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Ibestad, Troms (Norway)

image by Tomislav Šipek, 25 February 2017

The Flag
Coat of Arms

See also:

The Flag

Here is flag and coat of arms of Ibestad. Administrative center is Hamnvik.
Source: https://lovdata.no/dokument/OV/forskrift/1986-12-19-2306?q=flagg
http://foto.digitalarkivet.no
Tomislav Šipek, 21 December 2015

Coat of Arms

image by Tomislav Šipek, 21 December 2015

Blazon: I blått et sølv hjulkors med utbøyde armer. English: Azure a cross formy within and conjoined to an annulet argent.
The "cross within and conjoined with an annulet" is an alternative name to a charge named "Norse sun cross" in the S.C.A. heraldry, but since the Norwegian blazon does not refer to it as a sun cross, I also rather used descriptive term in English.
Approved by the royal resolution of 19 December 1986 after a drawing by Steinar Hanssen. [c2j87]
The design reminds of the Ibestad church, built around 1200 as one of the first stone churches in Norway. It was renown as "the northernmost stone church in the world". In 1960's a grave stone was found from the 13th century period with the "wheel cross" that was eventually chosen for the Ibestad arms. The municipal web site explains that such crosses where originally known from Byzantium and they were often used as ornaments in wooden (stav) churches as protection against fire and lightning strikes.
Željko Heimer, 23 December 2015