"Und mir sprießen Rabenfedern
Und so flieg' ich unerkannt
Ãœber Grenzen in das Leben
Wie der Wind schnell über's Land
Und ich breche alle Regeln
Um heut' Nacht bei dir zu sein
Fühl mein Rabenherz, es schlägt so
Schnell und nur für dich allein
Schenk' dir eine Rabenfeder
Uns'rer Liebe Unterpfand
Denk an mich, ich komme wieder
Denk an mich, hältst du sie in der Hand..."
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("Krabat" - ASP)
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"Krabat" is a legendary figure, prominent in the regions of Upper Lusatia shaped by Sorbic culture. The tales around him are variably composed of mythical episodes of different origin and distribution. Krabat is usually described as an ordinary mortal and inhabitant of the region, who comes into possession of magical powers, which he uses mostly for good purposes.
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There have been many literary adaptations of the tale, such as "The Sorcerer's Mill" by Jurij Brězan or Ottfried Preußler's novel titled simply "Krabat", which made the tale well-known all over Germany and which I warmly recommend to absolutely all of you. Said novel, together with the amazing concept album "Zaubererbruder" by ASP, from which the lyrics quoted above are taken, are the basis of this illustration, which I began sketching out two years ago when visiting Lusatia.
