The Raven Mockers are figures in Cherokee mythology, described as witches or evil spirits that prolong their lives by preying on the sick and dying.
Their flight is accompanied by the sound of rushing wind and their cries, described as resembling a raven's dive call, are considered an omen of death.
[1][2] Raven Mockers are said to gather at the homes of the dying, tormenting their victims by pressing on their chests to restrict breathing or throwing them to the ground.
[1][2] In Cherokee tradition, Raven Mockers are also called "Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï" ("The Death Spirit") and "Tsundige’wi" ("He Who Covers His Face").
As he lay dying, witnesses claimed the Raven Mockers tormented him, hastening his death by pressing on his chest and lifting him from his bed.
[1][2] Manly Wade Wellman featured Raven Mockers in his novel The Old Gods Waken (1979), where they are among the creatures encountered by Silver John in Appalachian folklore.
In this series, they are the "spirit" children of the fallen angel Kalona and human women, possessing the ability to steal the lives of those near death.
A Raven Mocker is the main antagonist in "Evil in the Night," episode 57 of Walker, Texas Ranger, where it is depicted as a medicine man with shape-shifting abilities and the power to cause hallucinations in his victims.