The Soucouyant tradition in Trinidadian folklore collections

Record summary

Soucouyant is a Trinidadian folklore figure associated with nocturnal transformation, predation and witchcraft. Early twentieth-century Caribbean folklore collections and colonial ethnographic writings provide identifiable material for studying how supernatural narratives are converted into reports of strange nocturnal creatures. The tradition matters comparatively because descriptions can shift between an old woman, a fireball-like presence and an animal form. It is not evidence of a biological species, and source language, informant context and later literary embellishment must be documented.