Trini Folklore: Douen

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Douen, Duende, Douaine, Doune, Dwen, Duegne (n): A Trinidad folklore character, the spirit of a child who died before baptism.  Douens wear large hats, have backwards-pointing feet, utter a soft hooting cry, and often lead children to wander off.  <Spanish duende ‘goblin’>

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Nex’ ting you know douen hauntin’ TTT, an’ we seein’ all dem programmes runnin’ backwards instead of upside-down as dey does run sometimes. (Keens-Douglas 1984:3)

Trini folklore such as Buck, Papa Bois, Phantom, Mermaids and La Jahbless is an oral tradition to pass on the stories to the next generation. Other Trini phrases in the vernacular are Doux-Doux, Kote-si Kote-la, Light Candle, Sprawl Off, Jhorts, Sancoche, Kaka-Nay, Rum Jumbie.

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Douen Legend

A legendary little creature, the douen is the spirit of an infant who died before it was baptized and now wanders in the forest, its feet turned backwards, its big head covered with a large mushroom-shaped hat so that its face is not seen, joining with others of its kind in bands to lure children or hunters into the forest until they are lead astray. Also known as duhende in Belize. French Creole influences <duègne> implying ‘nuisance’.

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In Trinidad, the oral folklore traditions were handed down over the generations. As a result, the contents of the douen and other stories may have changed over time. Trinidad and Tobago’s oral traditions can be traced back to our ancestors from West Africa and East India. Local authors such as Michael Anthony are trying to preserve Papa Bois’s legend and other stories via written media via books such as Caribbean Folktales and Fantasies.

Here is a sample of a douen story from the Trinidad Guardian:

Slow­ly, the lit­tle be­ings backed away from the toma­to plant. They were at least two feet short­er than my four-foot frame at 12-years-old. Their straw hats flopped from side to side as they be­gan to edge away in­to the thick of trees on that side of the house. I watched their heads bob­ble as they walked away, still fac­ing me, due to their feet be­ing turned back­wards. They dis­ap­peared in­to the for­est as I head­ed back to where my par­ents and Amy were. My par­ents did not know that their beach house had a Douen in­fes­ta­tion.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.430951.7a92d7e8fb

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Source: Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago by Lise Winer

Featured Image by KongQueror.