The Swedish saying “Kärt barn har många namn” (“A beloved child has many names”) could be turned around to “A beloved name is used for many children.” That is certainly the case for the name, or rather symbol, “Tre Kronor,” which means “Three Crowns.” What other name could you find that is used for so many vastly different phenomena as an ice hockey team, a tall ship, a soap opera, a restaurant, a former royal castle and much more? The only common denominator is that it has something to do with being Swedish or of Swedish origin. Of course, we also have Three Crowns safety reflectors in our Globetrotter Collection!
History of “Three Crowns”
“Tre Kronor” is one of the oldest national symbols that is still in use. It was first used in the seal of the Swedish king in 11th century and became a more common symbol for the kingdom of Sweden over the next hundred years. At that time, the three wise men were popular as patron saints. Pilgrimages were frequent to the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, where the Shrine of the Three Kings was kept and said to contain their bones. The greater and lesser coats of arms are still used by the royal family as well as government officials.
“Three Crowns” Design Still Popular
Spending some time in Sweden this summer, we noticed quite a few people wearing T-shirts with various three crowns designs. We picked up the pajamas shirt (photo above) at a Kappahl store.
If you are more curious or hungry, follow some of the links above. If not, just enjoy the cheerful design on some fashion forward clothes and accessories! We have found a few shirts with some interesting crossover between Swedish and American style available here in the US: a baseball shirt with “Tre Kronor” and a T-shirt with three monkeys wearing crowns 😉 .