The raven banner ( ; ) was a

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

, possibly

totem A totem (from or ''doodem'') is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage (anthropology), lineage, or tribe, such as in the Anishinaabe clan system. While the word ...

ic in nature, flown by various

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

chieftains and other

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n rulers during the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. Period description simply describes it as a war banner with a

raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

mark on it, although no complete visual description or depiction of the raven banner is known from the time. Norse and European period artwork, however, depicts war banners as roughly triangular, with a rounded outside edge on which there hung a series of tabs or tassels, some with a resemblance to ornately carved "weather-vanes" used aboard Viking

longship Longships, a type of specialised Viking ship, Scandinavian warships, have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by th ...

s, indicating that some raven banners may have been constructed in a similar manner. Scholars conjecture that the raven flag was a symbol of

Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...

, who was often depicted accompanied by two ravens named

Huginn and Muninn In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn ( or ; roughly "mind and will" – ''see '') are a pair of common raven, ravens that serve under the god Odin and fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. Huginn and Muninn are ...

. Its intent may have been to strike fear in one's enemies by invoking the power of Odin. As one scholar notes regarding encounters between the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

and the invading

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

Scandinavians:

Raven symbolism in Norse culture

The

is a common iconic figure in

Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...

. The highest god

had two ravens named Huginn and Muninn ("

thought In their most common sense, the terms thought and thinking refer to cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation. Their most paradigmatic forms are judging, reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, and de ...

" and "

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembe ...

" respectively) who flew around the world bringing back tidings to their master. Therefore, one of Odin's many names was the "raven god" (''Hrafnaguð''). In ''

Gylfaginning ''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first main part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'', after the initial Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' takes the form of ...

'' (c. 1220), the medieval Icelandic historian

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of th ...

explains:
Odin was also closely linked to ravens because in Norse myths he received the fallen warriors at

Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...

, and ravens were linked with death and war due to their predilection for

carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...

. It is consequently likely that they were regarded as manifestations of the

Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...

s, goddesses who chose the valiant dead for military service in Valhalla. A further connection between ravens and Valkyries was indicated in the

shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...

abilities of goddesses and Valkyries, who could appear in the form of birds. The raven appears in almost every

skaldic poem A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...

describing warfare.Hjelmquist 142. To make war was to feed and please the raven (''hrafna seðja'', ''hrafna gleðja''). An example of this is found in ''

Norna-Gests þáttr ''Nornagests þáttr'' or the ''Story of Norna-Gest'' is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Nornagestr, sometimes called Gestr, and here anglicized as Norna-Gest. ''Nornagests þáttr'' is as an episode of the '' Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason'' ...

'', where

Regin In Norse mythology, Reginn (; often anglicized as Regin or Regan) is a son of Hreiðmarr and the foster father of Sigurð. His brothers are Fáfnir and Ótr. Attestations Völsunga saga When Loki mistakenly kills Ótr, Hreiðmarr demands to ...

recites the following poem after

Sigurd Sigurd ( ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon — known in Nordic tradition as Fafnir () — and who was later murdered. In the Nordic countries, he is referred t ...

kills the sons of

Hunding Hunding is a municipality in the district of Deggendorf in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Al ...

: Above all,

kenning A kenning ( Icelandic: ) is a figure of speech, a figuratively-phrased compound term that is used in place of a simple single-word noun. For instance, the Old English kenning () means , as does (). A kenning has two parts: a base-word (a ...

s used in Norse poetry identify the raven as the bird of blood, corpses and battle;Hjelmquist 143. he is the gull of the wave of the heap of corpses, who screams dashed with hail and craves morning steak as he arrives at the sea of corpses (').Hjelmquist citing ''Fornmanna sögur III'' p. 148, in Hjelmquist 143. In black flocks, the ravens hover over the corpses and the

skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...

asks where they are heading (').In a poem by Þórðr in '' Bjarnar Saga Hitdælakappa'', p. 67, cited in Hjelmquist 143. The raven goes forth in the blood of those fallen in battle (').Stanza 2, in '' Krákumál'', cited in Hjelmquist 143. He flies from the field of battle with blood on his beak, human flesh in his talons and the reek of corpses from his mouth (').Stanza 2 and 3, in '' Haraldskvæði'', cited in Hjelmquist 143. The ravens who were the messengers of the highest god,

, increasingly had hellish connotations, and as early as in the Christian ''

Sólarljóð The ''Sólarljóð'' (''The Song of the Sun'') is an Old Norse poem, written in Iceland ca 1200. It is written in the traditional metric style of the ''Poetic Edda'', but with content from Christian visionary poems. The poem is anonymous, even thou ...

