Xallas Raven

Raven soft toy, measures approx. 11.8'' (30cm)

In Gaelic mythology, the raven is a messenger of Death. Gaelicians believed than a raven flying in circles over a house was an omen that someone there would die soon. Galician folk used to say to the crows:

Foreteller raven
Go away,
For behind this door
There is no dead flesh for you

In Galician folklore the raven is often associated with witchcraft. Folk believed that ravens helped witches' sorcery practices.

Galicia's national Bard, Eduardo Pondal, was inspired by these animals and composed a famous poem to the Fierce Ravens of Xallas in Co. Bergantiños:

Fierce ravens of Xallas
You wander free and wild,
With no today or tomorrow;
I would like to be your companion
Over the long fields.