History Of The Saltire – Scotland’s National Flag And World’s Oldest Sovereign Flag

AncientPages.com - Most people have seen the Saltire, Scotland's national flag. With its symbol as a diagonal cross, the blue flag is easily recognizable. Not everyone knows the exciting history of the Saltire, the world's oldest sovereign flag.

The history of the Saltire can be traced to an ancient legend and St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.

It is believed that in 832 AD, a Pictish army under King Angus MacFergus, High King of Alba, along with a force of Scots under Eochaidh, King of Dalriada, came up against a Northumbrian force under King Aethelstan of East Anglia in Lothian.

The Pictish army had little chance of winning the battle. Superior numbers surrounded them, and the soldiers prayed for assistance. That night Saint Andrew, who was martyred on a Saltire-shaped cross, appeared to Angus and assured him of victory. The following day something extraordinary happened. When the two forces prepared for the battle, an image of a white cross suddenly appeared in the sky.

The battle site is known as Athelstanford after the Northumbrian leader, who was killed in the battle. The image encouraged the Picts and gave them strength and courage. The Northumbrian army became terrified and fled in panic. From then onwards, the Saltire has been used as Scotland's national flag.

The Saltire is Scotland's national flag

Today, the Saltire is also referred to as St Andrew's cross.  St Andrew was an agile and hardy Galilean fisherman whose name means Strong and had good social skills. He brought the first foreigners to meet Jesus and shamed a large crowd into sharing their food with the people beside them. As one of the disciples of Christ, he became a missionary in Asia and Greece before the Romans crucified him at Patras in 69 AD.

Legend tells that St. Andrew felt unworthy to be crucified on a cross similar to Jesus and demanded to die on an X-shaped cross instead.

St Andrew was a Galilean fisherman - Image via  Saint Andrew

His remains were interred in Constantinople but later removed by St Rule (Saint Regulus or Saint Rule (Old Irish: Riagal), a legendary 4th-century monk or bishop of Patras, Greece, who in AD 345 is said to have fled to Scotland.

St Rule was told to take the remains to the 'ends of the earth' for safekeeping. He removed a tooth, arm bone, kneecap, and some fingers from the tomb and set off for the most remote place he could find. That place was on Scotland's east coast and has become known as St Andrews.

The relics were later destroyed during the Reformation, and most of the other remains were stolen from Constantinople and moved to Amalfi in Italy. Some of these relics finally came to Scotland in 1879 and 1969.

It is the story of how the Saltire became the flag of Scotland.

To have Saint Andrew as Scotland's Patron gave the country several advantages. Since St Andrew was the brother of Saint Peter, founder of the Church, the Scots were able to appeal to the Pope in 1320 (The Declaration of Arbroath) for protection against the attempts of English kings to conquer the Scots.

Traditionally, Scots also claimed that they descended from the Scythians, who lived on the shores of the Black Sea in what is now Romania and Bulgaria and were later converted by Saint Andrew.

The Saltire was an important religious symbol. It was worn by Scottish crusaders to the Holy Land and incorporated into their coats of arms. Many Scottish noble families adopted the Saltire this way; Bruces, Johnstones, Kirkpatrics, and some Norman families.

In the 1707 Act of Union, Scotland and England became the United Kingdom. A new flag was designed that united the crosses of St Andrew and St George.

The memory of St Andrew is still very much alive. Scotland celebrates St Andrew on 30 November every year. St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland for over 1,000 years.

He is also the patron saint of Romania and Russia.

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