Voo-Doo And The Bear-Gator Of The Okefenokee Swamp(AIASP)

(misspelled words here are intentional, to emanate accent locale of the story character).
When I wuz a child, i would sit 'roun listenin. to what the grown fokes callt 'scary stories.' Bein' a child, I had no way o knowin' as ta whether these here tales were true or not.




One night Uncle Seymour told the following tale:
Now, Uncle Seymour had a favorite fishin' spot that he called, 'Fisherman's Paradise.' He loved to go out dere on da weekends and jes fish and spen time ta hisself.
He like ta set outs early so's ta be able ta find wood ta build his fire for warmth, light and cookin, for the evenin.' Yessir' he had it all planned out.
On one of these ADventures, he felt likes he gots there plenty early enough ta build his fire and get his fishin in. He started out by makin a circle of rocks to contain his campfire. Then he hurriedly gathered his wood for the fire. You don't wants ta be caught in the swomps widouts yo fire, at nighttime. Oh no, sirree.
Jes as he wuz finishin settin up his spot atop the river bank, he spotted a 14-foot gator lying nearby, eye-ballin him, real close-like. Now dis is what fokes around these parts calls a bull-gator.

Then he heard something sliding real heavy on the ground about 10 feets away from him and he knew it was one of them bull-gators.Then real sudden-like, it let a bellow that would have scart the Devil out of his britches. He couldn't see him but he knew where it was. Uncle Seymour got out his throwing-knife at the ready for that monster creature. Suddenly, he just felt a calmness settle down upon hisself. His mind cleared out and all his fear left him, like the snap of a twig. That's how fast it happened. Then he noticed the clouds had begun to clear away and the full moon came out. 'Twas almost day-light-lookin. We people call it the hot moon, 'cause it look like it on fire.
Then Uncle Seymour saw that ol' Monster Bull-Gator turn hisself around and slide down into the water. He could see as good as if the sun came out. Then he picked up all his gear and started walkin' back to de farm. I still thank God til this very day, for saving Uncle Seymour from that Gator!
Now I's got plenty more a them ol' Swomp Tales that I lived through. Folks around did sho' enough believe in Black Magic. Witch-Craft, VooDoo, and all kinds of things like that including Devil- Worshipping! And you best believe some of 'em could cast a spell on you, Then you was pretty well doomed for sure. I knew a bunch a people like that. You knew not to ever tread on them, ever. If you knew what was good for you. And them Witches were probably the most powerful of all of them.


Now I want to relate a real live story to ya that happen to me when I's down there on our farm close to them swomps. Now I had always heered dat there was strange things going on most of the time out there near our place, and I sorta went by peoples telling me things here and dere. Buts until I actualy seen some things wid my own eyes I just thought it was folk-lore,and peoples would be tryin' to scare the childrens,see. So I hads to go out dare ands finds out for m'self if 'n any dat was true or not. So I told Momma I's gonna go on a fishin' adventure. But really i jus'want to go out dare in dems swomps to find out m'self what was outs dare.

Well I tooks all my gear wid me dat I figgerred I'd need and I headed out toward them swomps and I kepts a seeings a lot a gators and wild looking birds and lizzerts and funny lookin' fishes and all new things.
The frogs were different and the trees were different and the ground was different. Everythang jus'look different. Even the sounds that I heard was different. Well I musta walk too far, cause I didn't evens knows where I's at. So's I jes keeps a-walkin'.

Well's I noticed the sun twas goin', down, ands I's figure I need to stops and makes me a camp and a fire so dem creatures out der in de swomp wouldn't head close to the fire. So I's get my camp set up and tries to fish somes so as to stop my nerves from a-jumpin'.
It's startin' to get dark. I means quick like. It closing dark quick. So I figure I betta make a fire reals fast. But by now it's got so blame darks I couldn't finds no wood to burn,Thats whens the panic set in on me, see? I was plum scairt outta my wits,'cause it was bad dark so I couldn't see nuttin'and I was gettin' scairt all the way down to my bones!

So that's when I jus' shucked everthang down and figger I better jus' try to get back to the farm. But I was so lost. I was plums turnt 'round and didn't know which way outta thar. I's was bad losted. So I jus try to makes mysef' comftable de bes' way I cans...



