San Fernando Public Library

🙏🏽We’re grateful for the encouragement and engagement as we’ve traveled through the folklore and legends of Trinidad together.🌿

The last few posts will wrap things up for now, but the series will be back hopefully later this year.

Until then, you can continue the journey with new stories every Friday on the writer’s page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C2647aC3R/

🌿Folklore Fridays: Mermaids - An Encounter ("Down D Islands"- 1997)................................................
I sat across from Charles Hammond, watching him gather his thoughts. What he was about to tell me wasn’t easy, it was the kind of story you hold close, unsure if anyone would believe. An encounter in 1997 he still wrestles to accept, yet recalls with striking clarity.................................................
Charles loved the ocean. It had shaped his life, carved him into the man he was. He had worked the oil rigs off Trinidad, sailed the shipping lanes, and spent countless hours diving beneath its surface. The sea was his constant.

When friends suggested a lime “Down D Islands,” Charles packed light, but one thing he refused to leave behind was his scuba gear. While they planned for drinks and laughter, he planned for depth and silence.

"Was a great opportunity to explore," Charles began with a wry grin, "Yes well that is what I get."

That afternoon, off Monos Island, the water was calm, yet stained with a greenish haze that turned everything below into a dream half-lit. From beneath, he could see the boat’s shadow on the sea floor. A turtle glided by. A small barracuda followed curiously. Below, the seabed pulsed with quiet life.

Then he noticed it, an octopus crawling lazily. He followed, drifting deeper. The light thinned, water turning darker, heavier. Then it struck him. He was not alone. The certainty wrapped around his neck like cold hands.

He scanned the gloom, mask fogging faintly with each sharp breath. At first, nothing. Then...movement. A shadow gliding fast to his left, too quick, too vague. He blinked against his mask, trying to focus. It was gone.

He folded back to the octopus, its body shifting in colour. But before his eyes settled, the shadow swept past him again, this time at incredible speed to his right. His heart pushed against the straps.

The shadow halted directly in front of him. At first it was nothing more than a blur. Then it began to hold shape.

It hovered in the water, not more than fifteen feet away. A silhouette, half-hidden by the green gloom. There was a long, sleek, tail of a fish, which climbed into a human torso, arms and all.

Its head tilted. Human. Unmistakably human. The tilt was curious, as if it were studying him, whilst long strands of hair uncoiled with the current like black smoke.

Charles’s chest locked. Blood thundered in his ears. Too human. Majestic. Terrifying. A vision dredged out of a broken fantasy.

"De thing looked unreal," Charles claimed, "I remember startin' to tremble bad, it wasn't a nice feelin'."

For a heartbeat, the world stopped. Then, the figure twisted sharply, and with a sudden brutal flick, it bolted sideways into the dark.

Charles panicked. His body convulsed into motion as he tore upward, every stroke frantic. He broke the surface with a guttural scream, thrashing for the boat like a man who couldn't swim. His friends hauled him in, wide-eyed at his state. He told them what he had seen. A mermaid, he swore.

"They laughed at me," Charles confessed, "Tell me I probably see ah shark or some big fish that confuse me. No one believe me, but I'm sure I see what I see."

Charles gave up diving after that. Men have spent lifetimes longing for a glimpse the mythical... he had stumbled upon one. And it robbed him of his peace, instead of filling him with wonder.........................................
Have you heard of any similar stories? Share your thoughts in the comments below👇🏽

Trini Challenge Time!🎯 Today’s Letter: "V"

This is a tough one.
🤔Every answer must be something truly Trinbagonian—either found right here in sweet T&T or, for shows, seen on local TV or loved by Trinis!

Give us a Trini—
👦 Boy’s name
👧 Girl’s name
🦝 Animal
🗺️ Place
🥑 Thing
📺 TV show

Example:
👦 Vick | 👧 Veronica | 🦇vampire bat | 🗺️ Vessigny |🚲Vicks | 📺 Vikings

Drop yours below!

🇹🇹Trinis! Have you ever used the term "bite-up"? 👀...........................................
Trini Words and Phrases: "bite-up"

ℹ️ To be in an angry or quarellsome mood. A person who is unapproachable. Unfriendly. ............................................
Share your thoughts in the comments below👇🏽

📚Sources:
Winer, L. (Ed.). (2009). The Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago: On historical principles. McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Mendes, J. (Ed.). (1986). Côte ci côte la: Trinidad and Tobago dictionary. Paria Publishing

🇹🇹Trinis, have you ever eaten the cascadura?

Legend says that “Those who eat the cascadura are bound either to return, or to end your days in Trinidad.”......................................
This little armored catfish, known to science as Hoplosternum littorale, is a local celebrity. It is known also as "hassa" in Guyana, "kwi kwi" in Suriname, and the busco or currito in Venezuela.

Found in our rivers, swamps, and marshes. It is covered in hard, bony plates and sports the classic catfish whiskers. Many a pot has simmered with its tender flesh in a curry, stuffed with pigeon peas and tomatoes, and well seasoned.

By day, the cascadura keeps a low profile in shallow, muddy waters, but come night, it’s busy scavenging for insects, tiny crustaceans, and whatever tasty morsels the mud hides. It’s a survival expert, able to breathe both in water and air by using its intestine, which helps it thrive even when water levels drop. Some are known to "walk" for miles on land in order to find water.

When rainy season comes, the males build frothy nests, fiercely guarding them and the thousands of eggs inside until the hatchlings emerge just a few days later.

Whether you believe the legend or not, there’s something intriguing about this fish. To some, it’s just dinner; to others, it’s a reminder... that no matter how far you roam, the taste of home can pull you back....................................
Share your thoughts in the comments below👇🏽

Further Reading:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/221492-Hoplosternum-littorale

📚Sources:
Winer, L. (Ed.). (2009). The Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago: On historical principles. McGill-Queen’s University Press.