The White Falcon - 01.12.1995, Blaðsíða 2

Iceland celebrates Independence Day
Today is Iceland’s Constitution Day,
honoring the same day in 1918 when
Icelanders were first allowed to fly their
own national colors. Although Iceland
has been inhabited for more than 1,100
years, it did not have its own flag until 78
years ago. At that time Iceland was
granted independence in a crown union
with Denmark for 25 years. The Icelan-
ders, however, celebrate National Day
(June 17) commemorating the establish-
ment of The Republic in 1944 which sig-
nifies total independence and is their
equivalent of Independence Day.
The first flag
Iceland’s colonial status, after the
agreement of 1262 with Norway, pre-
vented the need of national symbols for
many centuries. The first flag of Iceland
appeared in 1809. In that year, two inde-
pendent British merchants and their
Danish guide failed in an attempt to
bribe the local Danish governor of
Iceland. In an effort to save their profits,
they set up the Dane, Jorgen Jorgensson
(known in Iceland as Jorundur), as dicta-
tor of an independent Iceland.
Jorundur, a whimsical man who drew
cartoons in his spare time, provided the
country with a flag - three dried codfish
on a field of blue. This motif may be
seen in a modified Great Seal form at
the National Museum.
Fjallkona
While Iceland had no flag as a colony,
except that of Denmark, several things
were considered by the Icelanders to be
symbolic of themselves and their land.
One was the figure of “Fjallkona,” the
mountain woman. A graceful woman in
long robes, she held a sword and a scroll.
The sword symbolized integrity and
determination and the scroll stood for
Iceland’s long literary and cultural her-
itage. M
The white falcon ^
The other symbol was the famed white
falcon. Stately, bold, courageous and
free, Icelanders strongly identified with
this emblem. As the question of a
national symbol arose, many were advo-
cates of the falcon. The first flags of
Iceland in those pre-independence days
were banners of blue with a falcon posed
upon them. One is on display at the
National Museum.
In 1903, the King decreed that a silver
falcon on a blue shield be Iceland’s coat
of arms. (The White Falcon, the base’s
weekly newspaper, is named after this
symbol.)
The coat of arms
The Icelandic coat of arms is a silvery
cross in a sky-blue field with a fiery red
cross in the silvery one. The arms of the
crosses extend to the edges of the shield
in all four directions. The upper squares
See Independence, page

Advent
By Chaplain Curtis Wallace
Well, it is that time of year again. It’s Advent. So what exactly
is Advent? The tradition goes back to fifth-century France. It
was a six-week observance following Christmas. Over the course
of time it became a four-week observance that was moved before
Christmas.
Some people think of Advent as a mini-Lent observance. It is
a lot like Lent, except there is a double focus on Jesus’ first and
second coming. It is a time for reflection on what the signifi-
cance of Jesus’ birth and second coming means for us as
Christians.
First, the birth of Jesus ushered in a new age. It is the con-
crete manifestation of God’s reconciling promise. Advent is a
time when we stop and prepare for God breaking into human
history. It is also a time when we look to the second half of the
promise which is Jesus’ second coming. Part of being a Christian
is the reality of resurrection and the second coming.
If you look at Advent readings you can see the theme of
preparation and anticipation. In fact, Advent is considered the
beginning of the Christian New Year because it requires us to
focus on the Christ - the central event in the life of the
Christian. In fact, the Jesus event is the central event in human
history. Advent is a celebration of God’s grace made incarnate
in Jesus the Christ!
Commander, Iceland Defense Force Deputy Commander, Iceland Defense Force
Rear Adm. Stanley W. Bryant Col. David L. Lay
Commanding Officer, NAS Keflavik Commander, 85th Group Chief ofStafT, Beet Air Keflavik Command Chaplain Commanding Officer, Naval Hospital Keflavik
Capt. W. Robert Blake Jr. Col. Stephen H. Spencer Capt. Walter C. Spearman Jr. Cmdr. Michael A. Walsh Capt. John A. Mitas II
a» wbice faLcoo “ifST0""'
Public Affairs Officer
Lt. Vince Broome
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Fri6|)6r Kr. Eydal
Editor
JOl Kevin A. Mills
Staff
YN2 Ronald J. Lema
JOSN Chris Conatser
Administrative Assistant
Ingveldur Sigurj6nsd6ttir
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Fleet Imaging Command
Detachment Keflavik.
The White Falcon is an authorized, government-funded weekly pub-
lication of the Public Affairs Office, Iceland Defense Force. Contents
of The White Falcon are not necessarily the official views of, or
endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the
Iceland Defense Force. Everything advertised in this publication shall
be made available without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, mar-
ital status, physical disability or any other non-merit factor.
The deadline for story submissions is noon Monday for the followin,
week of publication. The White Falcon is located in Bldg. 936. The^
telephone extension is 4612 or 6492.
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