Raven Banner
A battle standard woven in the shape of a raven, carried by Viking commanders to signal the presence of a great leader. The Orkneyinga saga tells of Earl Sigurd's banner Landeyðan, said to predict victory by flapping its wings, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records a raven banner among Danish Vikings in 878. The raven was Odin's bird, making the banner a war-charm as much as a flag. The banner was carried before the army and was believed to share in the fate of the battle: when it stood stiff and full it promised victory, when it hung limp the men knew defeat was near, and a commander who lost