Atleast 2 artists use this name.

1. The Raven was born in the winter… Read Full Bio ↴Atleast 2 artists use this name.

1. The Raven was born in the winter of 2007, and gave birth to Euro-American metal. Formed by Davey Strehler, after moving to Florida from Switzerland. The Raven has taken European Melancholy and distorted it with an air of Hollywood glam/metal adding a variety of styles from classical to world.

2. Dutch DJ & producer.

The Raven
The Raven Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My heart is as black
As the ink in my veins
The words in my songs
The notes that I play
Spent two years
Trapped in a cage
Released to a world
A world

Of sorrow and pain
The family of many
The ruler of none
Pride of my rise
Erased by the fall
Mama I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
(Raven of the night)
Lord of the dawn
A murder
Murder given flight
(Murder given flight)
In this world
I am reborn
I am the Raven
Call out my name
Mama I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
Once was the lord
Of all I can see
Odin's eye in the sky
The focus was me
Held from the world
Planning my escape
Peer into my mind
See the unseen
Melodies of life
Without a crown
(Without a crown)
Out in the rain
The Raven stands so proud
Father I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
(Raven of the night)
Lord of the dawn
A murder
Murder given flight
(Murder given flight)
In this world
I am reborn
I am the Raven
Call out my name
Father I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
I'm
Free
Let's
Go
Ooh
Oooh
Ooooh
Oooooohh
Binded by these fucking chains
Screaming inside
Family stolen away
Brothers in blood
And bond and honor
Turning a page
Now even stronger
Tried to kill
The very thought of me
Fucked it all
Cause the Raven's free
Brother I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
(Raven of the night)
Lord of the dawn
A murder
Murder given flight
(Murder given flight)
In this world
I am reborn
I am the Raven
Call out my name
Brother I am
The Raven
Raven of the night
Raven of the night
Raven of the night

Raven of the night
Raven of the night

Overall Meaning

The Raven’s song “The Raven” is a powerful expression of the artist’s intense emotions. The opening lines “My heart is as black, as the ink in my veins,” depict the depth of despair and hopelessness that the artist feels. He states that his music is the result of those emotions, and the melody that he has created is the manifestation of his pain. The artist then goes on to describe his imprisonment, which lasted for two years, and the sorrow and pain of the world that he is released into. He describes himself as “The Raven,” and claims that he is the “Lord of the dawn” and a “murder given flight.” These lines are symbolic of his inner turmoil, and the darkness that has enveloped his soul.

The second verse of the song talks about the artist’s past glory and how he was once the ruler of all that he could see. However, he was held captive and had to plan his escape. The artist claims that he is free now, but he is still haunted by the memories of his family whom he has lost. He refers to himself as “brother,” this time instead of “mama” or “father,” and asserts that he is “even stronger” now. The chorus of the song throughout reiterates that he is “The Raven,” and that he is reborn in this world, stronger and more powerful than before.

Line by Line Meaning

My heart is as black
My heart is full of darkness

As the ink in my veins
Just like the ink that flows through my veins

The words in my songs
The lyrics in my songs

The notes that I play
The music that I create

Spent two years
I spent two years

Trapped in a cage
Locked up in confinement

Released to a world
Freed into the world

A world
Full of

Of sorrow and pain
Sadness and suffering

The family of many
Part of a group of many

The ruler of none
Not in charge of anything

Pride of my rise
Proud of my past success

Erased by the fall
Lost everything due to a downfall

Mama I am
I am like a child to my mother

The Raven
I am the Raven

Raven of the night
I am the Raven who appears at night

(Raven of the night)
(The Raven who appears at night)

Lord of the dawn
I am also the Lord of the sunrise

A murder
I am part of a group of ravens

Murder given flight
Our group takes flight together

(Murder given flight)
(Our group takes flight together)

In this world
Here in this life

I am reborn
I have been given a new chance at life

Call out my name
Say my name out loud

Once was the lord
I used to be the leader

Of all I can see
Of everything within my sight

Odin's eye in the sky
The sun in the sky

The focus was me
Everything revolved around me

Held from the world
Taken away from society

Planning my escape
Figuring out how to get away

Peer into my mind
Look closely at my thoughts

See the unseen
Understand what is not visible

Melodies of life
The tunes of existence

Without a crown
Not holding any power or authority

(Without a crown)
(Not holding any power or authority)

Out in the rain
Standing in the rain

The Raven stands so proud
I am proud to be the Raven

Father I am
I am like a child to my father

Brother I am
I am like a brother to my kin

I'm
I am

Free
I am liberated

Let's
We should

Go
Move forward

Ooh
Ah

Oooh
Ah

Ooooh
Ah

Oooooohh
Ah

Binded by these fucking chains
Restricted by these damn chains

Screaming inside
Yelling internally

Family stolen away
My family was taken from me

Brothers in blood
My kin

And bond and honor
And our values and principles

Turning a page
Making a change

Now even stronger
I am now more powerful

Tried to kill
Attempted to eliminate

The very thought of me
The mere idea of my existence

Fucked it all
Ruined everything

Cause the Raven's free
Because I am liberation itself

Raven of the night
I am the Raven who appears at night

(Raven of the night)
(The Raven who appears at night)

Raven of the night
I am the Raven who appears at night

Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: MARK ANTHONY OWEN, JAMIE NORTON, BENJAMIN MARK WEAVER, BENJAMIN WEAVER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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PT4M26S

04The Conqueror Worm3:22

05Annabel Lee3:32

06A Dream Within a Dream2:58

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Comments from YouTube:

Carlos A. Martinez Espinosa

10y↑2.8K

Mi interpretación:
A mi entender: somos el cuervo, queriendo fruta, más y más fruta, cuando realmente la fruta es insípida, y the raven (el otro cuervo, más grande, pero igual a nosotros) es el poder, la fuerza que nos controla, el sistema. Y queremos más fruta. Y cuando vemos que la fruta es insípida, cuando nos damos cuenta de que nos alimentan con cartón, que no nos llena ni nos satisface, mordemos la mano del cuervo mayor, nos rebelamos, culpamos al sistema de engañarnos.

