Ayomide Adekilekun

Ayomide Adekilekun

Parchment-style artwork of La Diablesse, Trinidad devil woman, luring traveler on forest path.

La Diablesse: Trinidad Folktale of the Devil Woman

by
October 29, 2025
In the twilight shadows of Trinidad, travelers whisper of a figure both alluring and terrifying: La Diablesse, the devil woman. Tales of her have passed down through generations, blending African, French-Creole, and plantation-era folk traditions into a singular legend of caution and fascination. She is a woman of dual faces. At times, she appears as an old crone, her twisted
Parchment-style illustration of faceless Douen spirits in a Trinidad forest at twilight.

Douen: Trinidad Folktale of the Forest Spirits

Deep within the dense forest and winding by‑ways of Trinidad, there lurk spirits unlike any other. These are the Douen, sometimes called Duenns, the lost children who never received baptism and now wander between the worlds of the living and the dead. Their presence is whispered in every rustle of
Parchment-style artwork of a ghostly washerwoman at a river bend, Trinidad folklore.

The Woman Who Washed the River at Midnight

January 5, 2026
On the old Blanchisseuse Road, where the jungle presses close and the river bends sharply beneath overhanging trees, travelers once learned to fear the hour when the moon stood highest. At that bend, where stones glistened like bones beneath shallow water, a woman appeared each night to wash linen that
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Parchment-style artwork of douen spirits and a child in a Trinidad folktale forest.

Innocence and the Douen’s Playground

January 5, 2026
Innocence lingered in the quiet village long after grief had settled there. Nestled near Moruga, where the guava forest thickened at the edge of family yards and dusk arrived softly, a woman lived with memories she rarely spoke aloud. Years earlier, she had given birth to twin boys who lived
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Parchment-style artwork of St. Clair counting stars from a tower, Trinidad folktale scene.

Hubris and the Man Who Counted the Stars

January 5, 2026
Hubris ruled the thoughts and speech of St. Clair long before it destroyed his fortune. In the fertile plains of Trinidad, where cane fields bent with the wind and the night sky stretched wide and brilliant, St. Clair was known as a man who believed all things existed to be
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Parchment-style artwork of Elihu honoring River Mumma by the Arima River, Trinidad folktale.

Respect and the River Mumma’s Comb

January 4, 2026
Respect was the quiet law that governed the Arima River long before men tried to master it. Among the fishermen who traveled its banks, there was an unspoken understanding that certain pools belonged not to human hands but to the River Mumma, Mama D’Leau herself, guardian of the deep water
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Parchment-style illustration of a cursed shopkeeper with gold tooth, Trinidad folktale scene.

The Golden Tooth Greed

January 4, 2026
Greed sat like a second shadow over the small rural village, and nowhere was it darker than in the shop owned by a man whose name people spoke with distrust. From dawn until nightfall, he weighed flour with a light hand, trimmed cloth short of its measure, and sold spoiled
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Parchment-style artwork of a woman and John Crow spirit, Jamaican folktale scene.

The Girl Who Married a Jumbie Bird

January 4, 2026
In the hills and forest edges of old Jamaica, where the boundary between the living and the spirits was never fixed, there lived a young woman whose beauty was spoken of in whispers. People said her face carried quiet light and her voice softened even hardened hearts. Yet it was
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Parchment-style illustration of Anansi dropping a wisdom pot, Jamaican folktale scene.

Anansi Tries to Hoard All Sense

January 4, 2026
Long ago, when animals spoke and lessons walked openly among people, Anansi the spider believed himself cleverer than all others. He was known across the land for his tricks and sharp tongue, and he took pride in outwitting neighbors, elders, and spirits alike. Yet Anansi was not satisfied with being
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Parchment-style illustration of a monkey fleeing a woman’s feast, Caribbean folktale.

The Greedy Woman and the Monkey Liver

January 4, 2026
Long ago, when animals still listened closely to the ways of people, there lived a woman whose heart was weighed down by fear and desperation. Her only son lay weak upon a mat in their small home, his breath shallow, his body fading day by day. She had tried herbs,
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Parchment-style artwork of Anansi borrowing Tiger’s sword, Jamaican folktale scene.

Anansi and the Cowitch Vines

January 4, 2026
In the days when animals spoke and wit could weigh more than strength, Anansi the spider lived by his clever tongue and restless hunger for advantage. He was small, but his thoughts were sharp, and he watched his neighbors closely, measuring what they owned and how it might be turned
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