The Lagahoo
In Trinidad, people told of a shape-shifter who roamed at night dragging a heavy chain, sometimes carrying a coffin on his head.
What was reported
The lagahoo, or loup-garou, is a shape-shifting figure of Trinidad and Tobago's folklore. By day he's an ordinary man; at night he becomes a wolf, a dog, a donkey or another animal, and roams the roads with the sound of a dragging chain.
In some tellings he carries a coffin on his head, and one glimpse of him can bring bad luck. People spoke of him to keep children home after dark.
Explanations offered
The name comes from the French loup-garou, werewolf, brought to the island by French settlers in the 18th century, and blended with African traditions. He's one of the classic figures of Trinidadian folklore, along with the soucouyant and the douen.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- Witnesses
- Caribbean tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Trinidad and Tobago