Pero al final los despedazados somos nosotros, ya que el cuervo mayor tiene más poder que nosotros, nos ha estado cebando y engordando, y hemos sido complices de nuestra propia desgracia.

Pero en nosotros reside la fuerza del cambio, de la rebelión. No basta con morder la mano del sistema, hay que despedazarlo, o los despedazados seremos nosotros.

Marquess Belial

10y↑470

Nice, I like it!

Rockalypsis Now

10y↑102

De parte nuestra nos ha fascinado tu rollo, ven a dar charlas a la UAM.

Marquess Belial

10y↑184

Rockalypsis Now
Thanks man I really appreciate it

Carlos A. Martinez Espinosa

10y↑54

Rockalypsis Now Jajaja gracias!!! Siempre que me pongáis vídeos así, yo os cuento lo que interprete xD

Discord Shadow

9y↑37

And then the freedom heroic eagle comes and kill them all in a vulgar display of power. Then the vultures eat the corpses remains

64 More Replies...

Panzer Man

6y↑7.3K

I can't get over how comparatively adorable the crow's "peeps" are compared to everything else.

The Joey Louis

5y↑15

Ikr😂

The Velvet Carpet

5y↑5

Ikr lmao

Omnicide

5y↑80

Peep.

PEEP.

The Velvet Carpet

5y↑14

@Omnicide p. E. E. P.

Leandro rodrigues

5y↑12

you and I look up to see......

12 More Replies...

rox

4y↑1.5K

No lie, I think about this a lot. I absolutely love this animation. Everything about it is wonderful. The atmosphere is so unique and eerie. You did a wonderful job on this 👍

Marquess Belial

4y↑217

thank you! I appreciate you letting me know that!

Jack Napier

4y↑17

@Marquess Belial What did this all mean? What's YOUR interpretation of this masterpiece? In your own words.

Adam Lion

4y↑2

nah its fucking creepy

Elena Guerrero

3y↑1

@Marquess Belial You made it?

Elena Guerrero

If you did what does it mean?

9 More Replies...

Jesseroni

5y↑1.7K

All the people I know seem to think this is terrifying, but I just find it beautiful, in a way. I don't know how to describe it, but it just gives me a feeling of intrigue and being unable to look away

Bismillah

5y↑26

Venereae wow me too I thought I was the only one here who thought it was kinda beautiful

Jonathan Soriano

5y↑17

it's creepy af

grace

5y↑16

I rly like the-

No I don't like anything other than the audio quality.

Cornman

5y↑12

the meal is insubstantial.

Joshua Wood

5y↑2

Same man it's great I need more

40 More Replies...

Dman

4y↑5.1K

The line “You and I look up to see” implies that I’m a part of this story and if that’s the case I wanna go home

keeprkyd

4y↑30

Dman009 underrated comment

vixen

4y↑13

Huh.. Interesting..

Daniel Sutterfield

4y↑51

The raven is supposed to be nature and we are the one who bites the hand I think

ONLY A STRANGER

4y↑34

@Daniel Sutterfield yes it can be interpreted like that, but I read a comment that a guy met the person who made this and he said it was about his family and other personal things, but yes I think it can be interpreted like that, nice job!

Rawan Almufti

4y↑3

LMFAO same tbh

9 More Replies...

CheeseYourself

4y↑1.6K

The mental image of a hanging corpse falling to the ground and then getting back up again is so damn terrifying to me and I don't know why

Sarah Marie

3y↑31

Bro me too I had to pause it a few times to catch my breath

Chaaaleeeh997

3y↑8

@Sarah Marie lol

Jason Lewis

3y↑27

maybe because its not supposed to happen DUH

Juno

3y↑3

@Jason Lewis lmao

9 More Replies...

TheMilitantHorse

4y↑2K

"h h h h h h h h h h h h h h..."
I felt that.

Oracle

4y↑20

Damn bro, that's deep 👊😔

♧𝓵𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓵𝓵♧

3y↑6

is it not shacde?? just asking or hhhhhhh

DaniDaimondz Official

3y↑8

@♧𝓵𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓵𝓵♧ when he says the last word you can tell it's h and not shade

ihatelagalot

3y↑6

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh

Vera Lumi

3y↑1

I became the 666th like of this comment

4 More Replies...

Deskdrawer

9y↑8.2K

If I was your teacher I would have given you an A just because after seeing that shit I'd be legitimately concerned you were going to kill me.

Marquess Belial

9y↑1.3K

MacEwanMouse I did a sculpture for a class of a doll-headed man holding a doll head and the professor said "Well Nick, you didn't follow the instructions of the assignment, so there is only one thing we can do about that, give you the highest grade possible." and he gave me an A! So, let that be a lesson to all ya'll kids

Kelly Baker

6y↑36

Deskdrawer
P
E
Ep

Pe
E
P

Ruby

5y↑43

I for one think this is a beautiful peice of art and would give him an A+

chan

5y↑4

lmao

winter

5y↑3

@Deskdrawer dude its thegoldenblu oh my god i miss u

8 More Replies...

AwkwardMark

4y↑387

I can't stress this enough, once i've seen this video i can't get it out of my head. You've done a really great job at making this unsettling, i love it!