'', stanza 67, the ravens of Hel(l) (''heljar hrafnar'') who tear the eyes off backtalkers are mentioned. Two curses in the ''

Poetic Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...

'' say "may ravens tear your heart asunder" ('). and "the ravens shall tear out your eyes in the high gallows" ('). Ravens are thus seen as instruments of divine (if harsh and unpleasant)

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

. Despite the violent imagery associated with them, early Scandinavians regarded the raven as a largely positive figure; battle and harsh justice were viewed favorably in Norse culture. Many

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

personal names referred to the raven, such as Hrafn, Hrafnkel and Hrafnhild.

Usage

Late 9th century

The raven banner was used by a number of Viking warlords regarded in Norse tradition as the sons of

Ragnar Lodbrok Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: ''Ragnarr loðbrók'', ), according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Legendary Kings of Sweden, Swedish and Legendary kings of Denmark, Danish king.Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

''. For the year 878, the ''Chronicle'' relates:

In the winter of the same year, the brother of Ivar and Halfdan landed in
Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
shire,
Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...
, with 23 ships, and he was killed there along with 800 other people and 40 of his soldiers. The war banner ( guþfana) which they called "Raven" was also taken.

The 12th-century ''

Annals of St Neots The ''Annals of St Neots'' is a Latin chronicle compiled and written at Bury St Edmunds Abbey in Suffolk, England, sometime around the range from 1120 to 1140. It covers the history of Britain, extending from its invasion by Julius Caesar in 55B ...

'' claims that a raven banner was present with the

Great Heathen Army The Great Heathen Army, also known as the Viking Great Army,Hadley. "The Winter Camp of the Viking Great Army, AD 872–3, Torksey, Lincolnshire", ''Antiquaries Journal''. 96, pp. 23–67 was a coalition of Scandinavian warriors who invaded ...

and adds insight into its

seiðr In Old Norse, (sometimes anglicized as ''seidhr'', ''seidh'', ''seidr'', ''seithr'', ''seith'', or ''seid'') was a type of Magic (paranormal), magic which was practiced in Vikings, Norse society during the Iron Age Scandinavia, Late Scandinavian ...

- (witchcraft-) influenced creation and totemic and oracular nature: Geffrei Gaimar's '' Estorie des Engles'' (written around 1140) mentions the Hrafnsmerki being borne by the army of Ubbe at the Battle of Cynwit (878): " e Raven was Ubbe's banner (gumfanun). He was the brother of Iware; he was buried by the vikings in a very big mound in Devonshire, called Ubbelawe."

10th century

In the 10th century, the raven banner seems to have been adopted by Norse-Gaelic kings of

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and

Northumbria Northumbria () was an early medieval Heptarchy, kingdom in what is now Northern England and Scottish Lowlands, South Scotland. The name derives from the Old English meaning "the people or province north of the Humber", as opposed to the Sout ...

. Many of the Norse-Gaelic dynasts in Britain and Ireland were of the

Uí Ímair The Uí Ímair (; meaning ‘''scions of Ivar’''), also known as the Ivar dynasty or Ivarids, was a Norse-Gael dynasty which ruled much of the Irish Sea region, the Kingdom of Dublin, the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides and ...

clan, which claimed descent from Ragnar Lodbrok through his son Ivar. A triangular banner appearing to depict a tilted cross (possibly a bird) appears on a

penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...

minted by Olaf Cuaran around 940. The coin features a roughly right isosceles triangular standard, with the two

equilateral An equilateral triangle is a triangle in which all three sides have the same length, and all three angles are equal. Because of these properties, the equilateral triangle is a regular polygon, occasionally known as the regular triangle. It is the ...

sides situated at the top and staff, respectively. Along the hypotenuse are a series of five tabs or tassels. The staff is topped by what appears to be a

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

; this may indicate a fusion of

and Christian symbolism. File:York banner penny (frontside).jpg, Banner Penny,

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

File:York banner penny (backside).jpg, Banner Penny, reverse File:York raven penny.jpg, Raven Penny,

obverse and reverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' mean ...

The raven banner was also a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

used by the Norse Jarls of Orkney. According to the ''

Orkneyinga Saga The ''Orkneyinga saga'' (Old Norse: ; ; also called the ''History of the Earls of Orkney'' and ''Jarls' Saga'') is a narrative of the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands and their relationship with other local polities, particularly No ...