Well, now I just want to talk 'bout things in general right now 'bout how things are down here in my area that I lives in. For one thing, peoples 'round here are suspicious of outside people, 'cause the whole way of livin has not change one bit 'round here for 300 years or more. People here are still into the super-natural and what-not. They still got what yall call the grapevine, and everybody knows what all is a-going on with who. It just travels; and fast 'round here.
Now everybody is in to something or another and they don't cotton to any outside peoples a-comin' in here tryin' to be nosy and pryin' around, you know. But these ain't bad people they just strange to outside people. You would have to live here to get the full effect of what i'm talkin' bout.
You got people that run Moon-Shine Whisky; and they make it, too. Some people call it Sour-Mash or corn liquor. But its all the same thing. Now if you do wind up down here you got to know what you are doing and who you are a talkin' to, else you might get a heap a' trouble on your self. If you decide to hang around for awhile the best thing to do is just keep to your self at first ' til people starts to seeing you abouts and everything like that. Just stay to yourself and don't make no trouble.
Now like I already told you these peoples are into the paranormal, ( is what you peoples call it, now). Its a whole different world, what these people is into and you might not gets the understandin' of it at first.Thats why I tell you to hang to yourself til these people get a chance to figger it out some. Now you can go anywheres you want, like a cafe or a bar, or like a public gathering, Just don't be a talkin' too much. If they think you are a yankee...well they just don't cotton very well to people that ain't from the south. You really at least ought to be from the south, and a lot a times that don't help much neither. Just hang to yourself around here. 'Cause like I done told ya, the peoples around here don't think or live like you think they ought to, and they never will, believe me. No they never will.
Now, they absolutely believe In the devil, demons, ghosts, poltergiests, haints, goblins, witches, Warlocks and elves. A lot of them have rituals, and sacrifices and seances. And they don't want outsiders to know their business about all dem things. They have been known to take people off into the woods and set them on fire, so the evil wouldn't spread. And some of them get hung from a tree limb. Just cause the town folk suspected them of being demon-possessed. Thats what you got to look out for; is them starting to get suspicious of you. They still follow the rules from the old country. Africa.
And a lot of them just don't like white folks, or Indians either. These is some strange people. I tell you they are. One thing you don't want to do is try to stare somebody down, cause they will pull a pistol out real quick on ya for that. Thats just the way their ancestors lived and they like it just like that. They won't change ever, for no reason. Some times they will have meetings and call up somebody like its a trial. And if enough of them say you guilty, your goose is pretty much cooked. I tell y'all for real.
(Continued in next post)






[edit on 19-3-2008 by sizzle]

Part 2 (continued) AIASP)
It don't happen that often, but it does happen around here. If I hadn't like grew up with these people, I'd get outta here, but they know about me and my Uncle Seymour's story about the gator, They think I got unnatural powers through inheritance.
Anyways, back to the story. it was so dark and I was so lost. I was scairt ta deeath wid all doze noises in de swomp. Dere wuz a story amongsts de voo-doo peoples about a giant bear-gator in deez parts. Dey sed dat he had de body of a gator and was covered with hair like a bear. Dey sed dat he walked on his hind legs like a bear and was over ten feet tall. I wuz shore deez folks would not lie about a thang like that.
I begans ta hear a loud crashin' in de bushes. When all of a sudden I felt a big claw-like hand on my shoulder. I fainted dead away.
Story has it, dat de bear-gator carried me outta doze swomps and laid me out in my front yard and fled back into the swomps. I spose he's not so bad afta alls.


(If you like my story, give me a star, please...
)

[edit on 19-3-2008 by sizzle]

Hey, sizzle!!!

Great imagination you have!!! I hope you come up with more!
Can I help with illustrations???

reply to post by Clearskies


Wow! Cool pic, Clearskies. Just as I pictured it in my imagination. Lol! I have never been to the Okefenokee Swamps, but I had to dream up something for the contest. So this was it. Thanks for your contribution.

[edit on 19-3-2008 by sizzle]

Maybe this is a glimpse of the Gator!

Ha Ha!
If I ever make a book of Swomp Stories, I will call on you for book illustrations. That gator blends in so well, that I almost couldn't find him. But I guess that is the point of camoflauge in nature, huh?

Flagged and starred, Sizzle. You always make the greatest threads! Keep up the good work. Maybe one day you'll be published!!

Here are some more pics. hope I pasted properly. I never get this right.


I see that I did not display it as I wished to. It is a fabulous pic of a monster-sized gator in the Okefenokee swamp. Could someone follow the link and post this for me, properly? (while I put my dunce hat on)

[edit on 19-3-2008 by sizzle]

Here you go!

reply to post by Clearskies


That's it! That is Uncle Seymour's Monster Bull-gator!
Thanks for finding him!

Huh-oh! Looks like there might be a bump on the end of his nose. He could be a crocodile instead of a gator.

[edit on 19-3-2008 by sizzle]

reply to post by sizzle


No, that's a gator!!!
The tail's good for eatin!!!
Unless dey et you firs!!!!!





[edit on 19-3-2008 by Clearskies]

[edit on 19-3-2008 by Clearskies]

reply to post by Clearskies


Yes, I have heard that. I also heard that the fat parts around the jaws are good also. Tastes like chicken. I have heard that the indians use every part of the gator. even his teeth for making jewelry, such as necklaces.