Marquess Belial

4y↑53

thank you!

ThreatGirlAlexandra

1y↑2

I find myself thinking "In bereft land" ALL THE TIME

Gamebro

6y↑713

Can we stop and appreciate how how this guy made Microsoft Sam deeply unnerving and unsettling?

hinkage

4y↑11

Gamebro look up "Gmod Wonderland" and go to the hotel part. It's a guy who trolls with Microsoft Sam and it's creepy for the people involved yet fucking hilarious for the audience

Cryptic

4y↑2

hinkage heyyy youre talkin about DSNL yeah its pretty messed up what he did

Ry-Ry

4y↑3.1K

No one:

Gordon Ramsay: The meal is I N S U B S T A N T I A L.

Mdboy20

4y↑52

It’s fucking raw

Jonos

3y↑28

@Mdboy20 Someone's gotta remake this vid but with Gordon as the baby raven

irocc 1030

2y↑4

the steak is raw

but he knows it not

Void Walker

But we bit the hand

Kade

2y↑107

This video has been on this platform for 10 years and ever since I discovered it years back, I rewatch it like a comfort tv show. It practically lives in the back of my skull. Rarely am I captivated by any kind of content the way this one has a hold on me. I like the interpretations that can be made. And the art, the style, the audio, all of it is just immaculate :))
Truly fascinating and makes one appreciate a work of art even if they don't fully understand it.
In short, I love it. A true little gem.

Marquess Belial

2y↑9

thank you!

Phildiop

2y↑28

The atmosphere is perfect. Not horror, just creepy eerie setting, but weirdly fascinating. The art looks like something both surreal and realist somehow. Good job.

Marquess Belial

2y↑1

thanks!

for the monkeys

5y↑5.5K

Not gonna lie this is definitely me when I'm driving

Nolan Toney

5y↑15

How so?

dusty crusty homeless man

5y↑114

h h h h h h h h h h h h h

Hazza

5y↑28

R/whoosh

RealKittenHeadStickShift

5y↑43

This ia definitely me when i have time

Jobel The cool kid

5y↑12

okay, yeah, this is so me when i have time

25 More Replies...

SNOZ

5y↑2.1K

So here is my interpretation:

I think this does have to do with the relationship between parent and child. However, I think it's more specifically to do with the idea of one generation passing knowledge down to the next. We are born in a bereft land and the only people there to nurture and guide us are our parents. While at first we may look at our parents (The Raven) as people who are all knowing, we eventually grow up at some point and find out that they are human just like everyone else and prone to just as much human error (the meal is insubstantial). The Apple the Raven feeds is I think a direct symbolic metaphor for knowledge, traditions, and values that get passed down. While some of those traditions, values, and knowledge may help us initially (it fed us initially), some may be outdated or just wrong altogether (when the meal becomes insubstantial). Her stance references some dark imagery that in my mind paints her as almost malevolent, sinister, and scheming. I think this is to hit that the apple may almost be a trick. Makes sense since parents want to make you believe there is only one right way to think or act. Some parents may have bigoted or racist ideas - going as far as to even disown their children if they do not properly follow their culture, religion, or traditions.

I think the person hanging is a representation of our lives. It almost looks like, to me, the hanged man is also wearing a bag over his head. I think the bag over his head is a symbolic representation of being "blind" or "unaware of the truth", while the rope and the act of hanging itself is representative of the Raven's (our parents) control over us while we are children. We are helpless as children, all we can do is accept what we are told. I think this is why when the Raven dies after biting the hand, the hanged man's rope breaks and he is now free. However, he still has the bag over his head. I think this symbolizes that while we may now be free from the restrictions to learn outside our parents teachings, we are still blind in a sense because now we have to learn what is right on our own in a bereft land where truth is rare and ravens fly!

o yeah, I don't think it's saying "H" at the end, but rather building up to the final word that cuts the video off, which when I hear it, sounds like "change".

Spoiled Rat

5y↑133

Instead of change I heard "Age", which also would fit with your interpretation I think.

Edit: After listening to it several more times I do think I hear change at the end. Overall love your interpretation. My mother was very emotionally abusive and I really feel a weird sense of comfort with the video and this interpretation. I feel it reflects a lot of the guilt involved in going against your parents, because even if you know they're doing something wrong to you, since they kept you safe and loved you, going against them takes such a fucking toll, you always feel like you're wrong or an evil being for not wanting to be hurt by them.

No idea whether or not it's the "right" interpretation, I get a pretty different interpretation from it personally, but I do really like this take on it.

Peter Brooks

5y↑27

Is this a meme

Chloroclove

5y↑37

Haha, I do like lasagna

Cosmic Horror

5y↑8

He Changed, shade, shape I heard those words at the end

61 More Replies...

Walter Mangandid

4y↑169

In Spanish we have a saying: "Cría cuervos y te sacaran los ojos" which literally means "Raise crows and they will peck your eyes out" the saying alludes to those ungrateful people and also applies to parents who are raising their kids the wrong way.

Marquess Belial

4y↑27

Cool, I've never heard that before, I like it

Sabrina Tschäß

Thanks. I had always assumed that this was about the relationship between humans and the planet we live on. Not parents and their children. I guess it could go both ways though

DefendTheCode

1y↑1

Bro there EXACT same proverb exists in Turkish too.. “Feed the crow just so it will peck your eye out”.

