The Rock at Pagua

The Rock at Pagua is the setting of one of the most interesting legends of the Kalinago people involving mind control, flowers, and a rock-dwelling spirit.

According to the folklore of the indigenous Kalinago people of Dominica, the nearly 60-foot rock is home to a powerful spirit. Locals say a small white flower grows near the rock, however it blooms only one day a year. Anyone lucky enough to find this flower, should rub the bloom in the palm of their hand. Upon doing so, the legend says that if they point their palm towards someone they wish to have control over, while calling their name, they will have control over that person.

However, it’s not all flowers and mind control. There are a number of large cracks on the surface of the rock, and it’s said that if you see the spirit of the rock living inside the rock, a loved one is sure to die soon afterwards.

Although much of the story is local legend, there are some interesting observable truths. For example, there really is a white flower that blooms infrequently near the rock. If one does find the plant while it’s in bloom, a strong hallucinogenic and psychedelic tea is said to be able to be made from the leaves. At other times of the year when the flower is not in bloom, the leaves do not have the same effect.