Dominicans and Witches

This little girl Jennifer scared all the other 5th graders as she told us about the witch that tried to attack her. She explained that the witch came by at night, jumping on her tin roof and sneaking into the house in the shape of a small animal (that’s what witches do in this country). Her father reassured her that the witch couldn’t hurt her being that she had already been baptized in the Catholic Church. (Lots of people here believe that witches try to suck blood from babies and small children, but if the child has been baptized or dedicated in the Christian church then they’ll be safe). Then she continued to tell us how one night her dad got tired of the witch scaring her so he played a trick on the witch. He put a broom by the door with the bristles up and sprinkled salt on it, this made it so the witch couldn’t leave the house. Then he turned the broom around so the witch could leave, but before she left he put the broom up again. He did this over and over again but finally let her leave the house and she never came back again.

I found this story quite humorous, but all the other listeners reassured me that it was true and how they’d all seen witches as well. It surprises me how many of their parents believe in these blood sucking witches as well. I found an interesting website that shares more on witches and others folktales in the Dominican Republic. Check it out!