Night raven

In German folklore (, ), mainly of Southern Germany and Austria, the most common legends claim that the night raven leaves its hiding place at night to hunt. If it is seen by little children, it will abduct them into its nest and messily devour them, first ripping off their limbs and then picking out their heart. According to other legends, the night raven will merely put children in his bag and take them away. Tales about the (German, ) are less common. Instead of abducting children, it simply crows loudly and flutters its wings, until the children have been terrorized into silence. The (German, ) is a rare benevolent version of the night raven tale. In Burgenland myths, this bird enters the children's room and gently sings them to sleep. In northern Germany, the night raven is described as a big and strong bird that is extremely fast in travel. Its wings are described as made of iron, which has led to it also being referred to as the 'iron bird' (). It is said that the bird uses its iron wings to beat those to death who have offended or imitated it. == Nordic folklore ==

In Nordic folklore, night ravens (, , ), are mostly known from the southern regions of Sweden and Norway, as well as Denmark. The most basic descriptions of night ravens give the sense "night ghost", or "revenant in the shape of a raven". Some legends depict them with no eyes, which, if looked into, cause death. Such are also depicted with holes in their wings, which cause illness and disease if looked at. ) of a probable Valkyrie in raven-disguise (note the dress), overseeing some sort of sacrifice Even in Old Norse mythology, ravens played a part in death. Valkyries, the psychopomps of Odin, when on the look for warriors to bring to Valhalla (the hall of slain warriors), scouted battlefields disguised as ravens (see Hamr (folklore)). Swedish folklore In Swedish folklore (, , , , ; also ), An 18th century German-Swedish dictionary, translated German (poltergeist), as tomt-gubbe, ghost, and night raven, and a 19th-century quote, from the Swedish region of Halland, says the following: == Background ==

The origins of the night raven legends are still unknown, but a connection possibly exists to rook infestations in Central Europe. Already feared due to their black feathers and scavenging diet, the mass gatherings quickly became an existential threat to farmers and gave rooks and crows their place in folklore as all-devouring monsters. Alternative senses Whether related to the myth or not, the name night raven has, at least historically, not solely been used in the sense of the monster. According to the German dictionary, , and the Swedish Academy's dictionary, SAOB, the term night raven is also an older Germanic name for nocturnal birds, especially nightjars and owls (, Old Swedish: natrafn); The word nightraven (also nightcrow) was also used in English before modern times, among others, used by writers such as William Shakespeare, meaning "nocturnal bird", variously identified as "night-owl", "night-heron" and "nightjar". Another sense is as a synonym for night owl, i.e., a nocturnal person; in Danish and Norwegian, the form , specifically refers to a , a person wandering during the night to keep the neighbourhood safe (see Natteravnene). In Swedish, night raven has also been used to describe brigands. == In popular culture ==

Johann August Apel's short story "", from volume 1 (1810) has night-ravens flying around a magic circle of skulls and bones, while the protagonist begins to cast magic bullets. In the mobile game Year Walk (2013), one of the Watchers is a Night Raven that steals a key. In the subsequent e-picturebook Year Walk: Bedtime Stories for Awful Children (2015), the fourth chapter is devoted to the Night Raven. == See also ==