ıllıllı υηsεεη ıllıllı

42w

In Australia you can feed a group of magpies and they will become your loyal servants, defending your territory against vile crows.
Go Pies!

The kid in your basement

4y↑28

This actually inspired me to draw some weird stuff.
I love the way the Raven looks and I love the style of the entire video. Good job.

Toeast

5y↑31

This is absolutely terrifying I love it, it’s so unique and I love your artwork I’m glad I’ve discovered this :)

Marquess Belial

5y↑2

Thank you!

Ominous Pink

4y↑90

I've watched this video everyday for the past 3 years, it has this certain vibe to it that calms me.

thanks for creating this.

Marquess Belial

4y↑15

you're welcome!

Ominous Pink

4y↑2

@Marquess Belial <3

GameCity

3y↑8

Legends say you still watch to this day...

Ominous Pink

3y↑3

@GameCity It's not just a legend my friend.

GameCity

3y↑3

@Ominous Pink the only legend here is you dude..

8 More Replies...

Esteban Angelo

10y↑3.2K

i just dont know how, but i liked it
imagine a horror game with this kind of voices, and graphics

Liz Saphyr

7y↑42

Esteban D'Angelo The cat lady

Madison Mosley

6y↑1

imagine indeed.

James Bong

6y↑13

THIS MUST HAPPEN

Tyler Mustard loooser

6y↑1

swing swing

rodrigo paez

5y↑11

There's a game called faith with a similar voice style

18 More Replies...

alex

5y↑212

I’m ridiculously disappointed that the first result when I search for this is a reupload from an instagram meme account with no credits. This animation is incredible

Marquess Belial

5y↑48

Thank you!

Caleb Jetto

5y↑7

Its beautiful that art can be interpreted from one person to the next differently. You can understand or imagine/speculate what the creator meant as well as what you take away from it... many voices awakened from one mind. Incredible.

Steff Morganzzi

2y↑10

I remember watching this piece back in 2019 during a really dark time in my life and ever since then it became such an important piece of visual media. Incredible work

Corrosive Idiot

6y↑1.5K

I actually heard this voice in my dreams and I can't sleep anymore.

D

6y↑20

TETSUOOOOOOOOO

Trisint

5y↑17

Oh fuck no

Faecure444

5y↑35

Call a preist

26 More Replies...

m keith

3y↑13

All memes aside, this poem is truly beautiful and is very important to me. I interpret is as my experience living with my abusive mom, but from her perspective. She is the raven, who gives "food" (any sort of love or necessities to their children) but the kids bite the hand (take more from her) and say its insubstantial (that what she's doing isn't enough). Its actually the kids retaliating because they didn't get enough of anything from her, but like the line, "she knows it not". She doesn't know what she's doing, like the raven in this story. The raven thinks she's just giving food to her children but its more than that. The kids don't have enough food and in return ask more of her. However. She interprets it as them being ungrateful when they actually need more from her. It is a truly beautiful piece of art that helps me cope and I just want to thank k you for making it

DaPenguinNinja

damn this makes me want to cry for my own relationship with my mom.

Bruh

4y↑2.1K

If I heard this voice in real life I’d immediately bite my hand.

paxpacis2

4y↑127

But that would be insubstantial

Noodles’n Noodles

4y↑63

And you would be punished, but would know it not

audrictre 00

4y↑44

What’re you trynna do? Turn into a Titan ??

Possum

4y↑12

I'd like to introduce you to Microsoft Sam.

8 More Replies...

preternatural

5y↑595

The religious imagery -- the wings on a human-like figure (like an angel), the Baphomet pose the Raven strikes, the Fruit, the Birth -- leads me to believe that this is a non-traditional perspective on the classic tale of Adam and Eve. The Raven is the Devil (of Fallen Angel), the crow is humanity, and the fruit is the Forbidden Fruit. In the classic story, the devil is deemed evil and humanity is punished for disobeying God. In this animatic, however, the Devil (or Raven) is a nurturing figure, providing without ill-intent, and humanity is entirely to blame. At the end, the hanging figure is set free -- as humanity was from the Rule -- because of the Raven, yet still we punish her for our initial greed.

In a way, we have disobeyed both God and the Devil, and maybe the freedom we get at the end is from our own binary thinking. God and the Devil are our own creation; we have tied the noose around our own necks.

(Maybe the "H's" at the end are for "Human"? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Arsenicide33

4y↑14

ngl, this is probably just for shits and giggles, i doubt there was a deeper meaning intended

Cristian Clewis

4y↑28

@Arsenicide33 doesn't matter if there's a deeper meaning intended or not. it's art lmao

sillysquee

Nice bubbline pfp lol

UserIcon

4y↑3

Well at least I know the devil is a liar 😂

Satou Hikou

3y↑5

Sonny the Duck As above so below. But there is no below, there is only the fruit of above. The meal is insubstantial. We desire the gifts of mortality, and so we punish our creator. Raven and a crow are the same thing.

6 More Replies...

Sinem

49w↑1

I think I first came across this video around 4 years ago and I've been watching it every now and then since that day. Today is one of those days and I just want to say that it's an absolute masterpiece. I find it quite beautiful, poetic. You did an amazing job!

Marquess Belial

49w

Thank you!

varelse

3y↑4

I genuinely love this. So creative, and the style of this short film is so incredible!! Lovely work!

