Iceland Flag PNG
The flag of Iceland is based on the so-called Nordic cross, which symbolizes solidarity with other Scandinavian states. The canvas is dark blue, and there is a red cross with a white border placed over it. Although the flag, in its current form, was developed only in the early 20th century, its elements have a deep history and lots of connotations.
| Colors | HEX Code | Pantone | RGB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | #02529C | 287 | 2, 82, 156 | 100, 75, 2, 18 |
| White | #FFFFFF | 1 C | 1 C | 0, 0, 0, 0 |
| Red | #DC1E35 | 199 | 220, 30, 53 | 0, 100, 72, 0 |
History of the Flag
By the time Iceland got its own national flag, multiple other flags had flown on its territory. The earliest legends concerning these flags date as far back as the 13th century.
1262/1280 – 1397
Before Scandinavian settlers came to Iceland in the 9th century, monks would live here, who apparently were part of a Hiberno-Scottish mission.
The Icelandic Commonwealth was established by Scandinavian settlers in 930. For about three centuries, this political entity managed to cope with local conflicts. However, eventually, it failed to do so, and in 1262, the Commonwealth was dismissed. Instead, Iceland was brought under the Norwegian crown.
Starting from this point, we can already know, which flag was the main one for Iceland. Eirik Magnusson, the King of Norway from 1280 until 1299, used a red banner featuring a crowned golden lion. The lion was standing facing to the right and holding an axe in its upper paws. After Magnusson, this banner became the flag of the kings of Norway, and therefore, was used in Iceland, too.
1397/1415 – 1523
In 1415, Iceland was passed to the Kalmar Union. The Kalmar Union had been formed in 1397 to bring Denmark, Sweden, and Norway together under a single monarch. In addition to the three kingdoms, the union included Norway’s overseas colonies, one of which was Iceland.
According to the description given by Eric of Pomerania (1396–1439), the first king of the Kalmar Union, the flag was “a red cross in a yellow field.” The king called this flag the “banner of the realms” and ordered priests of Vadstena and Kalmar to place it on their robes.
1523 – 1918
In 1523, when the Kalmar Union was dissolved, Iceland remained a Norwegian dependency. The Kingdom of Norway with its overseas possessions, in turn, was part of Denmark-Norway, which also included the Kingdom of Denmark.
However, Norway had its own laws and army and preserved some institutions. It also had its royal standard flag, the one with the gold lion on a red background. This flag was the primary one until 1748.
Then, the only merchant banner Denmark-Norway officially used was the so-called Dannebrog, the white Nordic cross on red canvas. There are several legends about the origins of this banner. The oldest of them can be found in Christiern Pedersen’s Danske Krønike. It tells that the red cloth with a white cross fell from the sky during one of the overseas military campaigns of Valdemar II of Denmark (ruled: 1202–1241). Also, according to Danske Krønike, this banner was taken by Eric of Pomerania when he went into exile in 1440.
1809 – 1809
In 1809, Jørgen Jørgensen, a Danish adventurer, sailed to Iceland with his men, proclaimed it an independent state, and pronounced himself its ruler. The rule of King Jörundur was short and only lasted from June 26, 1809, to August 18, 1809, but he did manage to introduce an independent flag.
According to the king’s own description, the banner was blue and featured three white stockfishes. The original source allows us to interpret the word “stockfishes” just as “cods.” As there are no copies of this flag, we can only guess how it looked judging by the abovementioned description.
1857 – 1869
In 1857, an armed civilian militia was formally established in Vestmannaeyjar. It became known as Herfylkingin, “The Battalion.”
The militia used a red saltire cross (diagonal) on a white canvas. In an original image drawn by Herfylking, there appears to be black text at the top and bottom of the banner. However, the picture doesn’t let you decipher the exact words.
1897 – 1915
At the turn of the century, a blue flag featuring a white Scandinavian cross was sometimes flown. Nicknamed Hvítbláinn (“the white-blue”), it was typically used by local republicans. It didn’t have the status of the official symbol, but a pretty similar version was later adopted as the flag of Shetland.
1915 – 1944
At the beginning of the 20th century, the permission of the king of Denmark was asked to approve a national flag for Iceland. The king gave his permission but set a condition. The banner had to be totally new and should have been subordinate to the Danish flag – it had to include a red cross.
To satisfy his requirements, the abovementioned blue flag with a white cross was supplemented by a red cross. The red cross was placed in the middle of the white one. As a result, the banner incorporated the colors of the Danish flag, red and white, and also obviously had the same structure.
On June 19, 1915, the monarch granted his approval of this flag, with a couple of restrictions. At sea, the banner could only appear in territorial waters. On land, it had to be paired with the Danish flag.
Local people weren’t happy with this situation. So, in the winter of 1918, the banner acquired full recognition. Simultaneously, Ireland itself got the status of a separate kingdom under the Danish king.
In 1918–1944, the civil flag featured the shade of blue described as “ultramarine blue,” while the ratio was 18:25.
1944 – Today
In 1943, the Danish-Icelandic Act of Union expired. Then, following a four-day plebiscite, the country adopted a new republican constitution and formally became a republic.
As a reflection of these events in the Icelandic heraldic system, the color of the banner was made darker. The author of the design was Matthías Þórðarson, the country’s State Antiquarian and Director of the National Museum in 1908–1947.
Meaning of Symbols and Colors
The red and white colors were originally chosen according to the requirements of the Danish king, who had claimed the Icelandic flag should have incorporated the Danish one.
Blue and white were adopted for more than one reason. First, these colors could be seen on the flag used by King Jörundur in 1809. While the status of the king was highly questionable and his rule didn’t even last two months, it was still a truly Icelandic flag, not just the flag of a foreign country that dominated the land. This might have played a role when it came to choosing the colors for the national flag.
Another source of blue and white was the coat of arms given to Iceland in 1903. The design showcased a silvery or white falcon on a blue background. Also, these colors were traditionally very popular by local people.
Also, the color scheme has a geographic interpretation. Red reminds us of the fire from the local volcanoes, white stands for the snow, and blue represents the mountains – they appear blue when looked at from the coast. Given this explanation, it’s hardly a surprise that in the official description of the flag, such phrases as “snow-shite,” “fiery-red,” and “blue as the sky” are used.
The reason behind choosing the Nordic cross as the central element, apart from the requirements of the Danish king, was the desire to emphasize togetherness with other Scandinavian states. The Nordic cross, in turn, was inspired by the Christian cross.
Use of the Flag
The look of both the flag and arms is described in Law No. 34 issued on June 17, 1944, the day Iceland became a republic.
The law states that the cross extends to the edge of the flag. Their combined width is 2⁄9, but the red cross constitutes 1⁄9 of the combined width of the banner. The ratio is 18:25.
According to a law issued in 1991, there are 12 flag days in Ireland, when the banner is flown not only from official buildings but also from the buildings supervised by officials and special representatives of the country. Also, the prime minister can add other days.
The banner is used as both a civil flag and ensign.
Coat of Arms
The Irish coat of arms showcases a red cross with a silver border, which is positioned inside a blue shield. In other words, the central element of the arms is the country’s flag.
Along the border of the flag, the four protectors of the state (landvættir) can be seen:
- the bull protects the north-west of Iceland
- the eagle/griffin is responsible for the north-east
- the dragon – for the south-east
- the rock-giant – for the south-west
The rock below their feet is columnar basalt.
These symbols have deep roots in the Icelandic culture and lore. One interesting episode goes back to the time of the Vikings. It was required that no vessel approaching the coast has a symbol that looks like one of the protectors. That was because, in this case, the protectors were not provoked unnecessarily, according to local beliefs.
