Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ravens of Saint Meinrad of Einsiedeln
Category: Ghost, Bird
The Myth
Saint Meinrad was a pious hermit who withdrew from the crowded world to live alone in the wilderness of the Dark Forest, deep in the Swiss mountains. Near a cold spring, he had a small hut and chapel built, where he devoted himself to prayer before an image of the Virgin Mary. He was accompanied by two ravens, which he had rescued as young birds from a nest in a fir tree after chasing away a sparrowhawk that threatened them. The ravens remained his faithful companions as he lived in solitude among the ancient trees, wild animals, and harsh mountain winds.
Although Meinrad sought isolation, his reputation for holiness eventually drew pilgrims into the wilderness. One day, two robbers approached his hut, hoping to find treasure. Meinrad already knew of their arrival, yet he welcomed them kindly and offered them hospitality. The robbers suddenly attacked him with clubs and beat him to death. As they stood beside his body, the two ravens cawed wildly and flew around them. When the murderers attempted to light a candle at the saint’s feet, it ignited by itself, filling them with terror as they realized they had killed a holy man.
The robbers fled through the forest, but the ravens pursued them above the towering fir trees. Believing themselves safe after reaching the city of Zurich, the men entered an inn and began to laugh at their earlier fear. Suddenly, the two ravens flew through an open window and attacked them in front of the other guests. Their strange behaviour aroused suspicion, and the robbers were arrested. The ravens were recognized as the companions of the murdered hermit, and the men confessed to their crime before being executed.
Meinrad was buried in the wilderness where he had lived, and a monastery was later established there at Maria Einsiedeln. His two ravens remained forever associated with his memory. According to the legend, they still fly among the people of the Schwyz forest around Einsiedeln, enduring as symbols of loyalty and as avengers of the saint whose life they had shared.
Sources
“Die Raben des heiligen Meinrad.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/allgemein/raben_meinrad.html