Similar entities | Ravens Púca |
---|---|
Folklore | Legend |
Other name(s) | lit. transl. corpse bird |
Country | Wales |
The Aderyn y Corff (Welsh for 'corpse bird'; sometimes also known as Aderyn corff or Deryn corff, or archaically Aderyn y Corph) is a bird from Welsh folklore who portends death. It is said to chirp outside a soon-to-be deceased person's door with a cry that sounds similar to dewch (Welsh for 'come').[1][2] The bird has no feathers or wings.[2] When not calling outside of a person's door, it is said to live on another plane of existence.[2]
The Aderyn y Corff is referenced twice in the Welsh-language version of the bible, which some authors have claimed is the origin of the superstition.[3][1] Many contemporary accounts of the corpse bird have suggested that it is actually a screech owl, drawn to lights coming from the room of a patient.[3][1][4]