CIRCA - 1919 🇫🇴 - a red Nordic cross, offset toward the hoist side, fimbriated in blue & extending to the edges of a white field
HISTORY: Known as Mérkið ("the banner" or "mark") it was devised, and 1st hoisted by Faroese
students on flag day in 1919. (The original flag hangs in the church of Fámjin)
Initially banned, until restrictions loosened in 1940 (under the influence of British occupation in
WWII), official status wasn't granted until 1948 with the Home Rule Act.
VEXILLOLOGY:* Embodying the islands' quest for self-determination against assimilation pressures as a rigsdale of
Denmark, the Mérkið follows Nordic traditions with roots in Faroese natural & cultural elements, and though
not codified, collectively it stands for purity, faith, and connection to nature & heritage;
The WHITE Field is meant to evoke foam of ocean🔍 waves 🌊 breaking against the rocky coast & clear island skies
The OFF-SET CROSS ╋━ is a Nordic symbol from medieval banners, first prominent in Denmark🔍, and later used by other Nordic countries like Iceland🔍, as well as in all major Scandinavian🔍 flags such as Sweden's🔍, Norway's🔍 & Finland's🔍
(Associated with Norse Christianization in the Viking Age, it originally symbolized faith & divine protection in battle, but is no longer exclusively religious)
The RED is drawn from longstanding Faroese tradition, seen in folk attire & crafts, and may allude to vitality or the blood 🩸 of sacrificial traditions in pre-Christian Norse lore (though contemporary views de-emphasize any explicit ties to violence)
The BLUE🔍 Fimbriation represents the surrounding 🌊 Atlantic🔍