Viking warlords led their armies under a banner (merki) or war flag (gunnefane). For instance, king Olaf Tryggvason had a dragon banner. However, raven was the most common image on such standards. Under the year 878 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions a viking banner called Hræfn (‘Raven’). Harald Hardrada’s banner called Landøyðan (‘Land-Waster’), mentioned in the Heimskringla, was also a raven banner. It was prophesied that victory would be his before whom this banner was borne. Indeed, raven was a symbol of Odin, one of whose names was ‘raven god’ (Hrafnaguð). Hugin and Munin, two Odin’s ravens, flew around the whole world and reported tidings to their master. As Odin’s bird, the raven was a pagan symbol of war, death and the way to Valhalla. The Annals of St Neot describe the magical power of the raven banner as follows:
“It is said that three sisters of Hingwar and Habba, i.e., the daughters of Ragnar Loðbrok, had woven that banner and gotten it ready during one single midday’s time. Further it is said that if they were going to win a battle in which they followed that signum, there was to be seen, in the center of the signum, a raven, gaily flapping its wings. But if they were going to be defeated, the raven dropped motionless.”
In 1016 king Canute the Great faught the battle of Ashdingdon under a raven banner. The Encomium Emmae reports:
“For the Danes had a banner possessed of a wonderful property, which although I believe it will seem incredible to the reader, nevertheless, because it is true, I will insert it for him for the sake of truth. For although it was woven of a very plain bright silk and had no figure embroidered on it yet always in time of war a raven seemed as it were to appear on it, in victory opening its beak and beating its wings, restless in its feet, but very quiet and drooping in its whole body in defeat.”
Orkneyingasaga reports that earl Sigurd’s mother made a raven banner for him, but warned his son: “I’ve made it for you with all the skill I have, and my belief is this: that it will bring victory to the man it’s carried before, but death to the one who carries it.” Sigurd lost his temper at his mother’s words, but the prophesy came to be true, as the Njál’s saga witnesses:
“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.”
The form of the raven banner was triangular, as may be seen on the king Anlaf Sihtricsson’s coin dated to 924.
Photo: raven from the Sutton Hoo shield. Courtesy WordRidden. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence.
