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Satakunta (Finland)

Satakunta, Satakunda

Last modified: 2020-02-15 by christopher oehler
Keywords: finland | satakunta | satakunda | bear (black) | stars: 2 |
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[Flag of Satakunta] image by Christopher Oehler, 12 September 2019

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Blazon

Official blazon in Finnish: "Sini-kultakatkoisessa kilvessä pystyyn kavahtanut musta, punavaruksinen, kruunupäinen karhu, joka pitää kämmenissään hopeista miekkaa; kruunu ja miekan kahva kultaa; saatteena karhun molemmin puolin yläkentässä seitsensakarainen hopeatähti. Kruunu: herttuakunnan kruunu."

Official blazon in Swedish: "I fält delat av blått och guld en upprest, svart björn med krona av guld och röd bevåring, i ramarna hållande ett svärd av silver med fäste av guld samt på vardera sidan i övre fältet åtföljd av en sjuuddig stjärna av silver. Skölden krönes med grevskapets krona."

Blazoned in English: "Per fess azure and or, an upright bear sable, armed and langued gules, ducally crowned or, holding in both paws a sword argent, sword handle or; in the upper field, on each side of the bear, a seven-pointed star argent. The shield's crown is a ducal crown."
English blazon by Lewis A. Nowitz, 15 March 2002

The flag is a banner of the arms; arms granted in 1560.

I have found the actual flag of Satakunta, a region within the Western Finland Province of Finland. It is actually being a swallow-tailed flag.

From the Regional Council of Satakunta’s website, http://www.satakunta.fi/maakuntatunnukset, (translated using the default Google Chrome extension):

"The Satakunta Provincial Flag is the first provincial flag in mainland Finland in 1991. The flag was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Satakunta Provincial Union, the predecessor of the Satakunta Union, and the Provincial Spirit. The triangular flag was designed by artist Reino Niiniranta. The blue-yellow flag has a Satakunta bear with its swords and a crown at its head, guarded by seven-pointed stars.
The bear of Satakunta, a black bear with a crown on it, holding a silver sword in its palms, was first described as a symbol of Satakunta in a coat of arms issued to the Duke of Juhana in 1557. It became officially the province of Satakunta in the 1580s.
The flag day for the Satakunta provincial flag is Oso Day 11.10. The flag celebrates Satakunta, the symbolic bear symbols of Satakunta, and the value and right to use our national flag. The flag can be lifted in the days of joy, celebration and sadness, as Finland has a rather permissive flag culture. The Satakunta regional flag is respected and treated in the same way as the Finnish flag.”

Here are two online sources which support this information:

http://www.satakuntaliitto.fi/maakuntalipputilaus
https://ls24.fi/uutiset/satakunnan-maakuntalipun-liputuspaivaksi-tulee-otson-lippuja-hankitaan-ensi-vuodeksi

The second hyperlink also contains the source of the attached flag itself, the website citing the photo to be from the “Satakunta League” (Satakuntaliitto).


Coat of Arms

[Flag of Satakunta] image by Christopher Oehler, 12 September 2019

Source of Coat of Arms image: http://www.satakuntaliitto.fi/maakuntatunnukset

From the Regional Council of Satakunta’s website
http://www.satakunta.fi/en/provincial-symbols-satakunta (from the hyperlink– in English):

"The provincial coat of arms is the official and most important symbol of Satakunta. The coat of arms of the historical province of Satakunta is included in the coat of arms that Gustav I of Sweden issued to his son John Duke in 1557. The colours of the province, blue and yellow, come from the coat of arms. They became the official colours of Sweden when John Duke became John III of Sweden in 1569.”