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.

Tradition / Region: Saint Lucia Mythology, Trinidad and Tobago Mythology, and Guyana Mythology
Alternative names: Moongazer
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Phantome is an enormous spectre said to haunt lonely crossroads on nights of the full moon. Towering high above the road, it stands with its legs spread wide apart, silently gazing up at the moon.

Travelers who unknowingly attempt to pass beneath the giant risk a terrible fate. Disturbed from its moonwatching, the Phantome suddenly snaps its legs shut, crushing the unfortunate victim to death. Moments before attacking, it emits a shrill and chilling whistle—the only warning it gives.

The creature can render itself invisible. Even when unseen, its presence may be betrayed by the strange shadow it casts in the moonlight. Those who encounter it are advised to avoid passing between its legs and instead quietly walk around it. If treated with respect and left undisturbed, the giant spectre allows travelers to continue on their way.

However, mocking or distracting the Phantome is considered extremely dangerous. If angered and forced to turn its gaze away from the moon, it attacks in a far more horrifying manner, consuming the victim’s brain through the palm of its immense hand.

In Guyana, the being is often known as the Moongazer, a name derived from its constant fascination with the moon. Feared throughout the Caribbean, the Phantome remains one of the strangest spectres of local folklore—an invisible giant whose whistle echoes across moonlit crossroads while its eyes remain fixed upon the night sky.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Phantome. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 20, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantome