Sweden, 1562-1663 According to the mythology, the 12th-century King Eric IX saw a golden cross in th
Sweden, 1562-1663 According to the mythology, the 12th-century King Eric IX saw a golden cross in the sky as he landed in Finland during the First Swedish Crusade in 1157. Seeing this as a sign from God he adopted the golden cross against a blue background as his banner. According to non mythological theory, the Swedish flag was created during the reign of King Charles VIII, who also introduced the coat of arms of Sweden in 1442. The oldest recorded pictures date from the early 16th century. This flag was swallow-tailed, and the first legal description of the it was made in a Royal warrant of April 19, 1562. By the mid of the 17th century, the double-tailed flag was changed into a triple-tailed. In 1905 the triple-tailed flag became the Swedish naval jack and the Swedish state flag became identical to the square-cut civil ensign. -- source link
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