Loogaroo : The Blood Sucking Spirit

The Loogaroo is a vampire-witch-like creature who made a pact with the devil to deliver him blood in exchange for great magical powers. This creature is very popular among the Caribbean and in most African countries. It bears different names which include: Soucouyant, Soucriant, Ole-Higue, Lougarou, Asema, Hag, Ole Haig. The name ‘Loogaroo‘ itself is a corrupt form of the French word for a werewolf, Loup-garou but the creature itself is not a werewolf.

Origin:

Loogaroo belongs to a class of spirits called jumbies. Some believe that they were brought to the Caribbean from European countries. These beliefs intermingled with those of enslaved Africans.

Appearances:

According to folklore, Loogaroo appears in the form of a vulture at day and shapeshifts into a blob of blue light or a ball of fire to fly about at night in search of a human or animal to suck its blood. It can also shapeshift into the form of an older woman.

Abilities:

• The Loogaroo has the ability to remove her skin at night.
• In her true form (that is, as a ball of light), the loogaroo can fly great distances in search of blood to steal.
• Sometimes, it wears the skin of the victim it took so much blood from and killed.
• The Soucouyant can cast spells and also use occultic powers as if she were a witch of 7th level of the Demonic Tradition.

About:

According to the lore, the old woman who made a deal to supply the devil with blood in exchange for power is often seen moving around during daytime in her human form but at night, she would shed her wrinkled skin and leave it under a cotton silk tree which is popularly known as “the devil’s tree’.

After doing that, she flies out in search of blood either as a ball of blue light or a ball of fire. Her victims are usually women and children who are defenseless. Once the Loogaroo has taken enough blood from its victim, she will return to the cotton silk tree to put on her skin again. This bargain with the devil is a serious one that shouldn’t be joked with. If the Loogaroo fails to deliver enough blood, then her blood will be drained, leaving her to die before dawn.

The Loogaroo is much involved in witchcraft or Voodoo. She feeds on her victims while they are asleep and will use any remnant of her victim’s blood for the practice of sorcery. Like a ball of light, she enters the home of a potential prey through keyholes or any cracks in the house.

In her Soucouyant form, she sucks people’s blood from their arms, legs, and soft parts while they sleep, leaving blue-black marks on the body in the morning. If the Soucouyant draws too much blood, it is believed that the victim might die and become a Soucouyant or perish entirely, leaving her killer to wear her skin.

 

How To Stop A Loogaroo

To prevent a Loogaroo attack, spread seeds or grains (mostly of rice) by the door or at crossroads. This is because they are obsessed with counting seeds or grains. And if you spread out enough grains, the Loogaroo would be stuck counting till the sun comes up.

If caught in its human form, it can be beaten to death with a broom. Also, if the Loogaroo is injured while in her shapeshifted form, she will show her wound when she changes back to human form, thus revealing her true identity.

 

If the skin of the Loogaroo which she shed is found at the silk cotton tree where it was hidden, grind it up with pepper and salt. She will be left without a skin to wear during the day. She will also be defenseless and die of exposure. Adding coarse salt to the skin will render it completely useless. The skin of the Soucouyant is considered valuable and is used when practicing black magic.

 

Again, just like in the case of vampires, those who die as a result of a Loogaroo feeding on their blood will sometimes rise as its spawn. The reason could be that the patron demon offers to deliver them from death only if they are willing and prepared to serve it.

 

References

1.https://authorlyngibson.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/the-loogaroo-a-caribbean-vampire-legend/

2.http://vampireguru.com/2016/02/02/haiti-the-loogaroo/

3.http://arcana.wikidot.com/loogaroo

4.https://www.vampires.com/the-loogaroo-vampire/

5.The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology.