The raven banner

The raven banner (in Old Norse, Hrafnsmerki; in Old English, Hravenlandeye) was a flag, possibly totemic in nature, flown by various viking chieftains and other Scandinavian rulers during the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries CE. The flag, as depicted in Norse artwork, was roughly triangular, with a rounded outside edge on which there hung a series of tabs or tassels. It bore a resemblance to ornately carved "weather-vanes" used aboard viking longships. Image File history File links Hrafnsmerki. ... Image File history File links Hrafnsmerki. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... A totem is any natural or supernatural object, being or animal which has personal symbolic meaning to an individual and to whose phenomena and energy one feels closely associated with during ones life. ... The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... Norse is an adjective relating things to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. ... The Oseberg longship (Viking Ship Museum, Norway) Oseberg longship from the front, one of the most stunning expressions of Norse art and craftsmanship A longship tacking in the wind Longships were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxons to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European...

Scholars conjecture that the raven flag was a symbol of Odin, who was often depicted accompanied by two ravens. Its intent may have been to strike fear in one's enemies by invoking the power of Odin. As one scholar notes: "The Anglo-Saxons probably thought that the banners were imbued with the evil powers of pagan idols, since the Anglo-Saxons were aware of the significance of Óðinn and his ravens in Norse mythology."^[1] Binomial name Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 Common Raven range The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a large black bird in the crow family, with iridescent feathers. ... Odin (Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse mythology and Norse paganism, like the Anglo-Saxon Woden it is decended from Proto-Germanic *Wōdinaz or *Wōđanaz. ...

The symbolism of the raven in early Scandinavian culture

Vendel era helmet with raven noseguard, at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities.

The raven is a common iconic figure in Norse mythology. The highest god Odin had two ravens named Hugin and Munin who flew around the world bringing back tidings to their master. Therefore, one of Odin's many names was the "raven god" (Hrafnaguð). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 516 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1200x1600, 516 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Vendel era (550-793) was the name of a Swedish part of the Germanic Iron Age (or, more generally, the Age of Migrations). ... Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (Historiska museet) is a museum located in Stockholm, Sweden that is responsible for Swedish cultural history and art from the Stone Age to the 16th century. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... Odin (Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse mythology and Norse paganism, like the Anglo-Saxon Woden it is decended from Proto-Germanic *Wōdinaz or *Wōđanaz. ... Hugin and Munin are a pair of ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. ...

Raven artwork on a Swedish Vendel era shield, at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities.

Odin was also closely linked to the ravens due to fact that he received the fallen warriors at Valhalla, and the ravens were linked with death and war due to their predilection for carrion. It is consequently likely that they were regarded as manifestations of the valkyries, goddesses who chose the valiant dead for military service in Valhalla^[4]. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 404 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 404 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Vendel era (550-793) was the name of a Swedish part of the Germanic Iron Age (or, more generally, the Age of Migrations). ... Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (Historiska museet) is a museum located in Stockholm, Sweden that is responsible for Swedish cultural history and art from the Stone Age to the 16th century. ... In this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript, Heimdall is shown guarding the gate of Valhalla. ... Titan arum For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Valkyries, figures of Norse mythology. ... In this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript, Heimdall is shown guarding the gate of Valhalla. ...

Unlike many other cultures, early Scandinavians regarded the raven as a largely positive figure, and many Old Norse personal names referred to the raven, such as Hrafn,^[5] Hrafnkel,^[6] and Hrafnhild.^[7] Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ...

The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.^[8] To make war was to feed and please the raven (hrafna seðja, hrafna gleðja).^[8]. An example of this is found in Norna-Gests þáttr, where Regin recites the following poem after Sigurd kills the sons of Hunding: Skaldic poetry (Icelandic: dróttkvæði, court poetry) is Old Norse poetry composed by known skalds, as opposed to the anonymous Eddaic poetry. ... The death of Nornagest, by Gunnar Vidar Forssell Norna-Gests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Norna-Gest. ... In Norse mythology, Regin was the son of Hreidmar and foster father of Sigurd. ... Helgi returns to Valhalla Helgi Hundingsbane was a hero in the Norse sagas, who appears in the Volsunga saga and in two lays in the Poetic Edda named Helgakviða Hundingsbana I and II. The Poetic Edda relates that Helgi and his mistress Sigrún were Helgi Hjörvarðsson...

The coat of arms of Shetland, depicting a longship with a raven on the sail.

The Coat of arms of the Isle of Man, a former Norse-dominated kingdom; note the supporting raven on the right.

Above all, the raven was the bird of blood, corpses and battle;^[11] 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 (Hlakkar hagli stokkin már valkastar báru, krefr morginbráðar er kemr at hræs sævi).^[12] The Blood Eagle was reportedly a method of torture and execution that is sometimes mentioned in old Icelandic Viking sagas. ... This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund, for other meanings see: Sigmund (disambiguation). ... Species See text. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Shetland. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Shetland. ... Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland) formerly called Hjaltland, is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Image File history File links Manx_coat. ... Image File history File links Manx_coat. ... Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man The current Coat of Arms of the Isle of Man dates from 1996. ...

In black flocks, the ravens hover over the corpses and the skald asks where they are heading (Hvert stefni þér hrafnar hart með flokk hinn svarta).^[13] The raven goes forth in the blood of those fallen in battle (Ód hrafn í valblóði).^[14] 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 (Með dreyrgu nefi, hold loðir í klóum en hræs þefr ór munni).^[15] The ravens who were the messengers of the highest god, Hugin and Munin, increasingly had hellish connotations, and as early as Sólarljóð, stanza 67, the ravens of Hel(l) (heljar hrafnar) who tear the eyes off backtalkers are mentioned.^[11] Two curses in the Poetic Edda say "may ravens tear your heart asunder" (Þit skyli hjarta rafnar slíta)^[16] and "the ravens shall tear out your eyes in the high gallows" (Hrafnar skulu þér á hám galga slíta sjónir ór).^[17] The skald was a member of a group of courtly poets, whose poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry. ... Hugin and Munin are a pair of ravens associated with the Norse god Odin. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Niflheim. ... The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. ...

Literary accounts on the raven banner

Use by the purported sons of Ragnar Lodbrok

The raven banner was used by a number of viking warlords regarded in Norse tradition as the sons of the Danish or Swedish king Ragnar Lodbrok. The first mention of a viking force carrying a raven banner is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. For the year 878, the Chronicle relates: Excerpt Njåls saga in the Möðruvallabók (AM 132 folio 13r) circia 1350. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Great Britain. ...

And in the winter of this same year the brother of Ivar and Halfdan landed in Wessex, in Devonshire, with 23 ships, and there was he slain, and 800 men with him, and 40 of his army. There also was taken the war-flag (guðfani), which they called "Raven".

The Annals of Saint Neot confirms the presence of the raven banner in the Great Heathen Army and adds insight into its seithr-influenced creation and totemic and oracular nature: Ivar the Boneless (Ivar inn beinlausi) (c. ... Halfdan was one of the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok. ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... This page is about the English county, for alternative meanings see Devon (disambiguation). ... St Neot was born in Saxon times, living as a monk in Cornwall, England most of his life. ... The Great Heathen Army, also known as the Great Army, was a Viking army which pillaged and conquered much of England in the late 9th century. ... Seid (Old Norse: seiðr; sometimes anglicized as seidhr, seidh, seidr, seithr or seith) was a form of sorcery or witchcraft with aspects of shamanism which was practiced by the pre-Christian Norse. ... Consulting the Oracle by John William Waterhouse An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ...

It is said that three sisters of Hingwar and Habba [Ivar and Ubbe], 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. And this always proved true.^[18]

This account is repeated almost verbatim in Bishop Asser's Life of King Alfred: "The daughters of Loðbrók had woven that banner and finished it during one single midday's time. It also is said that in any battle where the signum was borne before them, if they were to win victory one would see in the middle of the signum a living raven flying; but if they were about to be defeated, it hung straight and still.^[19] Geffrei Gaimar's Estorie des Engles (written around 1140) mentions the Hrafnsmerki being borne by the army of Ubbe at the Battle of Cynuit (878): "[t]he Raven was Ubbe's banner (gumfanun). He was the brother of Iware; he was buried by the Danes in a very big mound in Devonshire, called Ubbelawe.^[20] Ubbe, Ubba or Hubba Ragnarsson was a son of Ragnar Lodbrok. ... Aella murdering Ragnar Lodbrok Ragnar Lodbrok (Ragnar Hairy-Breeches, Old Norse: Ragnarr Loðbrók) was a semi-legendary king of Sweden and Denmark who reigned sometime in the eighth or ninth centuries. ... Asser (d. ... Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ælfred) was king of England from 871 to 899, though at no time did he rule over the whole of the land. ... Combatants West Saxons Vikings Commanders Ealdorman Odda Ubbe Ragnarsson† Strength Unknown 1200 Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Cannington, in 878, took place at the fort of Cynwit, now recognised as being on Cannington Hill, near Bridgwater in Somerset, England. ...

Use in Orkney, Dublin and Jorvik

Coin minted by Olaf Cuaran, 10th century king of Dublin and Jorvik.

A triangular banner appearing to depict a bird (possibly a raven) appears on coins minted by Olaf Cuaran around 924. The coins feature a roughly right icosceles triangular standard, with the two equilateral sides situated at the top and staff, respectively. Along the hypotenuse are a series of five tabs or tassels. Curiously, the staff is topped by what appears to be a cross; this may indicate a fusion of Norse pagan and Christian symbolism. The raven banner was also a standard used by the Norse Jarls of Orkney. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, it was made for Sigurd the Stout by his mother, a völva or sorceress. She told him that the banner would "bring 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.^[21] The "curse" of the banner ultimately fell on Jarl Sigurd himself at the Battle of Clontarf: Image File history File links Olaf_Cuaran_coin. ... Image File history File links Olaf_Cuaran_coin. ... Olaf Cuaran (d. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Jorvik was the Viking name for the English city of York and the kingdom centered there. ... Olaf Cuaran (d. ... Two types of special right triangles appear commonly in geometry, the angle based and the side based triangles. ... In geometry, an equilateral polygon has all sides of the same length. ... For alternate meanings, such as the musical instrument, see triangle (disambiguation). ... A Greek cross (all arms of equal length) above a saltire, a cross rotated by 45 degrees A famous khachkar at Goshavank (Notice the cross). ... Norse paganism or Nordic religion is a termed used to abbreviate the religion preferably amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries under pre-Christian period that are supported by archaeology findings and early written materials. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland. ... The Orkneyinga saga (also called the History of the Earls of Orkney) is an unique historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands from their capture by the Norwegian king in the 9th century onwards until about 1200 AD. The saga was written around 1200 AD by an unknown... Earl Sigurd Hlodvirsson (Sigurd the Stout) was the 14th Jarl of Orkney and a key figure in the Battle of Clontarf. ... The völva, vala, wala (Old High German), seiðkona, or wicce was a female shaman in Norse mythology, and among the Germanic tribes. ... Combatants Gaelic Irish Dublin Vikings Commanders Brian Boru† Sigtrygg Strength ca. ...

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.^[22]

According to the skaldic poem "Darraðarljóð", a man named Daurrud saw twelve women (possibly representative of the Valkyries) weaving a raven banner and then tearing it to shreds in a ritualistic fashion following the battle.^[23] Whether this account is intended to be taken literally is unclear, but it may indicate a ritual disposal of the hrafnsmerki following the death of its owner. According to Njals Saga, Kerthialfad was a foster-son of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland c. ... Asmund the White is a character mentioned in Njála, a 13th century epic that is the most famous of the Icelandic sagas. ... The skald was a member of a group of courtly poets, whose poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry. ... Darraðarljóð is a skaldic poem in Old Norse found in Njáls saga Chap. ... This article is about the Valkyries, figures of Norse mythology. ...

Other uses

Detail from the Bayeaux tapestry, showing a Norman knight carrying what appears to be a raven banner.

The army of King Canute the Great of England, Norway and Denmark bore a raven banner made from white silk at the Battle of Ashingdon in 1016. The Encomium Emmae reports that Canute had Image File history File links Bayeux_raven_banner_1. ... Image File history File links Bayeux_raven_banner_1. ... Canute (or Cnut) I, or Canute the Great (Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Danish: Knud den Store, Norwegian: Knut den mektige, Swedish: Knut den store) (ca. ... For other senses of this word, see silk (disambiguation). ... Combatants Denmark England Commanders Canute the Great Thorkell the High Eiríkr Hákonarson Edmund Ironside Eadric Streona The Battle of Ashingdon was fought on October 18, 1016, at Assandun, which is now believed to be Ashingdon in SE Essex, England, though the location is still debated. ... Queen Emma of Normandy receiving the Encomium Emmae, with her sons Harthacanute and Edward the Confessor in the background. ...

...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 was 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.^[24]

In his Lives of Waltheof and his Father Sivard Digri (The Stout), the Earl of Northumberland, the English historian William Ramsay (Bishop of Crowland) reports that the Danish jarl of Northumbria, Sigurd, was given a banner by an unidentified old sage. The banner was called Ravenlandeye.^[25] Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton (d. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the English as an ethnic group and nation. ... Sir William Ramsay (October 2, 1852 – July 23, 1916) was a Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 (along with Lord Rayleigh who received the Nobel Prize in Physics that same year for the discovery of argon). ... Trinity Bridge, Crowland Location within the British Isles Crowland (modern usage) or Croyland (medieval era name) is a town in Lincolnshire, England, positioned between Peterborough and Spalding, with two major sites of historical interest. ... Jarl is the Scandinavian language cognate of Earl. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and...

According to the Heimskringla, Harald Hardrada flew a raven banner called Landøyðan or "Land-waster"; whether this was the same banner as that flown by Sigurd of Northumbria is unclear. In a conversation between Harald and King Sweyn I of Denmark, Heimskringla is the Old Norse name of a collection of sagas recorded in Iceland around 1225 by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1242). ... Harald III Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed Harald HardrÃ¥de (Old Norse: Haraldr harðráði, roughly translated as Harald stern council or hard ruler) was the king of Norway from 1047[1] until 1066. ... Sweyn I, or Sweyn Forkbeard, (Danish: Svend Tveskæg, originally Tjugeskæg or Tyvskæg, Old Norse: Sveinn Tjúguskegg, Norwegian: Svein Tjugeskjegg), (??? – February 3, 1014), king of Denmark and England, a leading Viking warrior and the father of Canute the Great (Cnut I). ...

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 prophecied 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."^[26]

Years later, during Harald's invasion of England, Harald fought a pitched battle against two English earls outside of York. Harald's Saga relates that Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... This article is about the historic English city. ...

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.^[27]

Detail from the Bayeux tapestry, showing a broken raven banner lying on the ground.

Harald's army flew the banner at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, 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.^[28] Image File history File links Bayeux_raven_banner_2. ... Image File history File links Bayeux_raven_banner_2. ... Combatants Norwegians, Northumbrian rebels, small numbers of Scots Anglo-Saxon England Commanders Harald HardrÃ¥de† Harold Godwinson Strength Uncertain, possibly 7500 men or more Unknown Casualties Unknown, reportedly very heavy. ... Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse warriors who had sworn allegiance to the god Odin and worked themselves into a frenzy before a battle. ...

