Trinidadian folklore is filled with many colorful characters that have been used since time began to frighten little children into behaving and to provide campfire and bedtime stories for entertainment..
These stories have been handed down from generation to generation. While some of the characters have harmless reputations, others have been described as having more sinister traits.

* ( Pronounciation )

The Douen are the un-baptized souls of children that live in the forest. Neither male nor female, they feed off cultivated gardens and have a peculiar liking for water crabs. Large straw hats perched on faceless heads, cover plaited hair. Their feet point backward. They entice children into the forest when the moon is full.

Duppies are ghosts that roam the earth at night. It is said that to keep duppies out of your house you must either sprinkle salt or rice grains all around the house; as the duppy must first count each individual grain before entering. By which time the sun will have arisen and they must then return to the spirit world.

The Jacakalantan is said to be a mysterious light that appears and attracts people, misleading the unwary into desolate areas far away from their intended destinations. And then vanishes.

Mischievous or malevolent spirit or creature.
The Moco Jumbie is usually portrayed on stilts beneath their colorful garb, as they are said to be very tall.

La Diablesse is said to be the bride of the devil. She is a notorious creature of the night who solicits and woos male passers-by. She is very attractively attired, wearing a large hat that conceals her face. At the end of one leg through her draped skirt, can be seen a cloven foot. - the mark of the evil one. She invites her victim to follow her home and misleads the unfortunate.

A Lugarhoo is a person who can change themselves into a half animal from the torso down; and can also alter its size from tiny to very large in an instant. This is done at night as it rattles and drags chains and carries in its hand a whip-like bunch of dried sticks and reeds.

Creature of the waters. MamaGlow is a half woman, half snake with long flowing hair which she combs constantly. Her upper torso is a naked, beautiful woman, the lower part coils into a large snake that is hidden beneath the water. She uses this to strangle her male victims.

Father of the woods and its surroundings. Protector of the animals. Bearded, aged and very hairy; he is half man and half animal with cloven feet. He has horns atop his head and he carries a hunting horn in his hand, which he sounds whenever he rescues one of his animals from hunters.
It is said that only those who mean harm to the woods and nature will come to harm from either PapaBois or MamaGlow.

The Soucouyant is portrayed as an old hag, who sheds her outer skin and transforms herself into a ball of fire at night. In this form, she goes in seek of victims in order to suck their blood. She must return to her shed skin by daybreak. Legend has it that if one finds her abandoned skin and rubs it with salt or pepper, this prevents her from being able to re-enter it, and she dies with the rising of the sun.