262 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



With the fierce and hardy Scandinavian sea- 

 rovers the raven was a bird of note, though for 

 what purpose he was used by them we have no record 

 left to tell us. It has been conjectured by those 

 whose deep research into historical matters give their 

 views great weight, that the ravens (of which two 

 varieties existed then as now, the black and the 

 black - and - white raven) were carried by these 

 rovers in their war-ships, to be turned out when 

 on their exploring and plundering expeditions. 

 They watched the flight of the bird, and if it 

 did not return, they sailed in the same direction, 

 feeling certain that land of some kind must lie 

 where the raven had made for. That fierce race of 

 sea-kings evidently knew far more about the real 

 nature of the bird than we do at the present 

 time. 



With the part the raven played some have 

 associated the Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian 

 falcons, the noble gerfalcons, so called ; but the 

 raven is well known to have been an important 

 factor, though a mysterious one, in all their high- 

 handed proceedings. The pied raven belongs to 

 the Faro Isles, and is called after them. 



