duppy
Jamaican restless spirit
A duppy is a ghost or malevolent spirit in Caribbean folklore, particularly Jamaican.
Duppies are souls of the dead that haven't moved on, often causing mischief or harm to the living: Don't go out at night—the duppies will get you.
The word appears in reggae lyrics and Caribbean literature, carrying genuine supernatural weight in communities where belief persists.
Visible supernatural manifestation
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
- specterGhostly threatening presence
- wraithSpectral apparition of someone
- revenantReturned from death
shade · spirit · jumbie · haunting · deceased · undead · nightwalker
Disturbingly unforgettable
- chillingCausing fear or cold
- spookyUnsettlingly strange
- creepyDisturbingly strange
- uncannyEerily beyond normal
sinister · ominous · unsettling · supernatural · paranormal · otherworldly · spectral · ghostly
Regional informal speech
Traditional stories or icons
- superstitionsUnfounded beliefs about luck
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- griotAfrican oral tradition keeper
apparition
Visible supernatural manifestation
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
- specterGhostly threatening presence
- wraithSpectral apparition of someone
revenant · shade · spirit · jumbie · haunting · deceased · undead · nightwalker
haunting
Disturbingly unforgettable
uncanny · sinister · ominous · unsettling · supernatural · paranormal · otherworldly · spectral · ghostly · frightening
patois
Regional informal speech
legends
Traditional stories or icons
- superstitionsUnfounded beliefs about luck
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
reggae
Jamaican offbeat music style
duppyguardian angel
Protective spirit assigned individually
angel · saint · guiding spirit