The challenge was to make flags for a couple of Scandinavian countries. Please read the original challenge description here, before voting.
One said:
Two said:Note: this one includes two extra flags at the bottom which ought to be ignored!
A few notes about the design which might be useful:
- The colours for the flag of Jutland were inspired from here.
- The red in the Danish flag doesn't need explanation I assume, and the green symbolises pastures, meadows and green nature.
- The eagle in the flag of Smolensk indicates the monarchial rule of the tsar, and power.
- The reindeer in the Kola flag also doesn't need explanation, and the icy blue symbolises it's tundra nature and climate, plus the white symbolising snow and ice, and green representing the forests.
- The Ingrian colours were picked from the historical flag.
- The lion in the flag of Norway is characteristic for the monarchy, the colours are it's traditional colours (though I added blue, which is quite dark and a bit purplish).
- The flag of Finland has white for winter, snow, ice and sovereignity, dark blue for water and liberty, and lighter blue as it's traditional colour and symbol of equality.
- The flag of Sápmi is based on the traditional colours.
Three said:
Jutland was established during the long Wars of Religion, when the various Catholic and Protestant cities of the region bound themselves together as a trading bloc, refusing to bow to other lords. For a variety of reasons, the Jutland Confederation was firmly established, and survived through its wealth, especially its ability to hire large numbers of mercenaries to defend it and to form strategic alliances with either side in a conflict. Nowadays, Jutland is a small, unified state, with most of its influence coming through trade. Its flag has gone unchanged since the beginning - the simple colors red and white, being traditional colors of the region, were retained, but a diamond was selected, rather than the old cross symbols, to emphasize the non-religious aspect of the old confederation, while also being easily identifiable in the distance at sea.
The Kingdom of Denmark is one of the oldest, and proudest states in Europe. At the heart of the northern Wars of Religion, several intradynastic conflicts tore apart the country, leading ultimately to its reduction in size to its present borders. The Danish flag is one of the most ancient in the world, though, in its original form, the colors were reversed. During the war between the Catholic and Protestant branches of the House of Estrith, the latter, which had held the throne previously, kept the original white cross on red, while the former, to distinguish the colors in battle, switched to the modern flag. With the Catholic branch's ultimate victory in Denmark, its version of the flag became that of the nation. Its modern constitutional monarchy continues to use this flag
The Tsardom of Smolensk is the last of the old Scandinavian lands to survive in Russia, with the Orthodox branch of the House of Estrith ruling. Its flag reflects its royal family, with the ("Protestant", though the divergence was before the Reformation) Danish flag turned into a St. Andrew's Cross. At some point early on, to further differentiate from Scandinavia proper, and more closely align with the Roman Empire, it was modified to include the Greek letter Rho, turning the flag into a massive Chi-Rho symbol. Its close, continuing alliance with the Romans has - so far, at least - preserved its independence from the Kingdom of Novgorod.
The Kola Republic is a fairly new state, established a generation ago in a nationalist revolution against the former Kingdom of Finland, followed by their victory in the Kola Independence War against the Finnish White Army, in its attempts to include Kola in their new socialist state. Kola has established a fairly stable democracy, supported by Sweden and Novgorod. Its flag comes from an iconic image from their revolution, with the sun rising over the horizon to shine onto Kola's white ground at the same time as the birth of the new republic.
The Principality of Ingria, that last steadfast stronghold of the Teutonic Knights of old, now a Protestant bastion in the largely Catholic north. Its flag is simply a derivative of the old Order, a black cross on white, influenced heavily by its neighbors, particularly as much of the modern population is descended from the expulsions of Protestants from Scandinavia proper in the Wars of Religion. Ingria today is an absolute monarchy, among the last, with a heavy focus on its faith. Its primary support nowadays is from its historically Protestant allies to the south, Lithuania and Austria.
