Lagahoo
Lagahoo
Mythical shapeshifting monster seen in Trinidad and Tobago
In the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago the Lagahoo or Lugarhou is a mythical shapeshifting monster. It is cousin to the French and the Germanic werewolf .
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2009) |
It seems like a normal human by day, but this creature takes on the form of a man with no head, who roams the night with a wooden coffin on its neck. On top of the coffin are three lighted candles and the long loose end of a heavy iron chain, noosed around its waist, trails behind him. Often, it is seen with chains around its neck, which change size.[1] One appendage is said to be turned backwards.
It can shapeshift into various animals, including horses, pigs or goats, and said to often take the form of a creature similar to a centaur; it is also thought to be a blood sucker which is less than particular about its food source, making do with such animals as cows and goats. The Lagahoo also possesses the ability to alter its size from tiny to gigantic in an instant.
To kill the Lagahoo one must beat the creature with a stick which has been anointed with holy water and holy oil for nine days. While beating the demon, it changes into other beasts such as a snarling dog, horse, cat, and pig, a wild bullaman and thunderous waves of water and finally will disappear into a black mist .[2]