The White Falcon - 29.11.1991, Side 8

National Symbols of Iceland
Dec. 1 - Iceland's Independence Day
Sunday is Iceland’s Constitution Day,
honoring the same day in 1918 when Icelan-
ders were first allowed to fly their own na-
tional colors. Although Iceland has been
inhabited for more than 1100 years, it did
not have its own flag until 73 years ago. At
that time Iceland was granted independ-
ence in a crown union with Denmark for 25
years. The Icelanders, however, celebrate
National Day (June 17) commemorating
the establishment of The Republic in 1944
which signifies total independence.
THE FIRST FLAG
Iceland’s colonial status, after the Agree-
ment of 1262 with Norway, prevented the
need of national symbols for many centu-
ries. The first flag of Iceland appeared in
1809. In that year, two independent Brit-
ish 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 Jorun-
dur), as dictator 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.
FJALLKQNA
While Iceland had no flag, except that of
Denmark, while a colony, 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 deter-
mination and the scroll stood for Iceland’s
long literary and cultural heritage.
THE WHITE FALCON
The other symbol was the famed white
falcon. Stately, bold, courageous and free,
he was strongly identified with by the
Icelanders. As the question of a national
symbol arose, many were the adherents of
the falcon. The first flags of Iceland in
those pre-independence days were ban-
ners of blue with a falcon poised upon
them. One is on display at the National
Museum.
In 1903 the King decreed that a silver
falcon on a blue shield should be Iceland’s
coat of arms. (The White Falcon, the title
of the base’s weekly newspaper, is named
after this symbol.)
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hicn

THE NATIONAL SEAL
In designing a national seal for Iceland,
the flag colors were adapted to a shield
form, and the shield was flanked by the
four mythical guardian spirits of the land
mentioned in the saga “Heimskringla”: a
bull to the right of the shield, the giant wan-
derer (who is identified with the old god
Odinn) to the left, a raven to the right
above the bull, and a dragon to the left
above the giant. The shield is placed u
a slab of the stratified lava, or basalt, whicl
makes up the land.
THE BLUE AND WHITE
Late in the 16th Century the Danish
King sent his governor in Iceland a special
seal to affix to official documents. This
showed a flattened codfish with a crown,
where the head would normally have been.
(This proves how important fisheries and
especially the cod was for Iceland's econ-
omy at the time.)
When the flag was raised in Iceland it
was the Danish one, a white cross chi a red
field. Many Icelanders, with their strong
identification with Scandinavia, felt that
the cross was the proper symbol. A cross
of white, representing the ice, against a
field of blue for the blue of the mountains,
was their choice.
This was again changed in 1915 as many
Icelanders believed that the stark blue-on-
white identified too closely with the red-
on-white of Denmark. A red outline of the
white cross, symbolizing the lava of
Iceland’s many volcanoes, was adde
the blue-on-white and the current flag
adopted.
In the winter the flag cannot be raised
before 9 a.m. From March 1 to October 31
it is raised at 8 a.m. It can never be flown
beyond midnight.
1 Ul
m
Shortest day of the year occurs in December
The month of December is characterized by decreasing tem-
peratures and an increasing occurrence of snow and other forms
of frozen precipitation. Near the end of the month the primary
storm track transits through the Keflavfk area with the occasion^
result being that of Gale Force, possibly Storm Force wind, Wind
Chill Advisory II or I and heavy snowshowers that reduce
visibility to zero.
There are five hours and 10 minutes of daylight on Dec. 1 and
four hours and 13 minutes on Dec. 21-23, these being the shortest
days of the year. After Dec. 23, daylight hours increase to four
hours and 27 minutes of daylight on Dec. 31.
Average temperature 33F/1C
Extreme max temperature 49F/9C(1968,1972,1976,1978)
Extreme min temperature 7F/-14C (1973)
Dominant wind direction North-Northeast
Average wind speed 14.4 knots (15.8 mph)
Extreme max gust 73 knots (80 mph) (1972)
Average snowfall 19 inches
Extreme max snowfall 51 inches
Provided by Naval Oceanography Command Facility
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The White Falcon