Aderyn y corff
Similar entitiesRavens
Púca
FolkloreLegend
Other name(s)Corpse bird
CountryWales

The Aderyn y corff (a.k.a. Corpse bird) 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 Welsh: dewch, or 'come' in English.[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]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Owen, David (1848). Allivedd y cyssegr, neu eglurhad byr ar yr Ysgrythyrau Sanctaidd, yn cynnwys casgliad detholedig o sylwadau Thomas Hartwell Horne, M.A., Francis Roberts, D.D., Stackhouse, Burder, Gleig, ac eraill (in Welsh). Llanymddyfri. p. 595.
  2. 1 2 3 Sikes, Wirt (1881). British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington.
  3. 1 2 "Relating to Wales and the border countries". Bye-gones: 3. 1878.
  4. ↑ "History of the Parish of Llanbyrnmair". Collections, Historical & Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire. Powysland Club. 22: 327. 1888.
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