Jawnomicon

Soucouyant

The Soucouyant, from Caribbean folklore, is a shape-shifting witch who sheds her skin to fly through the night as a ball of fire. It represents the malevolent and the elusive, showcasing a fiery nature and a fearsome presence, encapsulating the predatory and the incendiary in mythic witches.

At a glance

Tradition
Caribbean folklore
Symbols
Witch

Near this figure

Symbols

Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.

Traits

Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.

Form

  • Firefly form infiltration
    why

    transforming into a ball of fire that streaks across the dark sky. In this fiery form, she can slip through the tiniest cracks and crevices of homes

  • Shapeshifts human animal
    why

    This shape-shifting witch is believed to shed her aged human skin at night, transforming into a ball of fire that streaks across the dark sky.

Behaviour

  • Nocturnal blood sucking from above sleepers
    why

    In this fiery form, she can slip through the tiniest cracks and crevices of homes, seeking out sleeping victims to feed upon their life force or blood.

  • Counting compulsion as protective ward
    why

    People in Caribbean communities would often sprinkle salt or rice around their homes, believing that the Soucouyant would be compelled to count every grain before entering, thus protecting the inhabitants until dawn.

  • Emerges at night to attack
    why

    In this fiery form, she can slip through the tiniest cracks and crevices of homes, seeking out sleeping victims to feed upon their life force or blood.

Sight and sound

  • Body wreathed in flames
    why

    This shape-shifting witch is believed to shed her aged human skin at night, transforming into a ball of fire that streaks across the dark sky.

Offensive powers

  • Soul drain
    why

    In this fiery form, she can slip through the tiniest cracks and crevices of homes, seeking out sleeping victims to feed upon their life force or blood.

Utility powers

  • Shapeshifting
    why

    This shape-shifting witch is believed to shed her aged human skin at night, transforming into a ball of fire that streaks across the dark sky.

Roles

Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.