The Raven

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In Western culture, ravens, because of their black feathers, rasping call, and tendency to eat carrion, have always been harbingers of doom. Yet, ravens are extremely smart. They can be taught to speak. They learn through trial-and-error. They have been observed to play and even mourn for their dead. These behaviors have also made ravens a symbol of wisdom, as evidenced by the Norse god Odin's two ravens who fly around the world every day and tell him of everything.

Edgar Allan Poe used the raven's reputation to his advantage in The Raven, his poem about lost love and longing. Here's the first stanza:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —
Only this, and nothing more."

Follow this link to read the full text.

Irish Harp

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Throughout the Middle Ages, the harp was the most popular instrument in Ireland, and the Irish harp, or Clàrsach, has been a symbol of Ireland since the thirteenth century. Primarily, in Celtic society, the harp was used to accompany bardic poetry. Today, the harp is still on the coat of arms of Ireland.

The words in the design are from the Gaelic song "Mo ghile mear," which is usually translated as "My dashing darling," or "My shining love." The full version in both Gaelic and English can be seen here.

Russian Eagle

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The double-headed eagle was adopted in the fifteenth century by Russia to signify its place as the successor to Byzantium, which also used a double-headed eagle as its symbol. It was used by the Russian Empire until the October Revolution of 1917. After the fall of the Soviet Union, The Russian Federation again adopted the double-headed eagle as its symbol.

The question on the banner is "And where will fate send death to me?" a line from an 1829 poem by Alexander Pushkin, one of the greatest Russian poets. Click here to see the poem in English and in Russian.

New Orleans Fleur-de-lis

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From 1755 to 1763, the English evicted the French-speaking Acadians from Maritime Canada. Many of them ended up in the Francophone area around New Orleans. There, the "Acadians" gradually became "Cajuns." The fleur-de-lis has long been associated with French settlers in the New World.

Interestingly enough, the fleur-de-lis is a stylized representation of an iris, despite the fact that the name means "flower of the lily" in French.

Cajun music is unique and immediately recognizable. The words is the design are adapted from a traditional Cajun ballad. It is in Cajun French and sung by a man to a woman whom he loves, even though she refuses to marry him.

Scotland

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The kings of Scotland began using the red lion rampant as their symbol in the twelfth century. The Latin motto that goes with the coat of arms is "Nemo me impune lacessit," which literally means, "Nobody challenged me with impunity," but it has been rendered in Scots as "Wha daur meddle wi me?" or "Who dares meddle with me?"

This England

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The use of three lions as the symbol of the English monarchy dates back to King Richard I, "The Lionheart," and echoes the coat of arms of Normandy, from which William the Conquerer launched his famous invasion.

The national flag of England is St. George's Cross, a red cross on a white background. St. George is the patron saint of England, and his cross has been associated with England since at least the twelfth century.

The quote on the banner is from Act II, Scene 1 of Richard II by William Shakespeare. Here is the entire speech, which alludes to the fact that England has not been successfully invaded since William the Conquerer crossed the Channel:

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,—
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

Brittany

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The coat of arms of Brittany has one of the simplest blazons (descriptions) in heraldry--"Ermine." The ermine pattern, known as a "fur" in the language of heraldry, represents ermine pelts sewn together.

Brittany is one of the six Celtic Nations and the only one outside of the British Isles. Even though French is the only official language of France, Breton is still spoken in the region. It is a Celtic language closely related to the nearly dead Cornish language and to Welsh.

The poem which is part of this design is in Breton. It is from a collection of folk songs compiled in the nineteenth century. It is about the birth of Merlin the Magician, who appears in some form in the mythology of all of the Celtic Nations. More information can be found about the poem here.

The oak leaves in the design were chosen because of their importance in Celtic mythology as well.