User:Consistantplant01/Acheri

In their human form they are a young girl with long brown hair, and they will look pale. This does change through different cultures. They are talked about in Native American culture, and sometimes in Hindu culture. The reason for them to be existing in both cultures is because it is said that since the Europeans mixed up Native Americans with Indians from India, they both ended up with the legend just with different variations.

Native American Culture:

Chippewa tribes:

Acheri in its natural and demonic form.

It is said that they sleep during the day in the mountains or hilltops and become active at night. They appear as a famine child and will not show their true form. They will only show it if they are cornered, and they will then run to their home. They sing while playing a small tam-tam, and their voices are omens of the death of the person who hears it, or somebody (especially a child) close to that person. They are also said to bring disease to children (and sometimes others) who come in contact with them. They will sometimes bring a child back into their house on the hillside. They will also attack adults if needed. The Acheri are also said to bring death to the elderly or other people who are quite ill. She doesn't even have to touch her victims but cast a shadow on them.

Legend says to protect yourself from their curse, one must wear a bright red ribbon or red string tied around one's neck or wrist. Alternatively, one may wear red clothes or pearls. These might not work, but it is the safest and only option.

Algonquin tribes:

They are someone who died of a disease or illness. They are human like children during the day and demonic at night. They live in forest or mountains. They are known for spreading disease and illness among children. They have mischievous behavior and will touch children with cold ghost like hands. They can also appear and frighten in dreams or visions.

The best way to protect yourself is to hang garlic or other strong herbs. Salt is also another way to repel the Acheri. Anything red will make it angry and leave. It is also said loud noises and signing will scare it off.

Other tribes:

They will kill other children making them Acheri and it is never ending cycle. It presents as a small child and will play with and gain the trust of other children. If they are wanting adults, they will act as child in need of help. They can shape shift and live in caves. They feed off of human misery and grow stronger that way. They are considered omens of death and if you run into one, they will not hunt you. Instead, they will only sing and that means death and illness will be close after you.

Protection is wearing red as a necklace or bracelet. You can wear a holy charm. Another way to put it to rest is to put a red cloth of the medicine women on its neck.

Hindu Culture:

They are children who have suffered a terrible death from a disease. It will appear as a pale skinned girl and gain sympathy from everyone in the tribe. It will get in just close enough to spread dieses. Its true form is terrifying and animalistic. It will very rarely attack and show its true form. It will only do this when it is corned. Its only goal is to spread plague and kill innocent people. The disease is called Acherias shadow. They are very patient and follow human movement. They will wait until a huge festival, funeral, or harvest celebration to spread the plague. She will sing and dance, sometimes playing the drums. These are omen that mean sickness and death are soon to follow. It will also become friends with the children and will cast its shadow over them to spread its illness. They just want to see people suffer as they had to before they died. They do not seek out a specific person but instead a large group. Each person that dies the Acheri grows stronger. It will only return to the mountains if the adults notice it as non-human. Then it will lure kids with it, and they will have a terrible ending.

It has very few weaknesses and the main way it is wearing red to keep it away from you. You can also use salt. The best for is a red cloth pouch with salt in it around your neck. There are few ways to put the spirit to rest like putting a red cloth from the medicine women. The issue is you cannot get that close to one. One way is to build an alter and put lit candles and cakes on it. Then move it to a quiet and secluded place. Then it should accept the offering and return back to the mountains. Another way is to beat on a brass dish, and this will put one of the victims in a trance. This would lead to a dance in the victim. The victim will gain insight and understand the sacrifice that needs to be made to make the Acheri happy and return to its house in the mountains.

References

“Acheri.” Acheri | Facts, Information, and Mythology, 5 Sept. 1998, pantheon.org/articles/a/acheri.html.

The Paranormal Site, theparanormalsite.com/acheri/.

Pfeifle, Tess. “The Acheri.” Astonishing Legends, Astonishing Legends, 26 Sept. 2020, www.astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2020/2/16/the-acheri.

“Acheri, a Chippewa Legend.” The Scare Chamber, 24 Jan. 2022, www.thescarechamber.com/acheri/.

“Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology.” Google Books, Google, books.google.com/books?id=VSu6CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&dq=Acheri&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjT-rbh-dbnAhXShHIEHf5EAScQ6AEwA3oECAgQAg#v=onepage&q=Acheri&f=false.

Helsing, Kyle Van. The Acheri, demonhunterscompendium.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-acheri_6.html.

André-François Ruaud, The dictionary of Fey, the Oxymoron edition, 2002.

Michael Page, Robert Ingpen, Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were: Creatures, Places, and People, 1987.

Latham, Robert Gordon (2010). Descriptive Ethnology – Vol II. Europe, Africa, India. Read Books Design (published 1859). ISBN 978-1-4455-4686-5.

McGowen, Tom (1981). Encyclopedia of Legendary Creatures. Rand McNally. ISBN 978-0-528-82402-9.