'', it was made for Sigurd the Stout by his mother, a

völva In Germanic paganism, a seeress is a woman said to have the ability to foretell future events and perform sorcery. They are also referred to with many other names meaning "prophetess", "staff bearer" and "sorceress", and they are frequently calle ...

or shamanic seeress. She told him that the banner would "bring victory to the man it's carried before, but death to the one who carries it." The saga describes the flag as "a finely made banner, very cleverly embroidered with the figure of a raven, and when the banner fluttered in the breeze, the raven seemed to be flying ahead." Sigurd's mother's prediction came true when, according to the sagas, all of the bearers of the standard met untimely ends. The "curse" of the banner ultimately fell on Jarl Sigurd himself at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf () took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse- Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbea ...

Earl Sigurd had a hard battle against Kerthialfad, and Kerthialfad came on so fast that he laid low all who were in the front rank, and he broke the array of Earl Sigurd right up to his banner, and slew the banner-bearer. Then he got another man to bear the banner, and there was again a hard fight. Kerthialfad smote this man too his death blow at once, and so on one after the other all who stood near him. Then Earl Sigurd called on Thorstein the son of Hall of Sida, to bear the banner, and Thorstein was just about to lift the banner, but then Asmund the White said, "Don't bear the banner! For all they who bear it get their death." " Hrafn the Red!" called out Earl Sigurd, "bear thou the banner." "Bear thine own devil thyself," answered Hrafn. Then the earl said, "`Tis fittest that the beggar should bear the bag;'" and with that he took the banner from the staff and put it under his cloak. A little after Asmund the White was slain, and then the earl was pierced through with a spear.Njal's Saga §156.

Early 11th century

The army of King

Cnut the Great Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

of England, Norway and Denmark bore a raven banner made from white

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

at the

Battle of Ashingdon The Battle of Assandun (or Ashingdon) was fought between Danish and English armies on 18 October 1016. There is disagreement whether Assandun may be Ashdon near Saffron Walden in north Essex, England, or, as long supposed, Ashingdon near R ...

in 1016. The '' Encomium Emmae'' reports that Cnut had

a banner which gave a wonderful omen. I am well aware that this may seem incredible to the reader, but nevertheless I insert it in my veracious work because it is true: This banner was woven of the cleanest and whitest silk and no picture of any figures was found on it. In case of war, however, a raven was always to be seen, as if it were woven into it. If the Danes were going to win the battle, the raven appeared, beak wide open, flapping its wings and restless on its feet. If they were going to be defeated, the raven did not stir at all, and its limbs hung motionless.

The ''Lives of Waltheof and his Father Sivard Digri (The Stout), the Earl of Northumberland'', written by a monk of

Crowland Abbey Crowland Abbey (historically often spelled Croyland Abbey; Latin: ) is a Church of England parish church, formerly part of a Benedictine abbey church, in Crowland in the English county of Lincolnshire. It is a Grade I listed building. Histor ...

(possibly the English historian William of Ramsey), reports that the Danish

jarl Jarl was a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and Early Middle Ages. The institution evolved over time and varied by region. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", specifically one appointed to rule a territory in a king's stea ...

, Sigurd, was given a banner by an unidentified old sage. The banner was called ''Ravenlandeye.'' According to the

Heimskringla () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland. While authorship of ''Heimskringla'' is nowhere attributed, some scholars assume it is written by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (117 ...

Harald Hardrada Harald Sigurdsson (; – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald III of Norway and given the epithet ''Hardrada'' in the sagas, was List of Norwegian monarchs, King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. He unsuccessfully claimed the Monarchy of Denma ...

had a standard called ''Landøyðan'' or "Land-waster." This is often assumed to be a raven banner based on the similarity of its name to Sigurd of Northumbria's "''Ravenlandeye,''" though there is no direct evidence connecting Harald's standard with ravens. In a conversation between Harald and King

Sweyn II of Denmark Sweyn II ( – 28 April 1076), also known as Sweyn Estridsson (, ) and Sweyn Ulfsson, was King of Denmark from 1047 until his death in 1076. He was the son of Ulf Thorgilsson and Estrid Svendsdatter, and the grandson of Sweyn Forkbeard through ...

Sveinn asked Haraldr which of his possessions of his he valued most highly. He answered that it was his banner (merki), ''Landøyðan''. Thereupon Sveinn asked what virtue it had to be accounted so valuable. Haraldr replied that it was prophesied that victory would be his before whom this banner was borne; and added that this had been the case ever since he had obtained it. Thereupon Sveinn said, "I shall believe that your flag has this virtue if you fight three battles with King Magnús, your kinsman, and are victorious in all."

Years later, during Harald's invasion of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, Harald fought a pitched battle against two English earls outside

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. Harald's Saga relates that

when King Haraldr saw that the battle array of the English had come down along the ditch right opposite them, he had the trumpets blown and sharply urged his men to the attack, raising his banner called Landøyðan. And there so strong an attack was made by him that nothing held against it.

