Caribbean Folklore Part 10 – The Moongazer/Phantom

MOONGAZER also known as the Phantom

The MoonGazer loves a full moon. The elders say a large bonfire on a hill could attract his gaze as well but mostly you keep watch on a full moon.

He is an unusually tall shadowy man who gazes at a full moon which doesn’t sound so bad, he’s said to frequent quiet roadways, crossroads, shorelines and cliff edges. In some accounts, it is said only his shadow can be seen when cast by the light of the full moon, others note that because he is so tall, you can mistake his legs for lamp posts. So he stands there, unmoving, with his long legs wide apart, straddling the road. As a victim approaches him, he slaps his legs shut, squeezing him to death instantly. His only warning is a shrill, a spine-tingling whistle which he emits right before he traps you, other than that he says nothing at all. He is also said to be responsible for car crashes late at night and he likes to stay near to the silk-cotton tree. People say it is difficult to escape his attack since you can’t really out-run him. When the moon is gone, he disappears into a thick vapour that lingers on the spot, like mist where he last stood.

PROTECTION

Again, stay in your house at full moon. However, if you do happen upon him, it is possible to slip by him very quietly, pass behind him in the bush since he is usually gazing at the moon, however if he sees you then I guess, ‘crappo smoke yuh pipe.” I, however, would make a run for it, you never know how fast you could run until your life depends on it. In Trinidad, it is said that money should be left at crossroads, which is not to be touched because it will appease the Phantom into letting people pass, what he does with money, I do not know, he must be saving for a telescope. In Guyana he is more of a terrorizer who goes near villages and waits for victims.

So be careful on a full moon.

Information taken from https://triniinxisle.com/2019/04/07/trini-folklore-phantom/ and local folklore tales in Trinidad