IT HAS been one of Scotland’s most well-known and iconic symbols for centuries.

But Longniddry author and historian Michael Turnbull wants to see celebrations regarding the Saltire based on the belief that its East Lothian battle origins come from a diagonal cross of bright light in the sky and not clouds.

He has conducted extensive research into the Saltire, its East Lothian story, and why it became Scotland’s national flag.

And Dr Turnbull, author of the book St Andrew: Myth, Legend and Reality, hopes that the Saltire’s connections with light can be celebrated through schools, national sports teams, and even potentially through an Angel of the North-style sculpture.

The origin of Scotland’s flag has its roots in East Lothian and the Battle of Athelstaneford in 832AD, when the Pictish king Angus is said to have witnessed an unusual pattern in the sky resembling the diagonal cross of the Saltire.

As the Saltire was the type of cross St Andrew is said to have been crucified on, Angus vowed that if he were victorious St Andrew would become the patron saint of Scotland.

He went on to defeat the Angles in battle, though it was not until centuries later that the St Andrew’s cross would become the flag of Scotland.

But Dr Turnbull believes, along with a number of other historians, that there is a very close parallel between this story and the famous one of the Roman emperor Constantine from the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Rome, in 312AD, which could well have inspired the Athelstaneford legend.

Constantine defeated rival emperor Maxentius in the battle after seeing what he interpreted as the Christian symbol Chi-Rho in the setting sun – the Greek letters Chi and Rho, which look similar to the English letters ‘x’ and ‘p’ respectively but are pronounced instead like a hard ‘ch’ and an ‘r’, represent the first two letters in the Greek alphabet of the word ‘Christ’.

At the time of the battle, Constantine, who had campaigned against the Picts in 306AD with his father, was a worshipper of the Roman sun god, not a Christian, although he became one on his death bed.

A Chi-Rho monogram was adopted on the Roman military flag following the battle, but coins of different Roman emperors show that over time it was gradually simplified until it became a Saltire.

Modern historians believe it is likely that the Battle of Athelstaneford was described in a way that would immediately recall Milvian Bridge – and even the victory of the Israelites over the Egyptians from the Bible.

Though he doesn’t believe the Battle of Athelstaneford itself to be an invention, Dr Turnbull says it is possible that it could, in fact, have been a series of conflicts rather than a single battle.

“The way I see it is that the clerical historians of the eighth and ninth century retold the Scottish conflicts within the framework of the Constantinian narrative to build a powerful foundation legend for the emerging Scottish nation,” he explained.

In addition, there were three kings of Alba and the Scots named after Constantine, which Dr Turnbull also believes suggests a desire to use the battle story and St Andrew as a tool to help unite what was then a divided Scotland.

Although Saint Andrew himself never travelled to Scotland – though some of his bones may have been brought north of the Border – Constantine definitely did, fighting the Picts with his father in 306AD some months before he was acclaimed in York as Emperor by the Roman army.

In addition, Dr Turnbull has found 15th and 16th century texts relating to the Battle of Athelstaneford which state that, in another parallel with Constantine’s vision, the Christian symbol perceived in the sky came from light, not clouds as has often been suggested.

In heraldic terms, the white on the Scottish Saltire is actually a representation of silver, which would also fit the interpretation that it was originally perceived as ‘light’ rather than clouds.

Dr Turnbull now hopes that this light origin can be celebrated.

As a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art, Dr Turnbull has approached several Scottish sporting bodies including the SRU, as well as two well-known designers and two Scottish colleges of art, with ideas.

He has devised a series of art projects for schools on the theme of ‘interpreting the Saltire in the sun visually as a light source or light reflection’.

The art projects would take the form of two-dimensional drawings and paintings, three-dimensional models and sculptures, as well as electronic artworks using photos, computer graphics and film.

Dr Turnbull has also raised the possibility of the Saltire as light being incorporated into Scotland sporting team kits.

He believes the use of reflective, luminescent or iridescent material on sports clothing would catch the light as a player moved and would be both visually attractive and a nod to the Saltire’s origins as the national flag, a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional vision in the sky.

And Dr Turnbull also has hopes that a large-scale sculpture in East Lothian celebrating the Saltire as light could be created and become a tourist attraction.

Anyone interested in helping Dr Turnbull with his ambition can get in touch with him by email at corbie41@hotmail.com