Harald's army flew the banner at the

Battle of Stamford Bridge The Battle of Stamford Bridge () took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, in England, on 25 September 1066, between an English army under Harold Godwinson, King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force l ...

, where it was carried by a warrior named Frírek. After Harald was struck by an arrow and killed, his army fought fiercely for possession of the banner, and some of them went berserk in their frenzy to secure the flag. In the end the "magic" of the banner failed, and the bulk of the Norwegian army was slaughtered, with only a few escaping to their ships. Other than the dragon banner of

Olaf II of Norway Saint Olaf ( – 29 July 1030), also called Olaf the Holy, Olaf II, Olaf Haraldsson, and Olaf the Stout or "Large", was List of Norwegian monarchs, King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he w ...

, the ''Landøyðan'' of Harald Hardrada is the only early Norwegian royal standard described by

in the Heimskringla. In two panels of the famous

Bayeux tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...

, standards are shown which appear to potentially be raven banners (although one is small and not given a motif). The Bayeux tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, the half-brother of

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

; as one of the combatants at the

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. It took place appr ...

, Odo would have been familiar with the standards carried into the fight. In one of the panels, depicting a Norman

cavalry charge A charge is an offensive maneuver in battle in which combatants advance towards their enemy at their best speed in an attempt to engage in a decisive close combat. The charge is the dominant shock attack and has been the key tactic and decis ...

against an English shield-wall, a charging Norman knight is depicted with a semicircular banner emblazoned with a standing black bird. In a second, depicting the deaths of

Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

's brothers, a triangular banner closely resembling that shown on Olaf Cuaran's coin lies broken on the ground. Scholars are divided as to whether these are simply relics of the Normans' Scandinavian heritage (or for that matter, the Scandinavian influence in

Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon England or early medieval England covers the period from the end of Roman Empire, Roman imperial rule in Roman Britain, Britain in the 5th century until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Compared to modern England, the territory of the ...

) or whether they reflect an undocumented Norse presence in either the Norman or English army.

Modern reception

There is no indication that the raven banner was ever carried as a universal flag of Scandinavians. In modern times the Danish Guard Hussar Regiment (est. 1762) seemingly used a raven banner as their

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

, perhaps an allusion to the

warriors. The raven symbol is still in use by the regiment's 1st Battalion 1st Armoured infantry company, in the left sleeve badge. From the foundation of the collaborationist

Nasjonal Samling The Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norway, Norwegian far-right politics, far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling a ...

party in Norway in 1933 until the end of

World War 2 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisin ...

, the party's paramilitary group and youth organisation, the

Hirden ''Hirden'' (the ''hird'') was a uniformed paramilitary organisation during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, modelled the same way as the German Sturmabteilungen. Overview Vidkun Quisling's fascist party Nasjonal Samling frequently use ...

and Unghirden, carried raven banners as military unit flags. Symbols and iconography from the viking period were celebrated and appropriated by the Nasjonal Samling party for nationalistic reasons. The coat of arms of the

Norwegian Intelligence Service The Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) or () is a Norway, Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence (Norway), Chief of Defence and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence. History Olav Njølstad says tha ...

features two ravens representing

, the ravens providing the god Odin with information. The coat of arms of

Shetland Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

depicts a longship with a raven on the sail and an alternative form of the banner (black raven on a rectangular, red field) is used as the symbol of

Up Helly Aa Up Helly Aa ( ; literally "Up Holy ">ay/nowiki> All") is a type of fire festival held annually from January to March in various communities in Shetland, Scotland, to mark the end of the Yule season. Each festival involves a torchlit processio ...

, a festival that celebrates the Islands' Norse heritage. The

coat of arms of the Isle of Man The coat of arms of the Isle of Man, blazoned ''Gules three legs in armour flexed at the knee and conjoined at the thigh, all proper, garnished and spurred or'', dates from the late 13th century. The present version dates from 12 July 1996. As ...

, a formerly Norse-dominated kingdom, also features a raven, but as a

supporter In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Historically, supporters were left to an individual's free choice and were assu ...

on the right. The Eastern Counties Rugby Union (ECRU) adopted the raven as its badge in 1926. It was chosen as representing the heritage of the constituent counties – then

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

and

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

; now Norfolk, Suffolk and

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

– as part of the

Danelaw The Danelaw (, ; ; ) was the part of History of Anglo-Saxon England, England between the late ninth century and the Norman Conquest under Anglo-Saxon rule in which Danes (tribe), Danish laws applied. The Danelaw originated in the conquest and oc ...

