Tradition: Saint Lucia Mythology
Alternative names: Ladjablès
Category: Demon, Cow
The Myth
La Diablesse is a beautiful but deadly supernatural woman said to be the spirit of an enslaved African woman who made a pact with the Devil, surrendering her soul in exchange for eternal beauty.
She appears elegant and alluring, dressed in a long gown with a broad-brimmed hat that conceals her hideous face. Her greatest secret, however, is beneath her dress: one of her legs ends in a cow’s hoof. She walks with her human foot on the road while keeping the hoof hidden in the grass.
La Diablesse uses her beauty and supernatural powers to lure unsuspecting men away from the road and into the forest. Once deep among the trees, she suddenly disappears, leaving her victim confused and lost. He may eventually fall into a ravine or river, or become prey to wild animals.
Her cow hoof marks her as unmistakably demonic: beneath an attractive human appearance lies something inhuman and dangerous.
Sources
“La Diablesse.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 21, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Diablesse