Discarded CheeseCloth

4y↑3

I first saw this video two years ago and I think of it often. I come back to watch this whenever I feel I need to. I love the imagery, the voice, and the message. You did a lovely job on this animation🖤

Marquess Belial

thank you!

maaki

3y↑5

I keep coming back to this video, the animation is and will always be glorious and I deeply admire the story telling. Amazing work

Marquess Belial

3y↑1

thank you!

KreeD

10y↑932

This is creepy but i can't stop watching this video, it's just incredible! Awesome work! Please, make more videos like this one :D.

Marquess Belial

10y↑38

Thank you! I am currently working on a graphic novel if you'd like to see more of my work:
http://cmxl.gy/1sJIbFx

Premium Berzerk

SAME

Chic Halley

Please—

RecAU Shop

Wtf

Me

5y↑3

This creation is oddly intoxicating. I find myself coming back to relive such ethereal horror. In other words, nice job!

Mikayla White

5y↑16

The poetry piece is really intriguing and enchanting, truly different. Good work!

funky rabbit

2y↑4

every once in a while i remember this exists and feel compelled to watch it like two or three times. this is such a well done piece of art, everything fits together in a fascinating way

DYNAFIRE

5y↑3

This is honestly an incredible piece of art. Fantastic and horrifying. One of the best ways to tell a story or send a message.

LonelyKrow

2y↑44

I find it fascinating all the interpretations people are coming up with. But the one thing that I can’t put my finger on is the line “we punish the Raven, but she knows it not.”

Does that imply the Raven finds the Crows bite harmless and ignores it, or did the Raven die a swift death and didn’t realize it was being “punished.” I just think the Raven doesn’t think much of the Crow’s bite. Despite the injuries.

The Crow bites the very hand that feeds it. The Raven offers it a fruit described by the crow as a flowing current of Desire. A desire never satiated. Human and worldly desires all too familiar to us.

And the hanged man in the background getting back up after the Raven is finished. Does he represent consequences? He is already hanged, but is he supposed to foreshadow to the Crow the consequences of its actions of ignorance? Or perhaps it serves both as a consequence AND final destination for both the Crow and Raven. Death. We all end up dead at one point. Whether it be by our actions, happenstance, or old age. We all succumb to the Hanged Man, who hangs above reminding us the grim fate he will serve us.

Neurotica

1y↑1

I interpreted it as the Raven not knowing why her hand was bit off, she can't understand that what she provided was insubstantial.

Queen’s Strongest Jellybean Soldier

48w↑1

^ Right, the raven believes she could have been bitten for any number of reasons. Maybe the raven believes she is of supreme intelligence to the crows, and thus doesn’t need to imagine a real reason for being injured.

Deviltari

6y↑427

I find it amazing that you’re still replying to comments 6 years later. Love this animation, one of the most creepy and mystical animations I’ve ever seen!

Marquess Belial

6y↑90

Thanks! I had a thing on deviantart years ago that was sort of the same way, every time I logged in there were a couple comments. Both times it was just overnight crazy popular. I haven't figured a way to control it, so I just go with the ebb and flow of the tide of the internet ™

Chan Kong

6y↑7

Marquess Belial Im so intrigued with your work and even your consistent replys after so long. I feel like me and you can really relate on some thoughts and ideas

Marquess Belial

6y↑17

Thanks! you should check out my blog www.nicholasrubatino.com I've been posting a lot from my current project 'The Godlabs'

Bimmer

5y↑3

This is beyond great art but why so gory and creepy?

Marquess Belial

5y↑11

Tough to answer either question, but the impact of the visual is important and is directly related to the overwhelmed emotion behind it. Part of why the interpretation as an environmental allegory irritates me, because that doesn't connect to the trauma and grief present in the drawings and story itself, but if you aren't connected to those things in yourself and are just purely skimming the surface it is understandable. The drugs one is easy because it's none. All the creative people I've known who did drugs became significantly less creative when high despite thinking they were the opposite, and high or not they had trouble sitting down to do any work

2 More Replies...

Rot Ziege

5y↑1

Crikey this is horribly ambient, but addictive as all hell. I could watch this on repeat and gain something new every time

Alexander Jones

5y↑14

this is so cool, the art is beautiful and creepy, the audio distortion adds a lot. love this

Maximusfriend

I hunt in an area similar to the landscape depicted in the beginning , now it sends shivers down my spine whenever I hear a crow cawing. Great work on this masterpiece.

Esen

5y↑3

The visuals, the voice, the background noises, everything fits so perfectly together! I can't stop watching!

Dr. Ew

3y↑1

There's something oddly beautiful about this. I keep watching it

boss apocalypse

5y↑3.7K

Age restricted? Nah this should be on the YouTube kids app

emporor or retargds

4y↑6

Why

Bubby Macduncan

4y↑79

The kids need to experience high level figurative analysis at a young age

Manuel Olguin

4y↑4

Just like my elementary library

18 More Replies...

ShakedownDreams

1y↑1

This is still one of my favorite videos on this site ngl, it has such a niche aesthetic that I've not seen anyone else capture, a really haunting video

DolliMiu

5y↑2

I’ve never seen something so bleak and terrifying, yet beautiful at the same time. You did a wonderful job. I keep coming back to this because it left a very strong impression.

