Iceland Review
THE CASE OF THE FLAG
The photo caption reads, “Einar, in the boat that was seized by Islands Falk.”
Leading up to 1918, the Danish flag was considered by many to be a grotesque symbol of foreign authority and Icelanders yearned for a flag of their own. June 12, 1913, the merchant Einar Pétursson caused an uproar when he rowed in the Reykjavík harbour under a white-blue flag. At the time, the flag was a symbol for the Icelandic independence movement – a white cross on a blue field. Danish sailors from Islands Falk intercepted Einar’s rowboat and confiscated the flag. That didn’t go down well as the flag had important symbolic connotations and people rallied around the flag in the next years. In 1915, Iceland gained its current flag – a white-edged red cross on a blue field. It was chosen over the white-blue flag because it was too similar to a Greek flag in use at the time. In 1917, Icelandic authorities requested
that Iceland be allowed to use their flag as a maritime flag. The Danish government would not consider this, but rather opted for reconsideration of the relationship between the two nations. Thus, Einar Pétursson rowing in the Reykjavík harbour on a sunny June day paved the way for Iceland’s sovereignty. “The flag is the symbol of our sovereignty. The flag is the image of the nation’s most beautiful ideals. Each major victory which is won by us increases the flag’s success. Whether it’s won on the seas, battling with surf and heavy seas, or in construction, sciences, or fine arts. The more noble this nation becomes, the more noble our flag becomes.” – Sigurður Eggerz in a ceremonial speech on December 1.
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