much but i shoot black powder in it not smokeless and no its not a muzzle loader it shoots brass cased bullets like a normal gun) anyway i hit it in the head and it got really pissed of and started to charge from about 200 yards away i shot it again in the chest and it ran off i spent the night tracking it mind you this all happemed at about 10 i only quit when i lost blood trail and foot print trail right around daylight i went home and that night there was a story of a man whos body had been found with two large holes that resembled bullet holes but it was ruled out because there was no trace of any lead or powder and he was drained of all his blood that chalked it up to a satanic ritual now to me it sounds like i killed a loup garou but hey maybe its still out there and just really pissed off.