Marquess Belial

5y↑1

Thank you!

sillypilled

There's something I really like about the voiceover
The intonation is just so uncanny it's really cool to listen to

Loquacious

I love this, im not sure what to call it. A film? A short film? A play? A screenplay? Im unsure but whatever it is, it is remarkably profound

CRZ_PL

3y↑9

i strangely find this very comforting, the animation creates a very unique atmosphere. good job bro

funky rabbit

i agree with you on it feeling oddly comforting! the raven herself seems very benevolent, like. i'm somehow at ease looking at her expression

1 More Replies...

Captain Ahab

10y↑73

sad to see a lack of content on this channel this is fantastic the art style is really nice i enjoyed the shit out of this

Marquess Belial

10y↑16

Thanks man I appreciate it! I don't make many videos, I have a degree in animation, but I'm actually working on a graphic novel right now. You can get the prologue and first chapter now on comixology. Also chapter two is coming out november 5th 2014: http://cmxl.gy/1sJIbFx

John Depth

5y↑1

I love this! People forget art comes in many forms. You have a very creative and original mind, and I appreciate how you play off of open interpretation, sometimes the best art is the art you have to think about to find the meaning.

Glasmos

This may be 8 years old, but it is still super eerie and has a deep atmosphere. I do feel like there is a lot more to it than what meets the eyes or ears and it takes to the brain immediately and it is absolutely amazing how one thing can make many senses push to think!

Apathetic Echo

Legitimately an amazing video, just seeing the way people theorize about it’s mean and what’s behind it and yet they’ve all found different answers it’s fascinating. I really think more attention for this and his other “projects” is deserved just for the style let alone the atmosphere and the open interpretation. Truly amazing keep doing great work

Layla

1y↑3

i absolutely adore horror and this made me so happy i literally memorized all the words from how many times I've seen it

Phant0mInfinity

6y↑260

The art style in this reminds me of Stephen Gammel's work from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Marquess Belial

6y↑62

You better believe those illustrations left an impression on me when I saw them as a kid!

Troin

5y↑2

@Marquess Belial It's nice to know that this wasn't a coincidence.

choon 14987

Phant0mInfinity Same!

Alex Meddings

I don't know why but I really like this, everything from the art style to the narrator's voice, I asking love hearing everyone's interpretations

Invader Xim

5y↑1

Having read the description of this video, I'm extremely impressed by this. As a young artist, I really enjoy looking at this, and hearing that these started out as sketchbook pages just makes it even more impressive.

Marquess Belial

5y↑1

Thanks!

Hambraeus

1y↑4

I see this was posted more than a decade ago, so I doubt this message will reach you but just in case: This was absolutely wonderful! Terrifying and visceral, beautiful text and the usage of microsoft sam is weirdly unnerving. Subscribed, for what it's worth.

Marquess Belial

1y↑1

thanks!

Tyler.__.G

This was really cool, I like the eerie feeling it gives, the shades and shapes of the drawings mixed with the sounds and ambience really touch your senses. It gives you a feeling that is very satisfying but scary and the same time.

bucks

4y↑4

So inspirational! Can’t wait to show this at church! :-)

Roddy Goddy

6y↑506

I dont know why but I absolutely love this even though it creeps me the fuck out

TUC - Kaan Karaayan

Rod the Guy same

YEET BEACH

Rod the Guy same

Xernarax

Same (4)

hen1009

5y↑1

same i keep watching it

Striker Fabia

Dasaaame

sunshinepunk

2y↑2

Hey Marquess, just wanted to say that this is one of my earliest liked videos and this piece of art stays in my mind so often. I'll get quotes from it popping up in my head very frequently and I love the overall style. What did you do to make the voice? It's so haunting, it echos through my head every time I hear it

Marquess Belial

2y↑1

Thank you! It is just text-to-speech, the default microsoft sam voice, read out at 6 different pitches or so, then I cut chunks out so there are 2, 3, or all 6 voices at a time

You'reWrong

3y↑1

I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before. There’s just so much to love about this. It’s wonderful.

Apple

4y↑1

A great mind, beautiful artwork and an interesting/captivating message. I can't stop watching this, there is just this urge to keep watching it.

Rbc

4y↑1

Peep peep

Apple

@Rbc peep peep is the message

camcorder

4y↑3

Regardless of what people theorize, this is seriously awesome! Creepy shit is my jam, dude, and this is incredibly well-made!

Sword Psycholonya

4y↑104

Kind of makes me think of a dark interpretation of genesis. The raven created the birds in her image (sorta...) and attempts to feed them, nourish them and care for them despite their imperfect nature and within their imperfect reality (this I gathered from the horrible, dark and gritty landscape and design of everything). The birds however want more and bite on the hand of the Raven as punishment. I believe this is the birds punishing the Raven for giving them sustenance that does not fully appease them or the birds are punishing the Raven for letting the birds take advantage of her. Afterwards the hanging man falls from his noose and is reborn anew, though in a human form rather than in the bird-like form of the Raven. I think this links to the Old Testament’s genesis. The Raven represents god and the birds represent the first ‘perfect’ humans who were created in the form of god (or, the Raven). Put simply, the birds are Adam and Eve. However the ‘perfect’ humans take too much from god and are punished for it. Sound weird? That’s because of the line ‘we punish the Raven, but she knows it not.’ The birds see themselves as punishing the Raven for letting beings that she created in her image take advantage of her. And so, the birds become humans. They are ‘punished’ in the Raven’s eyes, but the humans see it as them punishing the Raven. Making her fail, essentially. Hence ‘we punish the Raven, but she knows it not’. And so the humans now live their existence being able to greedily take as much sustenance as they want, but at the cost of not being with their creator and being the culmination of sin. ‘So what’s that human doing being hung at the beginning?’, you may ask. Since being hung by a noose is generally seen as a form of punishment I see it as the greed and sin of the birds already existing, but being held back by the Raven. Despite being ‘perfect’ in the imperfect Raven’s eyes the ‘imperfect’ form of her creations still exists somewhere, just waiting to be let loose. The birds committing to sin and trying to take more from the Raven out of greed is that sin. And so the imperfect human is let loose and given a chance on this world. To sum it up I think that this video is a dark take on Genesis where Adam and Eve were bound to eat the Apple of Eden as it is secretly within their nature, and in denial of their sins they feel like they are punishing god for letting them take advantage of Him. ——— sorry that this was so sloppily written, it’s hard to write a YouTube comment with the same effort as an actual essay. Nonetheless thank you for your time and thought :)