. File:Emblem for the 1-I-GHR.svg, Shoulder sleeve insignia of the Danish Guard Hussar Regiment's 1st Battalion 1st Armoured infantry company File:NasjonalSamling-Rikshirden-Ravnebanneret.png, Raven banner used by

in Norway. File:Coat of arms of the Norwegian Intelligence Service.svg, Coat of arms of the

with Odins ravens

File:Uyeasound Up Helly Aa squad arriving at Baltasound Junior High School - geograph.org.uk - 3780756 (cropped).jpg, Raven banner at Shetlands Norse heritage festival

File:Coat of arms of the Isle of Man.svg,

Coat of arms of the Isle of Man The coat of arms of the Isle of Man, blazoned ''Gules three legs in armour flexed at the knee and conjoined at the thigh, all proper, garnished and spurred or'', dates from the late 13th century. The present version dates from 12 July 1996. As ...

, a formerly Norse-dominated kingdom, with a raven as the right

Notes

References

* ''The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.'' (English translation). Everymans Library, 1991. * Barraclough, Captain E.M.C. "The Raven Flag". ''Flag Bulletin''. Vol. X, No. 2–3. Winchester, MA: The Flag Research Center (FRC), 1969. * Cappelen, Hans. "Litt heraldikk hos Snorre." ''Heraldisk tidsskrift'' No. 51, 1985 p. 34–37. Also printed in Icelandic as "Heimskringla og skjaldarmerkin", ''Morgunbladir'', Reykjavik 3.11.1985 * Dumville, David and Michael Lapidge, eds. ''The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Vol 17: The Annals of St. Neots with Vita Prima Sancti Neoti''. Woodbridge: D.S. Brewer. 1985. * Engene, Jan Oskar. "The Raven Banner and America."
NAVA News
', Vol. XXIX, No. 5, 1996, pp. 1–2. * Forte, Angelo, Richard Oram and Frederik Pedersen.
Viking Empires
'. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 . * Grimm, Jakob. ''Teutonic Mythology.'' 4 vols. Trans. James Steven Stallybras. New York: Dover, 2004.
Hjelmquist, Theodor. "Naturskildringarna i den norröna diktningen". In Hildebrand, Hans (ed). ''Antikvarisk tidskrift för Sverige'', Vol 12. Ivar Hæggströms boktryckeri, Stockholm. 1891.
* Hrafnhildur Bodvarsdottir. ''The Function of the Beasts of Battle in Old English Poetry.'' PhD Dissertation, 1976,

State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International. 1989. * Lukman, N. "The Raven Banner and the Changing Ravens: A Viking Miracle from Carolingian Court Poetry to Saga and Arthurian Romance." ''Classica et Medievalia'' 19 (1958): pp. 133–51. * ''Njal's Saga''. Trans. George DaSent. London, 1861. *
Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney
'. Trans. Pálsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul (1978). London: Hogarth Press. . Republished 1981, Harmondsworth: Penguin. . * Poole, R. G.
Viking Poems on War and Peace: A Study in Skaldic Narrative
'' Toronto:

University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a Canadian university press. Although it was founded in 1901, the press did not actually publish any books until 1911. The press originally printed only examination books and the university calendar. Its first s ...

. 1991. * Sturluson, Snorri. "King Harald's Saga." ''Heimskringla''. Penguin Classics, 2005. * Trætteberg, Hallvard. "Merke og Fløy." ''Kulturhistorisk leksikon for nordisk middelalder'', Vol. XI, Oslo, 1966, columns 549–555. * Woolf, Rosemary. "The Ideal of Men Dying with their Lord in the ''

Germania Germania ( ; ), also more specifically called Magna Germania (English: ''Great Germania''), Germania Libera (English: ''Free Germania''), or Germanic Barbaricum to distinguish it from the Roman provinces of Germania Inferior and Germania Superio ...

'' and in ''

The Battle of Maldon "The Battle of Maldon" is the name given to an Old English Old English literature, poem of uncertain date celebrating the real Battle of Maldon of 991, at which an Anglo-Saxon army failed to repulse a Viking raid. Only 325 lines of the poem are ...

''." ''Anglo-Saxon England'' Vol. 5, 1976.

External links

Viking Answer Lady on Viking flags

''Njal's Saga'' – Public domain edition of translated by George DaSent, 1861, at Northvegr.org

no:Merke (fane)#Ravnefanen {{DEFAULTSORT:Raven Banner Norse paganism Germanic archaeological artifacts Historical flags Viking art Viking warfare Early Germanic symbols Flags displaying animals Odin Corvids in art Cnut Harald Hardrada