Louisiana is a lovely place to visit. The Sinister Story Behind This Popular Louisiana Swamp Will Give You You interact with them, theyre dancing and theyre nice. Get monthly email updates and the chance to win a prize. Have you ever heard of the Rougarou or another scary Louisiana monster before? 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 Rougarou has a varied history, though all variations seem to trace it back to the French. In 1974, Ford, a wildlife photographer and former air traffic controller, claimed to have witnessed the creature while exploring potential hunting grounds. 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. Other more out there schools of thought would suggest that these creatures or of a different origin, Alien, Spirit, even faerie. Children are told by their elders to behave or else the Rougarou will get them. But as someone who lives in Louisiana and knows many Catholics who break Lent, I'm not so sure about this myth's validity. Legendary Monsters of Louisiana: Rougarou | PeachTown one football field of coastline was lost per hour. However, due to its incredibly poor math skills, the beast can only count to 12. Here's what health officials, restaurants say. If you'vegot a questionabout something Louisiana-centric, ask us. The Rougarou, or as others may say, Loup garou, is a bayou-dwelling werewolf. It was eventually through the Cajun French that the name Rougarou came to be. The woman also reported finding hair all over the yard front steps, and porch. If you dont have the stomach to fight the beast, you can protect yourself through other means. That gator is looking pretty good right now, huh? 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. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. 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. Usually theyd find someone in the woods or someone in the village who was just acting strange.. The unfortunate person is under the spell for 101 days. Most Christians believe any spirit that is not a holy one is a demonic spirit. If you thought voodoo was a thing of the past, think again! 1989 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. There are many people in Louisiana who practice magic and wish curses upon us. A student attending St. Josephs seminary college had an experience that cannot be classified as a sighting, but rather and auditory experience. This beast first sighted in 1963 is reminiscent of the popular DC character known as Swamp Thing. This particular evening something strange caught the seminary students ear. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There's more to this 19th-century crime than the dark side of fairy lore. Apparently, when a person changes into a Rougarou they forget how to count past 12 (probably since they only worry about midnight and the moon at this point). If this witness tells anyone about this encounter within a year and a day, they will become a Rougarou themselves. Louisiana has the most unique culture Ive discovered in the US and thats saying something being a native of Appalachia. The friend forgot her purse in the car. The Rougarou: Louisiana's Cajun Werewolf | Deborah Hatswell BBR Being They look for blood donors who are willing to sell them blood, and yes, they drink it. She witnessed someone slinking around her property. By the end, youll know the scariest rumors circulating in cajun land. Out hunting for deer, Hubert was perched atop an oak tree when he heard heavy sounds approaching from the woods behind him. "This thing had a flat back. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The Caribbean island nation of Haiti, already steeped in the dark lore of zombies and voodoo magic, also has its own version of the infamous werewolf, which they call the je-rouges, or "red eyes." It is also referred to it as the French loup-garou and by the Creole word lougarou. The only credibility I can give to these reports is that they ran in the paper. There was thick wet swamp on both sides. The New Orleans Pelicans, Louisiana's NBA team, were formerly known as the Hornets. Or else you may find yourself prey to the legendary Rougarou. The concepts surrounding the Rougarous supernatural abilities link it closely with traditional concepts of the mythical werewolf. Foret grew up in southern Louisiana, between the Atchafalaya Basin and New Orleans, where stories of the rougarou are most often heardand he wouldnt venture into wooded areas at night because of them. 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. Stumbling upon the LObservateur article reignited my borderline obsessive interest in these types of creature sightings. Official Blog of Pelican State Credit Union. French and Canadian settlers as they migrated brought with them the legend of the beast to Louisiana. Lover of all things comedy, photography, and travel related. Nope, not The GrinchThe Grunch. The 2015 short film Atchafalaya centers around a game warden searching in a Louisiana swamp for a missing person who is hinted to have been taken by a loup-garou. About four weeks ago, PB and his 5-year-old daughter were walking along their long dirt driveway that leads to their home. Overall, Weve seen the evolution of the werewolf become a more sophisticated, debonair character, Ancelet says. You can reach the Curious Louisiana team at CuriousLouisiana@theadvocate.com. Bog Monster of Louisiana T-Shirt (Impractical Jokers). Click the image below to read our free eBook "The Big Book of Credit Union MythsBUSTED! They described it as a cross between a whimpering dog and human crying. 