Raven Mocker
Encyclopedia
The Raven Mocker, or ka'lanu ahkyeli'ski, is an evil being from Cherokee mythology
who robs the sick and dying of their lives. Normally appearing as old, withered men and women, when they hunt a victim they take to the air in a fiery shape, and with the sounds of a raven
's cry and a strong wind. After tormenting and killing their victim they consume his heart (doing so without leaving a mark on the victim's skin), and add a year to their life for every year that the slain would have still lived. Much like a banshee
, the sound of a raven mocker means that someone will soon die.
Raven mockers are normally invisible when feeding, but those with strong medicine
can not only spot them but cause them to die within seven days. Medicine men will sometimes stand guard over the dying to prevent raven mockers from stealing the heart of the afflicted.
Raven mockers are feared and envied by the other witches of Cherokee folklore, and their bodies may be abused by said witches after death.
used raven mockers in his novel The Old Gods Waken (1979), where they were one of the many creatures of Appalachia
n folklore encountered by Silver John
.
Scott Nicholson
used withered beings much like raven mockers in his novel They Hunger (2007), where they were encountered in a gorge similar to the Linville Gorge Wilderness
area of Appalachia
.
P.C. Cast also used Raven Mockers as one of the main groups of villains in her House of Night Series. The story describes them as the being the few living "spirit" children of fallen angel Kalona and any one of his many human mistresses. They have the ability to annoy the living and also steal the lives of those close to death.
Raven mockers are a central theme in the book The Curse of the Raven Mocker, by Marly Youmans
, where the main character, Adanta, chases a man who appears to be a raven mocker in order to rescue her enspelled mother. In doing so, she finds out more than she expected as she searches through Adantis, a land where the Cherokee legends mix with those of the early settlers in the Appalachian mountains.
Cherokee mythology
thumb|The [[water spider]] is said to have first brought fire to the inhabitants of the earth in the basket on her back.This article concerns itself with the mythology of the Cherokee, Native Americans indigenous to the Appalachias, and today are enrolled in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,...
who robs the sick and dying of their lives. Normally appearing as old, withered men and women, when they hunt a victim they take to the air in a fiery shape, and with the sounds of a raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
's cry and a strong wind. After tormenting and killing their victim they consume his heart (doing so without leaving a mark on the victim's skin), and add a year to their life for every year that the slain would have still lived. Much like a banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
, the sound of a raven mocker means that someone will soon die.
Raven mockers are normally invisible when feeding, but those with strong medicine
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
can not only spot them but cause them to die within seven days. Medicine men will sometimes stand guard over the dying to prevent raven mockers from stealing the heart of the afflicted.
Raven mockers are feared and envied by the other witches of Cherokee folklore, and their bodies may be abused by said witches after death.
In fiction
Manly Wade WellmanManly Wade Wellman
Manly Wade Wellman was an American writer. He is best known for his fantasy and horror stories set in the Appalachian Mountains and for drawing on the native folklore of that region, but he wrote in a wide variety of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, detective...
used raven mockers in his novel The Old Gods Waken (1979), where they were one of the many creatures of Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n folklore encountered by Silver John
Silver John
Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories by Manly Wade Wellman. Though fans refer to him as Silver John or as John the Balladeer, the stories call him simply John....
.
Scott Nicholson
Scott Nicholson
Scott Nicholson is a U.S. author specializing in horror or thrillers, often set in rural Appalachia. His debut, The Red Church, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award.- Biography :...
used withered beings much like raven mockers in his novel They Hunger (2007), where they were encountered in a gorge similar to the Linville Gorge Wilderness
Linville Gorge Wilderness
The Linville Gorge Wilderness is the third largest wilderness area in North Carolina and one of only two wilderness gorges in the Southern United States...
area of Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
.
P.C. Cast also used Raven Mockers as one of the main groups of villains in her House of Night Series. The story describes them as the being the few living "spirit" children of fallen angel Kalona and any one of his many human mistresses. They have the ability to annoy the living and also steal the lives of those close to death.
Raven mockers are a central theme in the book The Curse of the Raven Mocker, by Marly Youmans
Marly Youmans
Marly Youmans is an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She grew up in Louisiana, North Carolina, and elsewhere, and she currently lives in the village of Cooperstown, New York with her husband and three children.-Life:She graduated from Hollins College, Brown University, and...
, where the main character, Adanta, chases a man who appears to be a raven mocker in order to rescue her enspelled mother. In doing so, she finds out more than she expected as she searches through Adantis, a land where the Cherokee legends mix with those of the early settlers in the Appalachian mountains.