The Douen: Lost Children of Trinidad
Douen are the spirits of unbaptized children who died before receiving Christian names in Trinidadian folklore. They appear as small children wearing large straw hats that hide their faces, and they walk with their feet pointing backwards — making their footprints appear to go in the opposite direction. Douen are known to call out the names of living children, luring them into the forest to become lost. Parents warn children never to respond to a voice calling their name in the woods unless they can see the person. Once lured by a Douen, a child may wander into the wilderness and never return,