Our culture is rich with juicy stories about life and everything in-between. But these stories aren’t simply fairy tales that no one believes. They are the heart of our memories that are ever so vivid, and many persons will swear they have proof of all these “stories” that many persons will only scoff at.

Here are a few of the more popular figures from Jamaican folklore.

Duppies

A duppy is a restless soul who roams his/her familiar environment. Good duppies are usually deceased family and friends who “dream you” (appear to you in a dream), in order to offer good advice or well needed information.

Bad duppies are able to do harm, and can be set on someone by using obeah, otherwise called witchcraft. It is believed that when a duppy is in your presence your head will feel ‘heavy’ or you will experience an unexplained rise or drop in temperature.

The duppy can be chased away through a number of techniques including eating salt. You can also chase away a duppy by wearing your clothes inside out, or ‘shame’ a duppy by cursing or exposing your private parts.

Rolling Calf

Lurking in the dark on lonely country roads is a huge, calf-like creature which rolls along the road, blocking the way of night-time travellers, and chasing them with a wicked intention. It is believed that a rolling calf is the spirit of a butcher who has died and not found rest due to his dishonesty in his lifetime. It has blazing eyes that gash fire and a chain that drags behind it, making an unnerving sound that can be very frightening.

Ol’ Hige

This infamous character is traced back to West Africa, but has become a strong element in Jamaican folklore. The Ol’ Hige is a witch that sheds her skin by night, after assuming the physical form of an owl. She attacks her prey by sucking out their breath while they sleep and she is most fascinated with babies.

When she sheds her skin, she becomes vulnerable and in that form she can be killed. It is believed that if you find her skin and rub salt and pepper in it, she will be unable to fit back in as this concoction will burn her.

River Mumma

This is a female river spirit who is known in other countries as a mermaid. She guards fresh water and sometimes creates mischief. She lures people into the water, mostly by placing her golden comb on the rocks. Locals believed that the fish within the area where the river mumma was mostly spotted should not be eaten as these were her children.