Buckspoppy 98

3y↑2

im not going to read this but I'm happy you enjoyed the video or I'm sorry that it threw you off

Exodus N

3y↑2

That's a pretty neat interpretation

Holy Paladin

It’s interesting. As God is eternal he would have already foreseen the disobedience of Adam and Eve. And thus from inception humanity was already bound to fall into evil. Or rather from inception humanity was already evil - only after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did we ourselves learn of our depravity and were forced to be held accountable for our wrongdoing. The example given in Genesis is that Adam and Eve suddenly realised that they were naked, and that being naked is wrong. We were already naked beforehand, and God despite being a perfectly moral being, in fact being the wellspring from which goodness flows, saw nothing wrong with it. Why? Because our own ignorance excused us. You cannot be angry with a blind man for not seeing, or a deaf man for not hearing.

To relate this to the art, your analysis of the hanged man suffices.

As for the Raven knowing not of her “punishment”, the Raven/God simply does not see our failure as a punishment or rebuke of her/him. In her boundless love and compassion, she does not feel angry or rejected or rebuked, she only feels pain and sadness. Like a parent watching their rebellious child go astray and participate in self destruction. The parent does not see it as their own punishment, rather as a painful and horrendous tragedy from which they hope their beloved child is delivered.

Vognus Thirgrim

3y↑6

Comfort, then melancholy, then unadulterated terror, then acceptance. I dont know what you aimed to get as a reaction, but that was my 2 minute rollercoaster. Thank you for the experience, I enjoyed the video

Glorious

I saw this on instagram and i actually felt so many things , it sends shiver into my bones and peace at the same time and i wanted to see more of this so i ended up here ,please give me more

molokkoa _

5y↑1

Aaah no matter how many times I look at it,its amazing. I love your art,I wouldn't say its scary,but rather poetic. Really congrats

Marquess Belial

Thank you! I appreciate that!

Strobile

2y↑2

I still come back to your work! After years and years of watching this video I’ve never seen anything replicate just how intensely disturbing it is, from the voice to the artwork, I sincerely hope you keep uploading!

Marquess Belial

thanks! I do post whatever I'm working on on blogspot tumblr and instantgram. I'm working on a book now of my work from 2010 to ~2020

bennyworm

5y↑1

This is enchanting to me idk why but it’s really creepy in such a soothing way and I love it

skumworld

4y↑1

Remains one of my favorite videos on the internet.
Up to interpretation and sickenly entertainment

Icelandian

4y↑5

I like how this video just popes up in my mind are random times and everytime it happens I absolutely have to send it to people. This video is a true piece of art

Marquess Belial

4y↑2

Thank you I appreciate that

Groundbloom

Marquess Belial I love how you still respond to comments 8 years later

Marquess Belial

@Groundbloom I love it too, I guess it is unusual, but it's still my work, I'm still doing the work I've been doing for 10 years now, so for me it isn't that strange. Really it's youtube that's changed around me, there were no 'youtubers' back then, it was just a convenient way to show friends and maybe a few strangers

Groundbloom

Marquess Belial do you plan on making more content on this channel? I love your work.

AuroraWoods

5y↑1

Nothing really scares me anymore. I've exposed myself to so much horror fiction I'm numb to it now. And this video doesn't upfront scare me, but I often find myself thinking about it. It's very profound yet fills me with dread and inspiration. while I do read the replies and I know the creators intent on what this video meant, I absolutely love that this video can be interpreted in so many ways. This is one of the best films I've seen in awhile.

lung leg

5y↑1

It's not everyday that a piece of art work leaves me for a loss of words, I literally have no idea what to take of this other than the fact that I think it's really cool!

Psilosighin’

48w↑2

I believe this piece can be interpreted in any way. However, I will try my best to explain the imagery. The hand symbol the raven does is called “As Above, So Below” it is used by philosophers and occultists alike. This symbol is also shown on the modern day depiction of Baphomet. The raven shares numerous similarities with Baphomet. For example: the raven is neither male nor female, it is neither human nor animal, it is described as “resplendent” which is the binary opposite of what we actually see(the word resplendent is actually considered an antonym[opposite] of Bereft making the imagery even more clear.)The raven holds an apple in its hand, the apple is the fruit which was consumed by Adam and Eve in the Bible. Baphomet himself is all about binary opposites even bearing the words “separate” on one arm and “join together” on the opposite arm. I have no idea how this is related but due to the depth of this piece and how it can be interpreted in literally anyway I would say that the imagery is 100% intentional and the creator was aware of the links to Baphomet and the Bible.

retired_emo

5y↑1

I really love the art style used for this project, it’s really unique

TJ J

2y↑1

Man I remember watching this the day it was uploaded. I dunno why exactly but I always found it so cool and sometimes find myself quoting it to myself or whatever.

