Nordic Cross flag

Nordic Cross flag
Nordic flags. From left to right respectively; the flag of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
A selection of Nordic flags used in Northern Europe: Iceland, Faeroe Islands, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Åland Islands, Finland.

The Nordic Cross Flag, Nordic Cross, or Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated. All of the Nordic countries except Greenland have adopted such flags. The cross design, which represents Christianity,[1][2][3] is depicted extending to the edges of the flag with the vertical part of the cross shifted to the hoist side, rather than centred on the flag. All Scandinavian flags may be flown as gonfalons as well.

The first flag with the design was the Danish Dannebrog; thereafter, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and some of their subdivisions used this as inspiration for their own flags. The Norwegian flag was the first Nordic cross flag with three colours. Though the flags share this pattern, they have individual histories and symbolism.

Some of the flags in this list do not have official status. Also, note that flag proportions may vary between the different flags and sometimes even between different versions of the same flag.

Contents

Flags of the Nordic countries

Note that most of these flags are historical or have not been officially adopted and their use remains limited.

  • Reconstruction of the flag of the Kalmar Union; Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1397–1523)
  • Ship flag from the Kalmar Union period, featuring a Nordic cross and the arms of the constituent kingdoms.
  • Flag of the Nordisk Flaggselskap or Nordic Flag Society [1]

Denmark

  • State flag of Denmark
  • Naval flag of Denmark. Note the darker kraprød colour.
  • 18th century flag of mourning
  • Unofficial flag of Bornholm (commonly used)
  • Proposal for flag of Jutland, designed by artist Per Kramer [4] (actual use is not recorded)
  • Another proposal for flag of Jutland, dating from 1972 (not in use)
  • Proposed flag of Vendsyssel

Finland

Iceland

Norway

  • Flag of Norway 1821-1844 and 1899-present
  • Naval ensign of Norway since 1905, civilian state flag since 1899.
  • Former flag of Norway (1814-1821).
  • The common naval ensign and war flag of Sweden and Norway from 1815 to 1844.
  • Merchant flag of Norway 1844-1898 with the union badge representing the union with Sweden.
  • Naval ensign and state flag of Norway 1844-1905.
  • Flag of Norwegian fascist party Nasjonal Samling 1933-1945.

Sweden

Autonomous regions

Flags of Germany

Nordic flags in Germany were historically used to allude to the nation's Norse heritage and Nordic origins. Nordic flag designs very similar to Denmark's, Sweden's, and Norway's national flags were proposed as Germany's national flags in both 1919 and 1948, after World War I and World War II, respectively. Today, the Nordic cross is a feature in some city and district flags or coats of arms.

  • Flag of the Danish monarch, flown in his capacity as Duke of Holstein until 1863 and Schleswig until 1864.[6]
  • Former Kaiserliche Marine War Ensign of Imperial Germany (1903-1919)
  • Former War Ensign of Nazi Germany (1938-1945), now forbidden in Germany
  • Flag of the former Saar protectorate, Germany
  • Proposed National flag of Germany, circa 1919.
  • Flag proposed by the conspirators of the July 20 plot against Hitler
  • A proposed flag for West Germany (1948)
  • Another proposed flag for West Germany (1948) by the same designer

Flags of the United Kingdom

Many locations in Scotland and England were colonized by Norwegian and Danish settlers and viking raiders during the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. Several locales, particularly in the Scottish islands, have flags or have had flag proposals based on the Nordic cross as a recognition of this Scandinavian heritage.

Scotland

Former and unofficial flags (Scotland)

Flag proposals and unofficial flags (England)

Flags of the Baltic states

Many territories around the Baltic Sea have begun using Nordic cross flags. Sometimes this is done to bolster the locality's association with the Scandinavian states (and, as with the proposed flags of Latvia and Estonia, to assert a Baltic identity over a long-standing affiliation with the Russian sphere of influence.)

Flags of ethnic or linguistic groups

Flags elsewhere that feature the Nordic Cross or similar design

Flags of Brazilian municipalities

Flags of Football Clubs

Flag of Santos F.C., Brazil.

Non-Nordic Cross flags of areas associated with the Nordic countries

Although different, the offset of the circles and the lines are reminiscent of the Nordic cross flags.

Image gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Jeroen Temperman. State Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law: Towards a Right to Religiously Neutral Governance. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 88. http://books.google.com/books?id=Khag6tbsIn4C&pg=PA88&dq=flag+of+sweden+christian&ei=S3tGTZrYAcqr8AbOqcWgDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=flag%20of%20sweden%20christian&f=false. Retrieved 2007-12-31. "Many predominantly Christian states show a cross, symbolising Christainity, on their national flag. The so-called Scandinavian crosses or Nordic crosses on the flags of the Nordic countries–Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden–also represent Christianity." 
  2. ^ Carol A. Foley. The Australian Flag: Colonial Relic or Contemporary Icon. William Gaunt & Sons. http://books.google.com/books?id=WV7ag4EpHF8C&pg=PA10&dq=sweden+flag+cross+christian&ei=ZX5GTcO3MIH58Abcq6jqAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CGkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=sweden%20flag%20cross%20christian&f=false. Retrieved 2007-12-31. "The Christian cross, for instance, is one of the oldest and most widely used symbols in the world, and many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greece and Switzerland, adopted and currently retain the Christian cross on their national flags." 
  3. ^ Andrew Evans. Iceland. Bradt. http://books.google.com/books?id=9_GfdBAASUQC&pg=PA27&dq=iceland+flag+christianity&ei=3YNGTbOfNML98AaumrzkDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=iceland%20flag%20christianity&f=false. Retrieved 2007-12-31. "Legend states that a red cloth with the white cross simply fell from the sky in the middle of the 13-century Battle of Valdemar, after which the Danes were victorious. As a badge of divine right, Denmark flew its cross in the other Scandinavian countries it ruled and as each nation gained independence, they incorporated the Christian symbol." 
  4. ^ Kunstavisen
  5. ^ http://www.handelskammaren.net/sv/Omoss/Historik/Vastsvenska-flaggan/
  6. ^ In 1844, German nationalists in the two duchies of Holstein and Schleswig created a blue-white-red tricolour as a symbol for independence which began to see widespread use. In 1845, Denmark responded by outlawing all other flags than the Danish one shown here. This ban was enforced as long as Denmark controlled the two duchies (Holstein and Lauenburg: effectively until 1863, in Schleswig effectively until early 1864.) Use of the Danish flag was in turn outlawed by the secessionist administration that claimed both provinces 1848-1851.

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