Flag of Geatland
Name | King Eric's Flag The Maelstrom |
---|---|
Use | Civil flag and ensign |
Proportion | 3:5 |
Adopted | 1419-1645 (flag of Blåstad) 1645 (national flag) 1793 (merchant ensign) |
Design | A white Saint Andrew's cross on a blue and red field. |
Use | State and war flag, state and naval ensign |
Proportion | 16:27 |
The flag of Geatland (Geatish: Gotlands flagge), officially King Eric's Flag, is the national flag of the Geatish Realm. It consists of a white Saint Andrew cross on an alternating blue and read field. Adopted in 1645, it is among the oldest national flags still in use.
The flag is attributed to Eric the Great, the leader of Geatish Unification. Eric the Great united Geatland with its vassal states and neigboring kingdoms, establishing the Geatish Realm. King Eric adopted the flag of Blåstad, the seat of his Realm, to be the national flag, though he preferred using the Royal Standard instead. The flag's origins before it was adopted as the flag of Blåstad in 1419 are unknown, though it is generally accepted to be a variation of a similiar red-and-white saltire used during the 11th century AD.