Masion de le Feufollet

by Seaux-N-Seau Soileau

Title

Masion de le Feufollet

Artist

Seaux-N-Seau Soileau

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

My parents told me folklore as a child to keep me safe. I was possibly one of the most curious children who ever lived. I was raised along the bank of Bayou Teche. Lots of logging took place near home.
Feufollet are Cajun Creole Swamp Spirits. Most are quite mischievous and some can be really evil. Mama told me evil feufollet wouldn't come near me if I did my best to be good or was truly sorry for being bad. We were therefore left with only mischievous feufollet near home. The closest swamp was a couple miles from my home. There were several swamps in a twenty mile radius however and my parents were sure to point them out when we traveled. I was told that the feufollet loved to have grand balls and when they did they invited the feufollet in nearby swamps. I was told feufollet were just like Cajuns and Creoles in that they loved to celebrate any occasion. They had balls for the change of seasons, rainfall that gave life to the swamp, and for every tree that the loggers fell as that meant a new house for them. I was told that while their permanent homes were in the swanp they often stayed in stumps along the banks of bayous or even ditches. I was told that that the little holes on the sides of decomposing stumps was the little windows and doors of the feufollet's houses and castles and that the ants that often could be seen playing near the old stumps were the transportation for the feufollet. When by chance I saw an ant hauling anything my parents would say it was a feufollet all balled up on their way to the next feufollet ball. When I asked why the feufollet would ball up instead of showing off their exquisitely made clothes I was told they wore at balls, Mama explained it was their way of keeping their latest ball gowns a surprise. I was told never to sit or pick at any stumps cause one never knew when or where the feufollet would make a new window or door and I certainly didn't want to be on or near the stump when the feufollet popped out, because if I ever had the misfortune of seeing a feufollet they would be upset with me and when I became a grown up I would never ever get invited to a ball or dance. Feufollet always write the name of the people who have seen them on the mischevious things they do. If people saw my name on bad things, then I grew up I would never get invited to a ball or dance because people would think I was not nice enough to ever go to a ball. Well I love beautiful ball gowns and I love to dance so I stayed away from stumps, but I stranded my eyes staring at them from a distance in hopes of seeing a feufollet in an exquisite ball gown.
Masion de le Feufollet is the way my French speaking parents said, "House of the Feufollet." They were careful to keep English as my first language and as "Maison" sounds so much like "Mansion" I assumed the feufollet were very rich and could host balls every time a tree fell.
Often red fire ants, snakes, and other things children shouldn't play with hide near stumps, these fun stories were a lot more fun than the truth.

Uploaded

June 2nd, 2017

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