Night raven

For the Marvel Comics character, see Night Raven.

Night ravens (also stylized nightravens; Danish and Norwegian: nattravn; Swedish: nattramn, nattkorp; German: Nachtkrapp, Nachtrabe) are creatures of European folklore, predominantly described as raven like creatures appearing in the night. The folklore differs regionally, and night ravens may be other beings, such as undead, shapeshifted into ravens. They are sometimes used as a bugbear creature of cautionary tales, used to scare children into going to bed.

Various versions of the night raven myth exist. In some legends, the night raven is described as a giant, nocturnal raven-like bird, while others leave out any specific size. In Sweden, such may not only be shaped as ravens, but can also be skeletal beings flying around.

Legends of night ravens variously exist in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, among more. The raven, overall, has a mythological reputation for being an ominous bird that is often associated with evil, sudden death, further, a Messenger of Darkness.

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