Today on Folklore, we feature a popular creature, known to many Guyanese. The Ole Higue……
The Ole Higue is a shape-shifting creature of folklore that appears in the form of a solitary old woman by day. During the night however, she strips off her wrinkled skin and puts it in a mortar. This causes her to reveal her true form, a ball of fire. As a fireball she can fly across the dark sky in search of an unsuspecting victim. Ole higues can enter the homes of her victims through the use of any size of hole with direct access to the interior of the house.
Ole higues usually suck the blood from ones arms, legs and soft parts while sleeping, leaving blue-black marks on the body in the morning. If too much blood is sucked out, the victim can either die and become another ole higue or perish entirely, allowing the killer to take the skin. No one is sure if the ole higue actually uses the blood for nutrition or one story goes, she practices black magic and would trade her victims’ blood for evil powers with Bazil, the demon who lives in the silk cotton tree.
To catch an ole higue, it is usually advised to heap rice around the house as she is obligated to gather every grain, one by one, while counting them. If she loses count, she has to start all over again. This is an incredible task to complete before dawn when she can be caught. To destroy her, coarse salt and pepper must be placed in the mortar containing her skin so that she perishes, unable to put the skin back on.
(Photo: Bravo Arts’ version of the Ole Higue)
