Dwen

spirit · Saint Lucia · Caribbean

The Dwen is a haunting figure in Saint Lucian folklore — the spirit of a child who died before baptism, condemned to wander the earth. Called Dwen in Saint Lucia (Douen in Trinidad and Dwenn in Grenada), these entities are characterized by backward-facing feet with heels to the front and knees also reversed. They have no faces — only a smooth surface where features should be, except for a small mouth to speak with. They wear large floppy straw hats to hide their facelessness. The Dwen is said to wait near forest edges and call to children by name, mimicking a parent's voice, trying to lure the

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