Loogaroo
Loogaroo
(pop culture)The loogaroo was a vampire entity found in the folklore of Haiti and other islands of the West Indies, including Grenada. The word loogaroo is a corruption of the French loup-garou, which refers to werewolves. The loogaroo arose as slaves from West Africa appropriated French demonology and mixed it with African vampirology. The loogaroo was quite similar to the obayifo of the Ashanti and the asiman of Dahomey.
Loogaroos were people, usually old women, who had made a pact with the devil. In return for certain magical powers, they agreed to bring the devil some warm blood each night. To accomplish this task, they removed their skins, which were hidden on the so-called Jumbie tree, the silk-cotton tree. Then, in the form of a fiery ball of light, they would roam across the land in search of blood. In their spirit form they could enter any habitation. Those from whom they took blood would awaken in a tired and fatigued condition. Although loogaroos could enter any dwelling, some protection was afforded by scattering rice or sand before the door. The loogaroo, supposedly, had to stop and count each grain before continuing on its way.
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