Bacoo

A Bacoo (BAH-ku) is a mischievous mythological spirit often claimed to be found in the Caribbean. Bacoo's are told to be found in empty corked rum bottles floating in the Caribbean Sea and are said to have magical powers. Many other cultures have slight variances of names and appearances of mischievous folklore characters, such as Aladdin's 'Genie of the Lamp'. The Bacoo figure also closely resembles a leprechaun from Celtic mythology.^[1]

Characteristics

A Bacoo is said to be a short man with large eyes, long arms and legs and lives on bananas and milk. It also is related to the word bacucu meaning banana. 'Baku' in many West African languages means 'little brother' or 'short man'.^[2]

Back Story

The Bacoo is active mainly at night, and a satisfied Bacoo will answer the wishes of its owner. However, unlike the Genie, there are no set amount of wishes, but you must keep your Bacoo happy. In order to keep your Bacoo from causing havoc, you must give him a daily ration of bananas and milk. It is a trickster that can shapeshift, make itself unseen and mess with people around him. It is said they can be trapped inside a bottle but not very easily. First, you attract them with some milk and bananas by putting some pieces into a bottle. Once the Bacoo has gone into the bottle, a cork is jammed into the neck to act as a stopper. Once this is accomplished, the Bacoo cannot escape. These Bacoo bottles are then thrown into the ocean or waterways.^[1]

References