Fear of the Devil

057.1

Male Informant
Age: 78 years old
Born: June 6, 1894, in St. Alphonse
Education: Grade 8
Conducted on June 29, 1972, in South Bear Cove
Interview: Claudine Comeau
Transcription: Lise A. Robichaud, Marie-Colombe Robichaud and Caroline-Isabelle Caron

Original Acadian French

C.C.: Avez-vous entendu dire que n’y avait d’quoi qui s’passait dans le temps qu’il’ étiont en frait d’gratter ?

Inf.: Oh! Il’ aviont des peurs du djâble. Ouai, le vieux Toussaint-icitte, mon oncle, il’ aviont été gratter, il’ aviont, la peur les avait pris… Y avait une truie qu’était couchée dans la route, pis c’était toute du bois, il avait parti à couri, il avait timbé su’ la truie. I’ s’avait grimpé là, et il a tourjours cru qu’c’était l’djâble qui l’emportait. Après ça…

C.C.: C’est ça qui les faisait croire ça.

Inf.: Ouai, des affaires de même. Le monde était tout l’temps apeuré.

English

C.C.: Did you hear about something happening when they were digging [for treasure]?

Inf.: Oh! They were afraid of the Devil. Yeah, old Toussaint, my uncle, they had gone to dig, and then they got, they became afraid… There was a sow lying on the road, way out in the woods. He'd started to run and he fell over the sow. When he grabbed it, it started to carry him off, and he always believed it was the devil trying to take him. After that…

C.C.: So that’s why people believed that.

Inf.: Yeah, things like that. People were always afraid [of the Devil].

Source: Centre Acadien, Université Sainte-Anne, Archives orales, 057.1, Informateur de 78 ans, "Fear of the Devil," Claudine Comeau, June 29, 1972.

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