In 878 King Alfred ensconced in Athelney was carrying out guerrilla warfare against the Danish army led by Guthrum, while he attempted to gather his army and break free of the swamps. His mind was focused on Guthrum who was now in control of Wessex, but he was also aware that Ubbe Ragnarsson, (brother to Halfdan Of The Wide Embrace and Ivar The Boneless) with a sizable force of men at his disposal, had disappeared and he had no idea of his whereabouts.
Ubbe was in fact making for the north west coast of Devon, which was behind Alfred. The plan must have been to attack Alfred from the rear by sailing upriver and forcing him out of his stronghold in the swamps and into the arms of Guthrum. (Whether he would have been able to find or reach Alfred - who would have surely set up blockades in the river and waterway channels - is a moot point, since he only got as far as Countisbury Hill.) Ubbe set sail with twenty-three longships packed to the gunwales with twelve hundred well armed men and after plundering and creating havoc on the Somerset coast, landed with his army at Combwich near the mouth of the Parrett.
The Saxons under command of Ealdorman Odda of Devon retreated into their camp at Cynwit, an iron-age fort on Countisbury Hill. This created a problem for Ubbe, if he ignored the defenders and bypassed the hill the Saxons would be free to leave the fortress and attack him from the rear. There was another problem, while the best place to attack the fort was from the east he was liable lose men as the Saxons held the high ground. Having found out however that there was no water supply in or near the fortress he decided to besiege the Saxons. But Ealdorman Odda, had other ideas and instead of waiting until his men were weakened by the lack of water, he led his men out and streamed down upon the Viking at dawn. The Danes half asleep and taken by surprise were overwhelmed; eight hundred of their men including Ubbe were killed and his battle banner, the Raven banner called Hrefn was captured. The rest of the Viking force harried by Offa and his Saxons retreated to their ships and sailed away.
While battle of Countisbury hill was mentioned in the ‘Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’ as was the capture of the Raven banner, nothing however was said of Earldorman Odda’s part in the battle, in either the ‘Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’ or Asser’s ‘Life Of King Alfred.’ (This was probably a deliberate ploy to enhance the status of King Alfred as the sole saviour of Wessex). It was Eathelweard who set the record straight in the ‘Latin Chronicle’ and credited Ealdorman Offa with the overwhelming victory at Countisbury Hill.
Why was the capture of Ubbe’s Raven banner so special? Because the raven connection to Odin was ritually important to the pagans and it’s capture demoralised the superstitious Danes.
