Among the dense and moss-draped trees
Boo lives a hermit’s life of ease.
Born on a stump…hung on a limb…
Not many bayou folks like him
The story goes each Halloween
This swamp man’s flashlight can be seen
Flickering through the pitch black night.
Observers have described this sight
As totally spooky and it's said
That Boo’s wearing a werewolf head.
Yeah, they say Boo’s a Rougarou
And Cajuns swear this story’s true!
When I was just a little kid
My grandma scared me…yes, she did…
She warned me not to misbehave
And I tried my bestest to be brave.
But when the sun began to set,
My brave front took off like a jet!
Heart pounding, bare feet taking flight,
I knew I had to beat the night
And make it home ‘fore it got dark!
My ears rang with Grandma’s remark,
“Don’t let the daylight quit on you
Or you might meet the Rougarou!”
Once more it’s nearing Halloween…
I know this creature will be seen.
Stay out of swamps and Boo’s Bayou
Don't get ravished by the Rougarou!
Boo!
Doris Jacobs-Covington
October 2013
(The Roux-Ga-Roux)
The Rougarou
~~Dedicated to Dandy~~
~~AUTHOR’S NOTE~~
As the end of October approaches, a mood shift
can be seen across south Louisiana. For many,
this time brings the cool weather they love, Halloween
and trick-or-treaters and the accompanying bonfires
with stories about the mysterious night-wandering
creature known as the rougarou.
The rougarou is an important "identification marker"
for south Louisiana's culture. Many people may know
about a werewolf but not a rougarou…when I was a
child I was told this story and, also, about the Cajun Fairies
(The Feufollet in French) an American legend that
emerged along the bayou as early as the 1920s
with a light (a ball of fire) that shot out into the sky,
likely derived from the same natural phenomena as the
will o' the wisp. The lights were known as fairies or spirits
and would lead a child away from home, never to return.
Most children like a good ghost story...I was no different!
Be sure to watch the video Cajun Justice....Ha! Ha!
