▁fact ▁dead , ▁but ▁sle eps ▁in ▁a ▁hidden ▁chamber ▁under ne ath ▁the ▁Ky ff hä user ▁hills . ▁He ▁s its ▁motion less ▁at ▁a ▁stone ▁table ▁and ▁his ▁be ard ▁has ▁supposed ly ▁grown ▁so ▁long ▁over ▁the ▁centuries ▁that ▁it ▁grew ▁through ▁the ▁table . ▁As ▁in ▁the ▁similar ▁legend ▁of ▁King ▁Arthur , ▁Bar bar ossa ▁supposed ly ▁a wa its ▁his ▁country ' s ▁hour ▁of ▁greatest ▁need , ▁when ▁he ▁will ▁emer ge ▁once ▁again ▁from ▁under ▁the ▁hill . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁ra vens ▁cir cling ▁the ▁Ky ff hä user ▁sum mit ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁Bar bar ossa ' s ▁continu ing ▁presence . ▁Similar ▁ra pt ure ▁leg ends ▁refer ▁to ▁Emperor ▁Frederick ▁II ▁or ▁to ▁Char lemagne ▁sleep ing ▁in ▁the ▁Un ters berg ▁near ▁Sal zburg . ▁ ▁The ▁Bar bar ossa ▁myth ▁was ▁first ▁documented ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁later ▁popular ized ▁by ▁the ▁Brothers ▁Gr imm ▁and ▁a ▁poem ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁by ▁Friedrich ▁Rück ert . ▁Fre qu ently ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁Rom antic ▁authors , ▁and ▁s ati riz ed ▁in ▁Germany . ▁A ▁Winter ' s ▁T ale ▁by ▁Heinrich ▁He ine , ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁expression ▁of ▁the ▁desire ▁for ▁the ▁Old ▁Empire ' s ▁re - emer gence ▁as ▁a ▁German ▁nation ▁state . ▁When ▁the ▁Ky ff hä user ▁Monument ▁was ▁built ▁at ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Castle