General
soucouyant
What does soucouyant mean?
A folkloric old woman who sheds her skin at night and flies as a ball of fire to suck victims' blood. Also soucriant.
"Grandma warned us the soucouyant would suck our blood if we misbehave."
Origin
Trinidadian/French-Antillean folklore, from French 'sucer' (to suck).
Frequently asked questions
What is a soucouyant?
A soucouyant is a folkloric shape-shifting vampire hag who sheds her skin at night and flies as a ball of fire to suck victims' blood.
How do you stop a soucouyant?
Traditional lore says scattering rice forces her to stop and count every grain, and finding and salting her shed skin prevents her from returning to it.
Where does the word soucouyant come from?
It comes from the French 'sucer', meaning 'to suck', reflecting her blood-sucking nature in French-Antillean folklore.
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