(opens the full-size plate in a new tab) Rougarou
Werewolf / Shapeshifter
A French loup-garou carried to the bayou and used to enforce Lenten discipline.
A predatory shapeshifter endemic to the Louisiana bayous, born of a genetic or supernatural curse that triggers violent, lupine transformations.
Etymology. Derived as a Cajun and Creole variant of the traditional French 'loup-garou', meaning a man who transforms into an animal.
Anatomy. It is most frequently described as possessing a human body with the head of a wolf or dog, heavily mirroring traditional werewolf physiology. Depending on the specific curse, it may also manifest as an animal-hybrid such as a were-cow or pig.
Ecology. Prowls the deep swamps, woodlands, and sugar cane fields of Acadiana and Greater New Orleans.
Behavior. A blood-sucking nocturnal predator. It is a simple-minded beast, compelled by biology to stop and count objects; placing 13 items at a door keeps it at bay, as it cannot count past 12.
Mythology. Spread by French Canadian immigrants, the legend was utilized heavily by elders to enforce Catholic obedience, warning that breaking Lent seven years in a row induces the transformation. A person remains under the spell for 101 days until transferring the curse by drawing another human's blood.