Neat little video. A relic of another time

Le Leedler

5y↑4

There is a simple beauty to this... So well done

InkEngineCompany

5y↑1

Oh god, this is the level of atmosphere I strive to one day create in my art. This is fantastic!

trent valentine

1y↑1

Been trying to find this video for so long . Such a good animation and message ❤

asylummilk

i still think about this video a lot after so many years. its truly terrifying purely in vibes alone, yet so spectacular and beautiful to watch. its scary, but not enough to keep me away, i love every second of it. i dont think this kind of horror aesthetic could be matched

.

This is honestly poetic and a beautiful creation In my eyes

_gecko_squash

1y↑1

I have been looking for this animation for a couple years now, I'm just happy I can sit down and appreciate it again.

Jim Phillips

5y↑85

Okay, so I found this on Instagram a few days ago and it's been stuck in my head ever since. I can recite the whole video and whenever I dose off in class I see this. It's freaky but it's really cool and I can't stop watching it for some reason

alejandro palacios

Me too but with a video called cockroach party, look it up

alejandro palacios

Sorry i meant cockroach carnival in adults swim channeñ

Ekyi Quarm

4y↑2

bro wtf. you need to pray😂😂

tcb

I love the style of this video, this is very well done, and the creepiness just adds another layer to the interest!

Noah Terrell

6y↑13

Legitimately terrifying. Please make more

Asylum Rain

1y↑2

I watched them a while ago a little before people started posting it everywhere and it creeped me the hell out like crazy when I first watched but at the same time I loved it because it was something new. I remembered it again as of now and visited your channel again. Still amazing

CJ.For.The.Music

5y↑3

So hauntingly beautiful...brief but striking...leaves such a strong desire to see and know more...

Kyle Miller

2y↑1

I've just seen this for the first time and I really love Bereft Land and really want to see more of it

Bruno Bucciarati [Alex]

5y↑3

I actually found this interesting. It’s cool. The art is beautiful, the voices are haunting. The message is pretty deep.

Not So Negative

What's the message?

skelkankaos

5y↑1

This is so cool. I love the strong visual direction!

Beaner

1y↑2

Props to youtube for not removing this for nudity because this is by all means a work of art

Marquess Belial

1y↑2

yeah I had to contest one take down, I think the words I used to defend myself were "It's only artistic, it's explicitly artistic"

Mr. Foster

2y↑1

Do you happen to have all of your drawings, or at least these sketches uploaded somewhere? They're absolutely mesmerizing to me

Marquess Belial

yep going back from 2009 to today at https://saintlyleftovers.blogspot.com/ somewhere in the 2010s there are stills from this particular thing, and someone asked me to upload a full sized scan of the raven, that's in there somewhere too

Mr. Foster

2y↑3

@Marquess Belial I found that scan of The Raven you're mentioning shortly after I asked, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot

jumboots jamstrang

5y↑1

This is really cool! I’m curious, was this done with traditional methods or digital? It looks like you did it with water colors. I also definitely think you captured the vibe of sketchbook drawings in an animation!

Marquess Belial

I had a couple dilutions of ink that I used with reservoir brush pen things and I just did all the assets in my sketchbook, scanned them, cut them apart, then 'animated' them in aftereffects. I use 'animated' in quotes because we did two years of traditional 2d hand drawn animation in school and this is just crossfades and simple movement of still images. After two years of hand drawing animation I learned I didn't like hand drawing animation, but it was a useful skill base

jumboots jamstrang

5y↑1

Oh, nice! It gives it a really nice effect.

Jaffa

1y↑3

I haven't watched this video in years but I just randomly remembered it out of nowhere, because whenever I hear the word "raven", my brain immediately plays "the raven.. flies"

Loocidd

I’m sitting on the couch watching football and my brother said “ravens” and I remembered this video 😂

chewy chewjr

3y↑8

One of the few videos that are legitimately creepy. And I love it

Warthog

3y↑2

more like legitimately HOT amirite 0:36

Jillian Berger

4y↑1

This is uncomfortably terrifying in all of its confusing glory. I love it.

Marquess Belial

4y↑1

Thank you!

chrystel lopez

4y↑6

this is so beautifully made. are these watercolors? i would love to know how this was animated!

Marquess Belial

4y↑3

thanks! It's sumi ink that I kept in those water reservoir brush pen things that I diluted to different levels. So I had a large brush with a light gray, and medium with darker, and a fine with darker but not fully black - it's what I always had with me and what I used in all my sketchbooks at the time. I animated it by doing as little animation as possible because I loath animating, but I used aftereffects and premiere to sort of wiggle things around and do crossfades.

chrystel lopez

4y↑1

@Marquess Belial incredible, the simple color scheme is so effective. im learning after effects currently and i'm having a super tough time figuring things out. adobe animate is easier for me, but i agree, animating sucks. you did a great job though. can't wait to see your future work!

Marquess Belial

4y↑3

@chrystel lopez Yeah a lot of those big versatile tools like aftereffects or photoshop can take a long time to learn because they can do what you want - plus 10,000 other things. Also it's brutal when you accidentally hit a hotkey that changes everything and you don't know what it was you even hit, like when people hit tab the first time in photoshop and the whole UI disappears

hongdoesthings

4y↑1

sooo cool, reminds me of detention (red candle games) and david firth's umbilical world! great work, i saw it posted as a meme on twitter and couldn't stop thinking about it, poem stuck in my head the first time i saw it

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