History Talk - Iceland Flag

From 1350 to 1896

There was no need for an Icelandic flag during this period, since its only use would have been on sea, ships used the Danish flag. The first idea regarding an Icelandic flag was put forward in 1809. In that year a Danish adventurer, captain of a British ship, declared himself King of Iceland and soon afterwards announced a new flag, blue with three stockfish before he was arrested. His short-lived reign did not have much influence in Iceland and the flag was put away.

In 1870, an Icelandic artist put forward a new flag with a silver falcon on a blue background. This flag became popular among students and in 1874, celebrating 1000 years of settlement, this flag was used. The silver falcon was later used in the Icelandic coat of arms from 1903-1918, replacing the crowned stockfish. In 1897 a local poet wrote a newspaper article claiming that the falcon-flag was not in accordance with international traditions and had to be replaced. He suggested a white cross on blue background. This flag became popular among the more radical part of the nation demanding independence from Denmark.

Alternate proposal
of 1914

In 1903, the Icelanders had the stockfish replaced with new arms. They felt that the stockfish was a humiliating symbol that the ruling Danes had invented for them. The new arms had a blue field with a silver falcon. The colours and the falcon were regarded as more ancient symbols of the country than the.

As Iceland was made a separate kingdom, it got its own distinct heraldic crown, different from the Danish royal crown. The crown of Iceland was decorated with blue and red stones, blue pearls, and a blue hat, an oval decorated with blue bands and a cross on top. This crown model was used not only on the coat of arms, but also on various special flags and ensigns. The crown was removed when Iceland became a fully independent republic in 1944. The white falcon on blue remained the arms of the King. In fact, the falcon was only removed from the Danish arms in 1948, when the Danes finally came to accept Iceland's independence.

Iceland, the second largest island in Europe, located south of the Arctic Circle, between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland Sea.