The Raven Mocker, or Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï, is an evil spirit and the most feared of Cherokee witches. According to
Cherokee mythology
Cherokee spiritual beliefs are held in common among the Cherokee people – Native American peoples who are indigenous to the Southeastern Woodlands, and today live primarily in communities in North Carolina (the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ...
it robs the sick and dying of their heart. Normally appearing as old, withered men and women, or turning completely invisible except to certain medicine men, they take to the air in a fiery shape, with the sounds of a
raven
A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...
's cry and a strong wind as they hunt for their next victim. After tormenting and killing their victim by slitting the victim's head 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. The sound of a raven mocker means that someone in the area will soon die.
Raven mockers are normally invisible when feeding, but those with strong
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
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 Wellman
Manly Wade Wellman (May 21, 1903 – April 5, 1986) was an American writer. While his science fiction and fantasy stories appeared in such pulps as ''Astounding Stories'', ''Startling Stories'', ''Unknown'' and ''Strange Stories'', Wellman is ...
used raven mockers in his novel ''The Old Gods Waken'' (1979), where they were one of the many creatures of
Appalachia
Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
n folklore encountered by
Silver John
Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories (1963–84) by American author Manly Wade Wellman (1903–1986). Though fans refer to him as ''Silver John'' or as ''John the Balladeer'', the stories simply call him John. He ...
.
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
The Linville Gorge Wilderness ("The Grand Canyon of North Carolina") is the third largest wilderness area in North Carolina (after Shining Rock Wilderness and Joyce-Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness) and one of only two wilderness gorges in the Southe ...
area of
Appalachia
Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
.
P.C. Cast
Phyllis Christine Cast (born April 30, 1960) is an American romance/fantasy author, known for the '' House of Night'' series she writes and her daughter Kristin Cast edits, as well as her own ''Goddess Summoning'' and ''Partholon'' book series ...
also used raven mockers as one of the main groups of villains in her
House of Night
''House of Night'' is a series of young adult vampire-themed fantasy novels by American author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It follows the adventures of Zoey Redbird, a 16-year-old girl who is "marked", becomes a fledgling vampyre ...
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 (born Susan Marlene Youmans; November 22, 1953 in Aiken, South Carolina) is an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Her work reflects certain recurring themes such as nature, magic, faith and redemption, and often referen ...
, where the main character, Adanta, chases a man who appears to be a raven mocker in order to rescue her enspelled mother.
A raven mocker is the chief antagonist in "Evil in the Night", episode 57 of ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texa ...
''. The raven mocker is depicted as a medicine man with shape shifting abilities and the capability of causing hallucinations in his victims.
Faith Hunter
Gwendolyn Faith Hunter is an American author and blogger, writing in the Fantasy literature, fantasy and Thriller (genre), thriller genres. She writes as Faith Hunter in the fantasy genre, and as Gwen Hunter in the thriller genre.Cherokee legendary creatures
Legendary crowsAmerican witchcraft
{{Cherokee