![]() ![]() As she watched, the medicine man turned and stared deep into the trees she thought were her cover, as if to be looking right into her eyes, seeing her through all darkness. Unbeknownst to the woman, she had been discovered. So she watched in secret, clutching the hide of a mountain cat around her body for disguise and protection, watching their sacred ceremony take place. The belief was that it was forbidden for women to be present during these rituals. The Wampus Cat lore is derived from a commonly heard story about a beautiful Indian woman, hiding in the words, watching her husband and the men of her tribe practicing magic. This cat signifies the dark side of feminine nature, a harbinger of death, representing both death and rebirth, or simply the nalushashito, the soul-eater.1 For the Choctaw, the black panther was the stealer of souls that were not prepared to die. Southern Alabama is not typically where one would find black panthers, which is why special significance and lore have been placed on this beast that roams the woods. The last bits of dirt are thrown over the hole by large black paws, her mouth still billowing the cry that has sealed your fate: the cry of the Wampus Cat-the “Harbinger of Death”. The pine needles are teeth in a closing mouth. All that can be heard is the deafening shriek, echoing through your mind as the ground closes up around you. The earth at your feet opens wide, swallowing you into your grave, as a shrill scream echoes in the distance, ringing in your head as you plunge to your inevitable end. These are the nights that any slight sound becomes a ghost, whispering in your ear. ![]() The veil falls over your eyes, guiding you into a void of towering pines like smoke stacks, a thick fog floating at your feet. ![]() The dense Alabama wilderness has a way of becoming a black cloak at night fall. ![]()
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