User:RedHouseOnTheHill

Oupa Doolie, Pronounced O-Pah Do-Lee, English Translation Grandpa Doolie, is a mythicised man based on rumours of a real man that lived on the streets in South Africa, passed on by parents to their children when they were disciplined, the exact origins of The Oupa Doolie is not known.

Though the name Oupa Doolie is characteristically derived from the Afrikaans speaking communities of South Africa, often depicted as a malevolent and terrifying individual that takes away misbehaved children never to be seen, he is also sometimes used by kids to scare each other as a game, its appearance and motives have evolved and fluctuated over time to complement the misbehaviours of the children at the time, it is also known that its was predominantly spoken of amongst the South African Coloured communities, that also has there own set of cultivated cultural beliefs and shared history within it that hasn’t been as well documented as other groups, which could also be a contributing factor for it’s decline in popularity.

In South Africa, The Oupa Doolie is portrayed as a old scary homeless man that lurks in the dark, but can still be summoned during the day if needed, waiting to capture children who misbehave or are in the wrong/dark places.

The Oupa Doolie is often used as a cautionary tale, warning children of the consequences of bad or reckless behaviour. Many adults may also use the Oupa Doolie as a way to discipline children, telling them that the Oupa Doolie will come for them if they don't behave or if they go to certain areas.

The Oupa Doolie is associated with the cautionary fear of Homelessness, Kidnapping and Mischief.

Despite its popularity declining that kids today do not fear the Oupa Doolie as todays older generation once did, the Oupa Doolie stands as one of the few remaining older and once widespread cautionary folklores to survive South Africa’s globalisation.