In old Norse times, a small group of girls—daughters of nobility who showed a great fierceness of spirit and aptitude for strategy and inventiveness—were sent to train with the Vikings. One of these young women, Anna, was an especially eager student. Yet one night her future with the Vikings was called into question by a chance encounter.

While walking to have an evening meal in the Great Hall after a long day of training, she happened upon a group of artists painting a mural to commemorate the latest Viking victory. She was captivated by their creativity and decided to talk to the painters about their work. She surprised them by asking thoughtful, inspired questions about composition, form and color.

This discussion gave her a sense of purpose in a way her training had not. Although it was a difficult decision (one that brought with it risks to her and her family’s standing), she left the Vikings and became an assistant to the royal artisans. (As a perhaps divine sign of her choice, a raven soon appeared to her, becoming an artistic companion who often brought her berries and stones that could be ground into the finest, most brilliant pigments.)

Anna’s powerful commitment to creativity did not disappear upon her death. It became part of her lineage, her mantle taken up by one woman in every generation that followed. Today, Anna’s descendant is known as the Sign Maven. Together with a team of talented designers and artisans, she works to enliven homes and businesses with creativity and excellence.