Last modified: 2006-04-01 by phil nelson
Keywords: sweden | bohuslan | castle (red) | sword (blue) | lion (blue) |
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![[Flag of Bohuslän]](../images/s/se-bohus.gif)
image by Elias GranqvistSee also:
This is the flag of Bohuslän, a province situated at the west coast of Sweden. Like all other Swedish provinces, Bohuslän has a banner of arms.
When Bohuslän got its arms in 1660, it was simply the same arms as the town Kungälv already had. In the 20th century, however, the arms of Kungälv was changed so that it was more like a medieval seal for that town, and from then on, the two arms (and flags) do not look the same anymore.
The castle in the arms (and flag) is probably put there to represent Bohus fästning, a fort outside Kungälv. The sword and the lion make a difference to the lot of other town arms with forts in them. A lion is also present in the arms of Norway, to which Bohuslän belonged until 1658, but it is not known if there is a connection.
The picture is based on a gif of the county arms from the homepage of the County
of Western Gotaland. The original image was made by artist Vladimir A. Sagerlund.
Elias Granqvist, 27 January 2001
The flag of Kungälv is a banner of the arms which can be seen at
http://www.kungalv.se.
Elias Granqvist, 6 February 2001
Official blazon in Swedish: "I fält av silver en krenelerad röd fästning, försedd med ett krenelerat rött torn och två portar av guld med svarta gångjärn och lås samt åtföljd till höger av ett blått svärd och till vänster av ett mot fästningen upprest blått lejon med tunga, tänder och klor av guld."
Blazoned in English: "Argent, a Castle embatteled Gules with one embatteled Tower
of the same and two doors Or hinged Sable between a Sword point upwards and Lion
rampant holding the Tower both Azure langued and armed Or."
English blazon by Željko Heimer, 5 October 2000