Raven

The raven (Corvus corax) has been taken for a clever bird who is also the most ominous and frightening and it is believed to have originated from a witch. Its earlier name was kaaren and it has matches in other, related languages. The name ronk is an onomatopoeia for the bird's call. He is also known as korp, kronk, also 'white bird', and less so as 'black bird'. Such euphemistic nicknames were used to give names to scary birds. It was believed that birds hear and understand human speech and when they hear their own name, they hide from hunters or cause harm to humans in other ways. The raven is associated with the spiritual realm and for this reason, it is identified as a bird of death or bad luck. A raven flying over a dwelling house, or a raven’s call, meant a quarrel, a death, or a portent of death. Flying over pasture meant an animal perishing, an accident, or a wolf getting at the cattle. It was believed that dogs become mad when they eat a bone or a piece of meat dropped from a raven’s beak.

Mathilda Matjus (Hiiemäe 2016). Translation: Maarja Villandi-Reiljan.