Other than the dragon banner of Olaf II of Norway, the Landøyðan of Harald Hardrada is the only early Norwegian royal standard described by Snorri Sturluson in the Heimskringla.^[29] Olaf II Haraldsson (995 – July 29, 1030), king from 1015–1028, (known during his lifetime as the Stout and after his canonization as Saint Olaf), was born in the year in which Olaf Tryggvason came to Norway. ... Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ...

In two panels of the famous Bayeux tapestry, standards are shown which appear to be raven banners. The Bayeux tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conquerer; as one of the combatants at the Battle of Hastings, Odo would have been familiar with the standards carried into the fight. In one of the panels, depicting a Norman cavalry charge 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'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) or whether they reflect an undocumented Norse presence in either the Norman or English army.^[30] The Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) is a 50 cm by 70 m (20 in by 230 ft) long embroidered cloth which depicts scenes commemorating the Battle of Hastings in 1066, with annotations in Latin. ... Odo cheers up the troops of William during the battle of Hastings as shown on the Bayeux Tapestry Odo of Bayeux (c. ... King William I of England William I ( 1027–September 9, 1087), was King of England from 1066 to 1087. ... // Combatants Normans, supported by Bretons, Aquitanians, Flemings & French Anglo-Saxons Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson † Strength 7,000 - 8,000 7,000 - 8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, but significantly more than the Normans The Battle of Hastings... Battle of WoÅ‚odarka Polish infantry charging enemy positions during the Polish Defensive War A charge is a maneuver in battle in which soldiers advance towards their enemy at their best speed to engage in close combat. ... The formation of Shield walls is a military tactic common to many cultures. ... Norman may refer to: the Normans Norman architecture Norman dynasty, a series of monarchs who ruled England and/or Normandy Norman language, a Romance language spoken in Normandy People: Archie Norman (b. ... Harold Godwinson, or Harold II of England (c. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Norse is an adjective relating things to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. ...

Despite claims that the Hrafnsmerki was the first European flag in the New World, there is no indication that it was ever carried as a universal flag of Scandinavians, and no source assigns it to the Vinland settlers (or any other Icelandic or Greenlandic group).^[31] Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... Vinland was the name given to a part of North America by the Icelandic norseman Leif Eiríksson, about the year (AD) 1000. ...

Notes

Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu or the Saga of Gunnlaugr Serpent-Tongue[1] is one of the Icelanders sagas. ... The first page of Hrafnkels saga from ÁM. 156, fol. ... Ketils saga hœngs is a legendary saga from Iceland on the North Norwegian chieftain Kettil Trout from Ramsta (Hrafnista) in Hålogaland. ... Krákumál or the Lay of Kraka is the name of a skaldic poem, consisting of a monologue in which Ragnar Lodbrok is dying in Ællas snake pit and looks back at a life full of heroic deeds. ... Þorbjörn hornklofi was a 9th century Norwegian poet. ... Guðrúnarkviða I, II and III are three different skaldic poems in the Poetic Edda with the same protagonist, Gudrun. ... Fjolsvinnsmal or The Lay of Fjolsvinn is the second of two Old Norse poems which comprise the Svipdagsmál, The Lay of Svipdag. ... Location of the British Isles The British Isles is a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, and a number of smaller surrounding islands and islets. ... Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. ...

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. ISSN 0015-3370.
• Cappelen, Hans. "Litt heraldikk hos Snorre." Heraldisk tidsskrift No. 51, 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.
• 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, University of New York at Stony Brook. 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): p. 133-151.
• 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. ISBN 0-7012-0431-1. Republished 1981, Harmondsworth: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-044383-5.
• 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.

The Brothers Grimm on a 1000DM banknote. ... The University of New York was a fictional university in New York City from the television series Felicity, that aired from 1998 to 2002. ... Hermann Pálsson (1921–2002) was an Icelandic scholar. ... A statue of Snorri Sturluson by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland was erected at Reykholt in 1947. ...

External links

• Viking Answer Lady on Viking flags
• Njal's Saga - Public domain edition of translated by George DaSent, 1861, at Northvegr.org
• The Raven Banner