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. Discover the secrets of Louisiana lifestyle and explore Ruston, home of the Peach Festival. What he described to me, in my mind was a Bigfoot sighing. The cousins decided to turn around and go back the direction they came to avoid a close encounter with this unknown, imposing, bipedal creature. Other variations say a Rougarou can turn their victims merely by making eye contact. Perrin's statement is quite obviously true due to the Rougarou's clear influence on local culture and beyond. Louisiana Urban Legends, Monsters, and Haunted Places The creature ran two city blocks before absconding into the marsh. The mud was too sloppy to retain any prints. In the legend, this beast is often described as having the body of a man and the head of a wolf or a dog and prowls Louisiana swamps looking for misbehaving children. There she saw standing next to a tree 25 feet away a creature that she described as being extremely tall and white. Enjoy these allegedly. 61 when they saw a creature pop up out from the bank of the canal that parallels Airline. Back in the 16th century, theyd regularly blame various crimes on loup-garous. The details of just seeing the eyes suggest that this sighting happened in the early morning while it was still dark. Rougarou the Louisiana Monster Werewolf - Any Mystery The two young women decided they would go to the car together. However, according to other accounts, there is no escape from the curse. Save the Swamp: But, Beware the "Rougarou" - The National Wildlife Sam and Dean had a struggle with this one. Rougarou Fest | Houma, Louisiana One of the most popular stories that gets passed down from generation to generation is the legend of the Rougarou, Cajun Countrys answer to Bigfoot. They take up residence in your home and play harmless tricks on you, so you shouldnt be too alarmed. The seminary student had the urge to run back to the monastery to tell someone but a thought emerged NO. Remnants of history freckle the map, whether its old and potentially haunted buildings, abandoned theme parks or even museums with some very strange collections. Only you can prevent forest fires, and so only you can save Louisianas wetlands.. Their curse usually comes from a local witch, sometimes a voodoo priestess. The Legends Of This Mythical Creature In Louisiana Are Terrifying Audobon's website also has Rougarou t-shirts for sale. We all have a notion that this world is a lot stranger than it seems on a surface level. According to the woman, "The next day a prominent physician appeared in town with his right arm cut and in a sling. It was getting late so I was heading back to my dad's house for the evening. 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. Makes that morning commute not seem so bad, right? . 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The article contained a short anecdotal account of an unnamed Laplace man that in 1983 saw something correlates with what Mr. Nameless saw. Strange noise ? In these times, many crimes were blamed on the beast, ranging from theft to kidnapping of children. Cauchemar is a monster that leaps out of childrens dreams and rides their backs. The next day Mr. Nameless, his older brother, and a mutual friend went ride back out to Peavine. "Who. I want more! In an attempt to keep occupied and at home during these various phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, on a whim I decided to search out Louisiana based Bigfoot sightings. Legend of the Rougarou, a Louisiana werewolf - Paranormal Outlaw By clicking "Accept," you agree to the use of cookies on Pelican State of Mind. A story in The Daily Comet titled "Tales of The Rougarou Still Haunt Local Memories" states, "In the past, rumors about strange or eccentric neighbors would float through small bayou communities, labeling various people as the dreaded Rougarou." A recent novel called The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. People claim he leaves behind webbed footprints (presumably to navigate the swamps effectively) and mutilates wild boars. Over the years there have been many different stories about this mythical creature in Louisiana, a common occurrence with oral traditions like this one. Glad the information was here. According to two deputies who refused to have their names published for fear of retaliation, killers knew they could disappear into the swamp's thick fog, their whereabouts untrackable by officers or bloodhounds. The sounds grew faint as the creature traveled deeper into the woods until they faded completely. [10] [11] Boxer Regis Prograis (of Creole descent) goes by the nickname Rougarou. Generations of youngsters have heard the scary tales. Out of the shaking bush came a large hairy arm, grabbed a handful of leaves then went back in. Children can see and hear everything that happens, but they are unable to move. 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. The Grunch: A Chupacabra on the Louisiana Bayou - Exemplore 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. 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.