The Rougarou

High School Division

 

O, children please be a dear

And don’t regard with any fear

The teeth I have may be quite sharp

For the rougarou feeds at night

 

Setting children with some fright

Bright red eyes are set alight

By the moon like candlelight

As the rougarou prowls tonight

 

O’ I’m a beast, be assured

Frightful, a howl to behold

But my wolfish features are delight

Because the rougarou hunts till light

 

Now children don’t you tell a soul

About the horrors you face unfold

Because if you do you just might rue

You would be a rougarou

 

O, and well Mr. Guidry, don’t be him

Or it may surely spell your end

Breaking Lent for seven years

I wouldn’t want to see me then

 

From the Author: The myth of the rougarou has traditionally been passed through oral tradition, of which plays a large part in the culture of a region. It is thought the myth of the rougarou originated in Medieval France and was told to keep children from getting into trouble, especially at night in the woods. Then, French settlers brought the myth to Louisiana. Traditionally, tales of the rougarou have been used to keep both children and Catholics in line. So much so to the point in which it could be said that the rougarou is essentially a Cajun boogeyman afflicted with lycanthropy. Furthermore, one could argue the rougarou is as significant to Louisiana culture as crawfish, due to its rich oral history and significance to Cajun communities in Southern Louisiana.