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Scania (Sweden)

Skåne /

Last modified: 2006-04-01 by phil nelson
Keywords: sweden | scania | skane | griffin (red) | / |
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[Flag of Scania] image by Jan Oskar Engene
The flag is a banner of the arms;
arms granted in 1660, revised grant on 24 November 1939.

See also:

Origin of the flag

About the flag. It uses the coat of arms of the province of Skåne. These were decided in 1660 when Skåne became Swedish. For that reason, pure regionalists don't like these coat of arms. [About the proportions, State Heraldist] Clara Nevéus suggested 7:8.
Malte Lewan Neelsen, 16 January 2000

Denmark lost the province of Scania (Skåne), along with the neighbouring provinces of Blekinge and Halland, to Sweden in 1658. When part of Denmark, these provinces had no arms. The Swedes, however, soon felt the need for provincial arms for the newly acquired provinces, and such arms were created for the funeral of Charles X Gustavus (Carl X Gustav) in 1660. The arms of Scania were developed from those of the province's largest town, Malmo (Malmö).

In accordance with the latest official revision of the provincial arms, in the case of the province of Scania this dates from 1939, the arms of the province of Scania are a red erased griffin head crowned blue on a gold field. For the image, I have used proportions 7:8 as suggested by the Swedish state heraldist according to Malte Lewan Neelsen.

Sources:
· Clara Nevéus and Bror Jacques de Wærn: Ny svensk vapenbok, 1992 [nev92];
· C G U Scheffer: Svensk vapenbok för landskap, län och städer, 1967 [sch67]
Jan Oskar Engene, 19 January 2000

The blue crown of the griffin in the arms (and flag) of Scania was added at the revised armorial grant of 1939. This was done, so that the crown would not be or on a field or. The golden crown had carelessly been left on the griffin even if the field where also made golden when the Scanian arms were created with basis in the arms of Malmo

According to the blazon stated in the revised grant of 1939, the griffin may also be armed azure.
Elias Granqvist, 1 March 2001

Blazon

Official blazon in Swedish: "I guldfält ett rött, avslitet griphuvud med blå krona och med blå beväring, därest dylik skall komma till användning".

Blazoned in English: "Or, a Griffin's head erased Gules, crowned Azure and armed Azure, when it should be armed".
English blazon by Elias Granqvist, 1 March 2001