From: lstville@trentu.ca (LYNDELL PHILLIP ST. VILLE)
Subject: Re: Jumbies, Duppies, and Spirits
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Trent University Computer Services Department
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:10:00 GMT

In article <101855@bu.edu>, ggeorge@bu.edu (Gerry George) writes...
> 
>Bediako Ntodi George (karib@next10wor.wam.umd.edu) wrote:
>: Spirits of the Caribbean.  Let's see how many of these you recognize. Do   
>: you know which countries they're from and what they are? :-
>:  
>: Duppy (real easy)	Googaralli
>: Rolling Calf		Hydaralli
>: Steel Donkey		
>	isn't this the Bajan version of a duppy - an industrialized one?
>(according to Paul Keens Douglass)
> 
>: Bacooman
>: Moose
>: Loogaroo
>: Soucouyant
>	Yeah we "have" those in St. Lucia.  NO, I haven't seen one - at least
>	not to my knowledge.
>: Ole Higue
>: Female (pretty hard)
>: Cribeau
>	We use that term, but it doesn't mean a spirit.  It usually is used
>	to refer to a "real bad" criminal type.  Adapted from "Crimo - short
>	for criminal.
>: Dutchman
>: Moongazer
>: Massacourou man
>: Bush Dai-Dai
>: 
>: I'll give my definiton of a Bacooman.  From my understanding, the Bacooman  
>: is a short BLACK man, with no knees and a huge round head (Don't ask me  
> 
>We call them "Bolom".  Same type of thing though.
> 
>: how he walks!).  He's kind of like a genie in that he can be used as a  
>: slave.  However, unlike a genie you must feed him bananas and milk  
>: regularly or he will turn against his master.  He will do your bidding as  
>: far as getting gold, and food and other riches and he'll also kill for  
>: you. He always kills by giving you one smack, so hard it turns your head  
>: around.  I also understand that the only way to get rid of him is to  
>: somehow trick him into jumping into a green rum bottle, then taking him  
>: out to sea.  The sea usually gets rough until you throw him out of the  
> 
> [stuff deleted]
> 
>: jumped out of there! Look, I'm just talking what I hear!  Is there anyone  
>: out there who knows how to make a Baccoo?   
> 
>Why do you want to make one of those????  Lawd, all'yuh have some serious 
>plans, boy. Nah let de exams get you down so, nuh. :>
> 
>More spirits:
> 
>La Diables (pronounced la-ja-bless).
>	Lots of people have professed to have seen this one (yeah right!).  She
>has a cow foot, and is a very pretty woman.  Usually run into her at country
>dances.  So if yuh go to dance a country, watch de woman foot, dem.
> 
>Dwen (I think), or Maseledes(sp).
>	It's feet are turned round to the back.  Don't know much more.
> 
>Mama D'lo (pronounced as glow).
>	Lives in the sea.  I guess this si our version of the mermaid.
> 
>L'homme Pain (pr. as nom pen).
>	Loosely translates to Bread man.  Steals children by offering them 
>bread or sweets, and then carries them away.  So, tell yuh children, nah tek
>nutten from no strangers an dem.
> 
>Gaje' (the je' sound is like in ZaZa Gabor - sorry) also called Gens-gaje'.
>	This is the regular spirit.  Actually a person who practices the "off-
>color" arts.  Normally flies at night, or turns into some animal.  Certain 
>kinds of people (such as people with an extra finger, among others) cannot 
>see them or be harmed by them.  One thus involved is said to be gaje'-ing.
> 
>the soucouyant is the same as in Trinidad, and probably other palces.  Maybe
>it migrated.... :)
>They suck people's blood, and leave a mark similar to a hicky - nice excuse,eh?
>and are reputed to take off their skin - If you catch their skin lying around,
>you could spread pepper and salt all over it.  Interesting when they try to
>put it back on.
> 
>We have some more, but can't remember them off hand. 
> 
>Gerry George

Hey Gerry, that is pretty good stuff!
If I had known this before, I would have invited you to do a stand-up 
comedy (?) thing over on this side of the world!
later,
Lyndell