The flag of the Kingdom of Norway, earned as a unique flag only within the last generation, marks its place as part of the United Kingdoms, traditionally called the Plantagenet Empire. Norway, along with France and Scotland, earned the right to its own flag and independent legislature during the nationalist uprisings a generation ago. Many Norwegians prefer to fly the nationalist flag, a Scandinavian cross of blue on red, but display of that flag is illegal throughout Norway and the Empire. Many Norwegians, however, ever await the day when they shall be free from Westminster's grasp, and a true, independent Kingdom of Norway shall again stand proudly among the Congress of Nations.
Four said:Democratic Republic of Jutland:
Kingdom of Denmark:
Kingdom of Norway:
Tsardom of Smolensk:
Kola Republic:
Principality of Ingria:
Five said:Jutland (Prussian puppet state)
Denmark
Ingria
Kola
Norway
Smolensk
list of flags
Six said:Kingdom of Norway - a brief earlier union with Scotland introduced the saltire to Scandinavia; both Norway and Sweden adopted similar saltires in their arms colours during their subsequent union that formed the basis for the Commonwealth of the North (also known as the United Kingdoms of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden)
Principality of Ingria - initially part of the Kingdom of Finland in the Commonwealth of the North, Ingria has reversed the white-on-blue saltire to a blue-on-white; Ingria currently has "protection" from Novgorod
Kingdom of Denmark - legend tells that a shredded royal banner formed the symbol of a cross during Valdemar II's adventures in Pomerania; it's more likely the flag was just a cross in royal colours
Tsardom of Smolensk - the current ruling dynasy claims descent from Rhomania via the Kievan Tsardom/Empire and has maintained a 4 cross pattern
Democratic Republic of Jutland - the Revolutionaries in Denmark adopted the Republican Symbol of 4pointed star in cogwheel in the Danish colours; when the Royalists retreated to Scania and held the islands the Republicans were restrained from following by their fellows in the Union of Democratic Republics anxious to avoid another war with the Ruthenian Empire
Kola Republic - the outbreak of Republican Revolution in the Kingdom of Finland threatened the collapse of the whole Imperial Commonwealth of the North; the Republicans here have an ethnic edge and have added the Finnish Scimitars to the Republican Star; in imitation of the UDR the Finnish Republics - Finland, Kola, Karelia, Sapmi - are united as the Union of Northern Republics and have designs on Estonia (under Ruthenian protection) and Ingria (under Novgorod).
Seven said:The storming of the supposedly impregnable Kronburg Castle the 14th July 1789 lit the torch of revolution that had been simmering in Denmark for over 4 years. Thought to be holding ‘many’ prisoners, including prominent reformers, the Castle was found to have just 7 inmates and surprisingly was lightly defended by troops, the majority of whom promptly sided with the attacking mob. The news of the storming, often greatly distorted, led to a general revolution that saw the establishment of a republic on 29th January 1790. Although many reformers wished to keep the nation a monarchy headed by a king stripped of most of his powers, the republicans were given a massive boost when King Christian VII fled with his family to England (6th December 1789). But the republic lasted just 10 years. In 1800 the monarchy was restored albeit with a virtually powerless monarch – Christian VII received a decree of permanent exile and his son became Frederick VI on 13th March 1800
The Danish example triggered a series of revolutions in Scandinavia and beyond – within 5 years there were republics in Jutland, Finland, Kola and Karelia while Norway and Sweden were Monarchies with monarchs reduced to ceremonial status, while Ingria declared itself to remain a Principality but now without a Prince or Princely House.
Denmark adopted a new flag on 1st January 1792 – four horizontal stripes, the top (pale blue) and the bottom (dark green) taken from the colours of the banner carried at the Storming of Kronburg castle, with the second (red) and third (white) being the traditional Danish colours. This type of flag was adopted by various Scandinavian countries, e.g. Norway, Sweden, Kola and Ingria.
The Jutland Republic introduced a new flag in 1798. With thin red and white stripes to signify its older flags, the main body of the new flag was dark green with a yellow 8-sided ‘double swastika’ set centrally. This had been the symbol of the Jutland Charter Movement, whose successor the Jutland National Democratic Party became the sole political body in the Democratic Republic of Jutland, established in 1798.
