7.6.5 The Scanian Flag
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
7.6.5 The Scanian Flag
The Scanian flag is red with yellow ribbons and is more square than both the
Danish and Swedish ones. The measurements are based on the old (1748-1926)
Danish measures for its flag. They are 3-1-4.5 in length and 3-1-3 in
height.
The flag is most likely (though not proved) from the archbishop in Lund
Andreas Sunesen (1201-1228) who then was archbishop for all of Norden. (But
the country diocese ("landestiftet") where the Scanian law was in force was
Skåneland). He got the flag pattern from (and used it on) a crusade in
Latvia and a stay in Riga. The fact that the flag is like a Danish-Swedish
combination with what could have been borrowed colors from these flags is a
coincidence. The Swedish flag is younger.
The Scanian flag itself was probably pretty much forgotten (though other
yellow-red symbols existed) until Mathias and Martin Weibull "reinvented" it
around the end of the last century. First, it was used very sparingly but
the use has grown and does so even today. But only outside one of the
Scanian town halls, in Ystad, is the Scanian flag flying so far. It is more
frequently used by the common people, depending on area in Scania. The
Swedish flag is still more common in the province.
As late as in March 1992, the flag was registered in the Scandinavian Roll
of Armor. At the same time, the Scanian coat of arms was registered: a
golden panther on red background with hind legs like a lion and front legs
like an eagle. The day of the Scanian flag is the third Sunday in July.
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