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Raven Mockers - The Cherokee Legend


DemonicCupcake

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(Via the Wikipedia page)

"The Raven Mocker, or ka'lanu ahkyeli'ski, is an evil being from Cherokee mythology who robs the old, 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 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. 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. He is the Angel of Death in such a way he was menacing."

I've noticed that I've never seen them mentioned on these forums, aside from the past when I have brought them up. I once had a friend of Native American decent, who told me about these creatures, and how he believed he had heard the cries of one. There isn't much information available on the internet about these cryptids/legends (Whatever you may consider them) and posted this topic in hopes somebody had some other knowledge of them they would be able to contribute. I also hope that the little information I have been able to share may have broadened some of your knowledge, even if you are unable to contribute. Thank you very much!

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That is a cool story. I've not heard of such a thing, but I've always really liked native folklore. Fortunately, however, it can't possibly be real.

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Never heard about Raven Mockers and between you and me and the fence post, I hope I never hear one.

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How do they choose their victim ? Can it be anybody ?

In much of tribal lore, such things happen to specific individuals. Eg; old, weak or sick, transgressors, 'trespassers' , those without certain protections, etc.

In the 'folk traditions', especially the more 'primeval' ones , certain 'spirit' people, animals or forces seem to take on the role of a crocodile or other animals that 'clean up' .

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  • 2 months later...

I've been reading a book series labeled the "House of Night" and Raven Mockers along with other Cherokee legends play a big part. Now I finally know what they are! Very interesting.

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Pretty neat story. Native Americans certainly loved their tales.

It's legends like these that diminishes the credibility of the claims to support bigfoot. All too often, Native American claims of a big hairy Wildman are used to support the existence of bigfoot.

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Nice, never heard of them but like you said it just adds to my knowledge although I must admit that I'm not that familiar with Native American folklore, I do know of the Wendigo though and Manitu(?) or perhaps that more fits in to the category of their mythology. I have hear that they have some tales and maybe writings about sea serpents in some of the larger lakes?

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Thanks for posting this. My sons mom is part Cherokee and very into the paranormal but I guarantee she has never heard of this.

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This is a topic of interest to me. I've read a little bit about the Raven Mocker before.

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Living in an area with ravens around it is easy for me to see where this superstition grew from.

Things are at rock bottom, crap hitting the fan at every turn and there it is, out on the pole gleefully mocking my misfortune. Never seems to have anything to say during the good times, won't even land on its favorite mocking perch. How in heck does it know when to show up and mock or not?

Does it really work that way though, is it really only there to mock my misfortune? Perhaps it is there cawing more often than I become aware of. Maybe I am simply not aware of its presence on the perch or its cawing when things are going fine. Perhaps its the bad times that cause me to be more mindful of its presence.

I understand why they thought the raven stole lives. After 19 years of living here and seeing a raven cawing from that perch many times, the last time I saw the raven it looked and sounded exactly the same as the first time I saw it. lol

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  • 2 years later...

My apologies in advance for being super late but I can assure you these creatures are very real. The stories I was told run parallel with Skinwalkers. They're like the oposite of a medicine man and could mimic and take the form of several animals. Imagine a real life version of the predator, with glowing red eyes that, can paralyze you simply by being in its presence, can perfectly mimic five of your family members (and a p***ed off cougar), and throws rocks at your house. Also, it does kind of sound like a bird when it lands. Whatever got after me and my cousin that night dropped out of a tree branch and charged at us. It was about the size of a large bird. But after it touched the ground it didn't sound like a bird. More like a two legged horse. I would say they're virtually identical to skinwalkers except the backstories differ slightly. That and I live in NC, which is nowhere near Dinè tribal territory. Someone mentioned the targeting of specific people. Native Americans in general believe that sickness is both physical and spiritual. This is why prayer and ritual often accompanies actual medicine. In other words you don't necessarily have to be physically sick to be sick. One might simply be depressed or mentally unstable. They also have a tendency to go after people of strong spirituality. In any case, I don't go near the woods after dark anymore. 

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The Lenape believe in a type of "skinwalker" too. They are called Kiimochnii and they take advantage of people but they preform nothing more than "street magic" to trick people.

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2 hours ago, SwampInjun said:

I can assure you these creatures are very real. 

Really ? Then there would be evidence of this :

From the OP

Quote

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), 

Please provide me with police, hospital, post mortem, autopsy.....anything will do....to back up your claim.

Thankyou.

2 hours ago, SwampInjun said:

like a two legged horse. 

A what?  Please not the gif!!!!

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1 hour ago, Jon the frog said:

That ? 

 

 

Thought as much. :rolleyes:

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