The ‘Decade of Revolutions’ did not bring changes the Tsardom of Smolensk, where any stirrings of protest were dealt with promptly and brutally by the Tsar’s forces. The red-and-black-halved saltire with the imposed ‘Smolensk Eagle’ celebrated its centenary as the flag of the nation just 17 days after the Storming of Kronburg Castle.
KINGDOM OF DENMARK
KINGDOM OF NORWAY
KOLA REPUBLIC
PRINCIPALITY OF INGRIA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF JUTLAND
TSARDOM OF SMOLENSK
Eight said:- Democratic Republic of Jutland: following the popular revolution of 1783, the new regime set about democratising and secularising the country. While it retained the pre revolution colour for the danish republican flag, the cross was replaced with a lying "Y" symbolising the soldiers and working class joining path as one. The country was renamed Jutland following the monarchist counter revolution.
- Kingdom of Denmark: In 1791, a monarchist army managed to push back the republicans unto the mainland and assume control over the rest of the country. The monarch styled this country Kingdom of Denmark as it saw itself the continuation of the pre revolution politie but to prevent having its ships confused with the republicans who flew a similar one, the flag was defaced with the arms of the royal house.
- Tsardom of Smolensk: On the flag of smolensk can be seen its Coat of arms, a black pine tree which is the source of the black tar that for a long period of time was its main industry.
- Kola Republic: The colours as well as the moon and sun symbols have great cultural importance for the saami, which represent the majority of the population.
- Principality of Ingria: a principality dependent of the tsardom of Novgorod. the flag is in its livery colours.
- Kingdom of Norway: This is the banner of arms uses as a national flag by the kingdom.
Nine said:
Ten said:The Nordic Wars (1692-94 and 1714-17) redrew the map of a large swathe of northern Europe.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF JUTLAND
Jutland’s independence was achieved in 1694 (Treaty of Edinburgh). At first it used the traditional Danish Flag but with a blue upper canton. Following the emergence of the ‘Udjævning’ doctine, the Democratic Republic of Jutland came into existence in 1766 and the above flag became the state flag a year later.
KINGDOM OF DENMARK
Denmark’s fortunes fluctuated throughout the two Nordic Wars – at one time it occupied much of southern Sweden and Norway, at another time it was virtually restricted to the home islands. After the Treaty of Cologne (1717) ended the Second Nordic War, the rump Denmark retained a part of southern Sweden. During the latter half of the 18th century the ideas of pamphleteers known as ‘Sjusomeen’ gave rise to a political movement which by 1790 controlled the government and monarch. The new flag was unfurled in 1797, a modified representation of the previous flag at the top, a band of yellow (said to reflect the Swedish element) and, set in a broad white central band, the symbol of the Sjusomeen movement.
KINGDOM OF NORWAY
The independent Kingdom of Norway was a creation of the Treaty of Cologne, under which Maximilian William of Brunswick-Lüneburg was somewhat controversially made its first King (taking the name ‘Karl II’). The flag employs traditional red and gold quarters with one of the types of Norwegian lions.
PRINCIPALITY OF INGRIA
For years a province of Sweden, Ingria was upgraded to a Principality by the Swedish crown in 1704. By the Treaty of Cologne, it became an independent state. The flag uses traditional colours together with a black cross and sword to reflect to major contribution made by the Teutonic Brotherhood during the Second Nordic War.
KOLA REPUBLIC
Kola achieved independence following the First Nordic War. The symbol in the centre of the flag represents the Northern Lights.
TSARDOM OF SMOLENSK
The only one of these six nations not to have been directly involved in the Nordic Wars, Smolensk’s first Tsar was Vasily, who ruled from 1498 to 1533. The Tsar in 1800 was Pavel II. The Tsardom’s first official flag (1689) was black with a narrow red horizontal band. The white 2-headed bear and was added by Tsar Dmitry III in 1722, who claimed to have seen such a bear in a vision on the night before his coronation. The crown was added in 1746.
