This is part one of a two-part conversation. Blake and Karen are joined by Kyle Crosby, filmmaker, historian, and founder of <a href="https://www.louisianadread.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Louisiana Dread</a>, a multimedia project dedicated to documenting the dark history, folklore, and culture of the Pelican State. Kyle is a native of Larose, Louisiana, who grew up in Lafourche Parish and on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Isle,_Louisiana" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grand Isle</a>. He spent years working in the film industry before returning home to preserve the stories he felt were being lost to time. Through his popular YouTube channel and social media platforms, he bridges the gap between scholarly history and regional folklore - covering everything from the legend of the Rougarou and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_Island_Swamp_monster" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Honey Island Swamp Monster</a> to the real-life mysteries of the Cajun Coast. Kyle is currently adapting his historical deep dives into a scripted horror anthology series, with one episode in the festival circuit and a second in pre-production. Blake met Kyle at the second Gods and Monsters conference at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_State_University" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Texas State University</a>, where Kyle's presentation on Louisiana's history and folklore inspired Blake and Karen to finally tackle the Rougarou as a proper episode. In this first part, the conversation digs into the history of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_the_Acadians" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Acadian expulsion</a>, the cultural forces that produced Cajun and Creole Louisiana, and the Old World roots of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rougarou" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rougarou</a> legend. In part two, they'll get into what the Rougarou actually became - a shape-shifting boogeyman with regional variants, plus feux follets, and a monster that might have been born from a traveling circus. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.monstertalk.org/?p=2981" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extensive show notes at MonsterTalk.Org</a><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support</a>.<br /><br />Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.