Nachtkrapp or Night Raven is a large predatory bird found in lore of Switzerland, Germany and the North Lands. Nachtkrapp (Nachtkrappe, Nachtrabe) blends with the shadows unseen as he goes out on his lethal nocturnal journeys.
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In German the literal translation of night raven is Nachtrabe. 'Krapp' comes from an early form of 'craw' or crop (Ger. Kropf) also referring to the gular skin; or Krapp can be a form of Rabe. Colloquial German drops the last vowel (e) so b makes a hard p sound.
A giant raven, completely black, Nachtkrapp is a Kinderschreck figure used to scare children into going to bed and staying there. He lurks in dark hallways, partly open closets, under stairs and among shadows in the corners.
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His rustling feathers can summon storms and rain, and his demonic squawk can strike terror into the brave. He's the shadow over the moon and the unseen danger in the closet.
Like many of the Germanic harvest spirits and creatures of the night, Nachtkrapp likes to make a meal of any child he encounters. Nachtkrapp is not generally thought to be a demon, but a powerful evil spirit shaped like a bird, who can also access demonic realms.
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In Scandinavia, Nachtkrapp has no eyes. Who looks into the hollows of the sockets is fated to die within a certain time. He might also have holes in his wings, and whoever sees them will soon die.
In ornithomancy, or divination through the flight and movements of birds, ravens are considered among the most prophetic. They share this distinction with crows, owls and hens.
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In another manifestation Nachtkrapp is heard but not seen. He shrieks and flaps his wings until all who hear him fall silent. From outside, Nachtkrapp beats at windows or doors with his wings and talons.
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Woe betide any who open the way for the malevolent forces of Nachtkrapp. His appearance is unlucky for the household. He can't be pacified with offerings or deterred by magical means. If seen he's an omen of forthcoming death.
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Conversely, Nachtkrapp can slink quietly through the darkness, with feathers sleek and noiseless. Even if he's not visible, a person can feel a dark oppressive shadow. Like earthly ravens Nachtkrapp is a canny bird of mystery, magic and cross-dimensional travel.
If Nachtkrapp is seen by a child, he'll snatch the child back to his realm. There he tears off the limbs of the doomed child, pecks out the eyes and eats the heart. Nachtkrapp is only one of the German bedtime bogeys. Another is the Butzemann.
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Ravens in western culture are still believed to be birds of ill omen, death and evil, shown by their all-black attire and love of eating carrion. Black is most associated with death in Europe since the Victorian Era and demise of Prince Albert in 1861.
In Sweden, ravens are thought to be ghosts of murdered people who had no Christian burial. If representing non-Christian murder victims, they would number among the pagan Germanic Undead, or Wiedergänger.
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In Northern Europe, ghosts of dead people can't exist as such until the afterlife becomes a widespread belief. Early ghosts or undead entities include angry relatives in c. 500 BCE Greece and angry relatives in c. 1700 BCE Mesopotamia.
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In German myth, many Wiedergänger are violence victims - or angry relatives. In Germania of ancient lore, the Undead are manifestations of the living stuck between worlds of life and death. They're hateful and brutal. A Nachzehrer for instance wants to kill its whole family.
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The restless spirits include the Nachzehrer or German Vampire, the Aufhocker who leaps on the back of a passerby and gets progressively heavier; or the German werewolf. Another entity of the Germanic restless Undead is the Headless Horseman.
During the Middle Ages the raven is an embodiment of evil forces in general. It's a bearer or cryptic information, or a spy of wicked intent. In Germany, the common raven is a soul of the damned. It might be seen as a helper of the Christian devil.
The first mention of a soul separate from the body is the Kuttamuwa stele, a funeral stele of a royal official from Sam'al in the 8th century BCE. Kuttamuwa requests commemoration by mourners of his life and afterlife with feasts "for my soul that is in this stele".
Ravens are also associated with the concept of witches, and considered among their familiars or animal spirits. Other familiars include cats, owls, dogs and wolves. In the myth of Odin, the god king receives wisdom from his ravens at the cost of an eye.
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In Danish folklore, a valravn (Danish: raven of the slain) is a supernatural raven. They're common in traditional Danish folk songs. The valravn originates from observation of ravens plucking out the eyes, tearing up and consuming the dead of the battlefield.
The valravn can turn into a knight (rider) after eating the heart of a child. It can also appear as a hybrid wolf and raven.
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A valravn who eats a king's heart gains human knowledge. He has superhuman power and can instigate violence and hatred, and lead people astray. The valravn may cross the line between demonic animal spirit and demon.
The Guter Nachtkrapp (good night raven) is a localized diversion from the tale of the evil Nachtkrapp. In Burgenland, Austria, the good night raven enters the children's rooms and sings them to sleep.
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The hoarse croak of a raven can sound like the knell of doom. Corvids are known for imitating or mimicking sounds, from creaky doors to human speech. Such unusual noises might be a sign of Nachtkrapp passing by in the dark.