The Soucouyant: Caribbean Vampire
The Soucouyant in Antigua & Barbuda. A brief history.
The Soucouyant: Caribbean Vampire
The Soucouyant in Antigua & Barbuda. A brief history.
The Soucouyant in Antigua
From Transylvania to the Caribbean: A True Story
by Auntie Sue
December 2024
Antigua, W.I. - The Soucouyant is a uniquely Caribbean phenomenon with roots in European and colonial-American history.
In the late 1740s, a presumed Greek Orthodox priest named Samuel Damian (aka Samuil Domien) began making his way from Transylvania to London on the adventure of a lifetime.
By 1748, Damian sailed from England to colonial Maryland. He arrived with a fascination for an amazing new technology: electricity! Damian made his way around New England, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina and finally settled for a few years in Charleston, South Carolina.
In 1748, Damian placed an ad in the South Carolina Gazzette advertising electricity demonstrations for a small fee. In the early 1750s, Damian became friends with American founding father Benjamin Franklin.
Between 1753 and 1755, Benjamin wrote about Damian a number of times in various letters. Much of what we know about Damian is derived from Franklin’s writings.
Damian was otherwise fairly mysterious and was not known to be out in public during the day—or really at all--except for his electricity demonstrations. The demonstrations, of course, were always at night when his primitive light bulbs and glowing wires would be most impressive.
Franklin reported that Damian was, in fact, making a living with these demonstrations; and they afforded him the luxuries of room, board and drink.
Franklin later advises that Damian left Charleston and was heading to the Caribbean—Cuba and Jamaica, to be specific. Damian had dreams of seeing as much of the world as possible, and wanted to explore the Caribbean before traveling to Mexico, the Pacific, China, India, Turkey, and eventually back to Transylvania.
We now know Damian never made it back to Transylvania. Prior to his suspicious disappearance, he promised Franklin he would write update letters on a regular basis as he made his way around the globe. The letters to Franklin ceased in 1755 shortly after Damian arrived in Jamaica.
A couple of key traits seemed to define Damian, namely, he was highly motivated to relocate frequently—and was obsessed with creating and improving artificial light.
In 1755, a major military building spree was happening on the Caribbean island of Antigua at the behest of Leeward Islands Governor George Thomas. New buildings and military fortifications were going up all around Antigua’s Nelson’s Dockyard and surrounding English Harbour. This presented an opportunity for George Damian to dazzle the British naval commanders with his electricity demonstrations; and perhaps earn some money as a technical consultant.
Interestingly, wherever Damian traveled, strange events and tales of unexplained deaths and disappearances soon followed. From Jamaica and Antigua, to Trinidad and beyond, whispers of a Soucouyant began to emerge.
The Soucouyant is essentially a female vampire who has the ability to shed her skin, burst into flame, and fly into the night sky seeking victims to drink their blood. The Soucouyant is said to shun daylight, lurk in the shadows, and seduce victims with her hypnotic beauty.
For many, the vampire concept—whether real or simply a product of unhinged psychology—explains much of Damian’s behavior. Specifically, if he was a vampire—or believed he was—he probably would have been fascinated by artificial light as a replacement for the sunlight he so desperately wanted to enjoy, but could not. Imagine living in the 1700s in a world of darkness with only candles and oil lamps to light your way. Electric light would have been a game-changer for vampires of that era. Especially those who craved the brightness of sunlight.
Damian was know to use his electricity demonstrations to lure people—especially society women—into dark and crowded nighttime venues. Some would never make it home. They would vanish into the night; but would sometimes be seen years later on other islands or far away cities….only at night.
Was Samuel Damian of Transylvania the original vampire who brought vampirism and the emergence of the Soucouyant to the Caribbean? In Antigua, in particular, the story took hold as the mortality rate among British soldiers skyrocketed. In the mid to late 1700s, the mortality rate for soldiers and sailors in Antigua was as high as 60%. Malaria, typhoid, cholera and many other diseases and dangers played a part.
However, the unprecedented number of mysterious deaths involving multiple victims completely drained of blood is hard to ignore. Mass graves have been discovered in Antigua in locations like Galleon Beach. These graves sometimes contain dozens of bodies—often identified by their copper military uniform buttons.
Disappearances became so prevalent that island residents would warn newcomers about the dangers that came with nightfall. Locals would advise sailors to stay away from graveyard—and if you hear something call your name as you pass a graveyard, never answer and don’t look back! Otherwise, the Soucouyant might follow you home and put you under her spell.
To this day, Antigua has tales of late night conjurings and the Soucouyant, along with many other islands like Trinidad and Tobago. George Damian appears to have left Antigua to continue his dark travels around the world. It is without dispute that everywhere Damian visited, Soucouyant and vampire rumours soon followed.
Damian’s grave has never been found, leading many to conclude that he simply never died. Rather, he still walks the earth seeking ever better artificial light—and creating new vampires along the way. The Soucouyant is the oldest, most powerful and most hypnotic of all the Caribbean vampires.
With so many unknowns in the world, would you be surprised to discover the Soucouyant is real? Some say she still watches over Antigua’s abandoned forts and hilltop fortresses. Have you ever encountered the Soucouyant?
Historic Sites & Soucouyant Sightings
Stay Tuned for More History and Heritage….
- Auntie Sue
Antigua, West Indies
The Soucouyant
Antigua, W.I.
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