- Three Crowns
Three Crowns ( _sv. Tre Kronor) is a
national emblem ofSweden , present in the Coat of Arms of the Realm of Sweden, and composed by three yellow or gilded coronets ordered two above and one below, placed on a blue background.The emblem is often used as a symbol of authority by the Swedish government and by Swedish embassies around the world, but also appears in other less formal contexts, such as the
Swedish national men's ice hockey team , who wear the symbol on their shirts and hence are called "Three Crowns", and atop theStockholm City Hall built 1911-1923. The Three Crowns are also used as theroundel onmilitary aircraft of theSwedish Air Force and as a sign on Swedish military equipment in general.Origins
The origin of the symbol has been much debated throughout history and various more or less well-founded theories have attempted to shed some light on the matter.
The symbol is known to have been placed atop the mighty central tower of the castle Tre Kronor in
Stockholm , destroyed by fire in 1697, no later than the early 16th century. The symbol, however, is known to be quite older. One of several traditional explanations have suggested Albrekt of Mecklenburg (1338-1412), who ruled Sweden 1364-1389, brought the symbol fromGermany as a sign of his reign of Sweden, Finland andMecklenburg . This theory has, however, been refuted by later research, namely, the announcement in 1982 of the discovery of afrieze inAvignon in southernFrance , estimated to date back to 1336. The frieze was painted for an international congress lead by thePope and contains the symbols of all participant countries, including Sweden. This discovery suggests the symbol was introduced by Albert's precursor Magnus Eriksson (1316-1377). Magnus used the symbols frequently, probably to mark his three kingdoms; Sweden, Norway and the newly won scanian provinces.cite book
title = Gamla stan förr och nu | author = Rune Lindgren
year = 1992 | publisher = Rabén & Sjögren | language = Swedish
location = Stockholm | id = ISBN 91 29 61671 9
pages = 17 | chapter = Varifrån härstammar Tre Kronor-symbolen?]Unsourced hypotheses and various usages
* A representation of the
three wise men , also known as the three "kings", that came to visitJesus at the epiphany.
* The three old kingdoms that joined to later form Sweden — "Three crowns one kingdom". However, that theory is less widely accepted.
* Leftovers after yet another failed attempt at creating a Scandinavian union and that the crowns represent the royal families of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
* The three crowns are on the 1397 seal ofMargrete I , who united Denmark, Sweden and Norway into theKalmar Union to defend baltic sea trade routes against the threat of the GermanHoly Roman Empire .
* The symbol is also featured on theUniversity of Oxford seal originating from the same period.
* It also appears on the first [http://www.rgle.org.uk/RGLE_Mother_Grand_Lodge_York.htm masonic seal of York] . The founding values of these three organisations all using an example of the three separated crowns may also symbolise aProtestant opposition to the coronation of thePope as, among other titles the ruler of the world. The Pope'sTriregnum featuring three crowns, although not separated.
* A later usage of the three crowns refers to theUnion of the Crowns , the accession to the thrones ofEngland andIreland ofKing James VI ofScotland in March 1603.Other three crown designs
Practically identical to the three crowns of Sweden, is that of the flag and crest of the
Province of Munster , a region in the south west of Ireland. Like the Swedish model, it comprises two crowns above and one below. These represent the three great duchies of the province, Desmond,Ormond andThomond . The design was used as the flag of theLordship of Ireland between 1171-1541 following theNorman invasion of Ireland until being replaced by the flag of theKingdom of Ireland .A similar three crowns design is the crest of the city of
Kingston-upon-Hull , a large port inYorkshire , England. This design sees the three crowns stacked vertically and relates back to the Royal charter of 1299. The emblem is used by the city council and also the cities tworugby league teams.The Flag of
St Edmund consists of threegold crowns on a field ofblue ("Azure, three crowns Or").cite book
last =Perrin
first =W.G.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =British Flags
publisher =Cambridge University Press
year =1922
location =Cambridge
pages =
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ] Three crowns also form the logo of Coutts & Co, the London based private bankers, but in this case the design comprises one crown at the top, with two below.See also
*
Mother Svea
*Flag of Sweden References
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