Heraldry/Vexillology Thread

[Mogensthegreat]

The practices of heraldry and vexillology are certainly ancient and, for the right people, fascinating topics. The shared terminology of heraldry/vexillology and the way that different designs are described certainly can be painstaking to learn, but rewarding to know when studying or discussing the topic. Also, the legends behind the origins of flags are hilarious and ridiculous. The notable exception being the legendary origin of the Dannebrog, which is truly a sign from God that the Danes are meant to be victorious against all foes.

 

Beautiful Flag

 

Horrid, Discusting Rag

[Sturgeon]

Truly, thou art thy brother's brother.

By which I mean you have the same strain of crippling autism.

[Priory_of_Sion]

Truly, thou art thy brother's brother.

By which I mean you have the same strain of crippling autism.

We all have it, just thankfully we aren't Tied-level autism. 

 

Hawaii is the worst flag:

[xthetenth]

We all have it, just thankfully we aren't Tied-level autism. 

 

Hawaii is the worst flag:

 

No, all the states that just decided to say fuck it and put the state crest on a blue field and then had to put the damn state name on the thing because it wasn't clear are the worst.

 

And then there's this that excelled even that ignoble tradition:

 

By way of apology look up Zheleznogorsk's flag. You're welcome.

[Priory_of_Sion]

Thankfully I'm not old enough to remember Georgia's state flag being that horrid. 

 

Georgia: "We need a flag that just a "fuck you" to civil rights, but still respects our states rights"

 

Flag designers: *draws shit rag*

 

Georgia: "That'll do pig, that'll do."

[Sturgeon]

The Maryland flag is, appropriately enough, one that fits into both the "flag" and "heraldry" categories:

 

 

I personally really like it, but I know some folks hate it.

[Donward]

You shouldn't have to wonder whether your flag is some obscure Nascar caution flag.

Of course my flag just has a picture of Washington on it.

[Vanagandr]

I learned recently that my family has a coat of arms granted in the 1500s in the HRE. 

*Does the "I'm a noble and you're all dirty peasants dance"*

[xthetenth]

I learned recently that my family has a coat of arms granted in the 1500s in the HRE. 

*Does the "I'm a noble and you're all dirty peasants dance"*

 

My Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a Prussian general back when all of them were Junkers, and my Grandmother's side has a coat of arms too (Both dad's side, don't know about mom's).

[Mogensthegreat]

I learned recently that my family has a coat of arms granted in the 1500s in the HRE. 

*Does the "I'm a noble and you're all dirty peasants dance"*

 

I can't find any history on it, but following traditional Danish heraldic design, my family crest is simple "Sølv og skaktavl rød", or white and red checkered.

[Tied]

We all have it, just thankfully we aren't Tied-level autism. 

 

 

 

 

its being injected into your schools

[CrashbotUS]

You already have the raven banner. 

 

 

 

 

[Walter_Sobchak]

I rather like the flag of my home state of Michigan, but it appears experts in these matters are less impressed with it.

 

The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), in its 2001 survey of U.S. state, US Territory and Canadian provincial flags rated the current Michigan flag 59th out of 72 flags evaluated; it was given an average score of just 3.46 out of a possible 10 points.

 

[xthetenth]

Words on flags are like words on political cartoons. The entire point is to make a symbolic representation of something, and labels indicate failure.

 

Hilariously considering the flags on display that they made, all the flags they picked as being good are actually great.

 

 

This is a correct choice for the best flag in the US. It's distinctive as hell and does a great job of being a symbolic representation of the state.

[LostCosmonaut]

Alaska's is also pretty good, as is the Texas flag.

[Sturgeon]

Words on flags are like words on political cartoons. The entire point is to make a symbolic representation of something, and labels indicate failure.

Hilariously considering the flags on display that they made, all the flags they picked as being good are actually great.

This is a correct choice for the best flag in the US. It's distinctive as hell and does a great job of being a symbolic representation of the state.

 

I agree. "Goatse squared" really captures the true spirit of New Mexico.

[SergeantMatt]

My state, Rhode Island, ran this flag from 1882-1897:

:

Then switched to the current one:

 

Definitely a distinct downgrade in quality.

[CrashbotUS]

We should have used this one. 

 

[Vanagandr]

So interesting thing; if you were not aware, this

is not the flag of the Confederate States of America. If you ever feel the need to antagonize country posers in uselessly large trucks with massive smokestacks and shit, let them know that what they have plastered on their cab's rear window is not actually the flag of the CSA, and is instead the navy jack of the CSA, and then feel free to let them know that they don't know shit about the rebellion they claim to represent.

[Sturgeon]

So interesting thing; if you were not aware, this

is not the flag of the Confederate States of America. If you ever feel the need to antagonize country posers in uselessly large trucks with massive smokestacks and shit, let them know that what they have plastered on their cab's rear window is not actually the flag of the CSA, and is instead the navy jack of the CSA, and then feel free to let them know that they don't know shit about the rebellion they claim to represent.

Be careful, though, because if you pester the wrong redneck, they'll point out that your argument is semantic only (that flag is not officially titled the "Confederate Flag", but it was the flag many Confederates fought under, and oh by the way it's not the Navy Jack, either, as that flag has a lighter blue saltire), and show you pictures on their phone of period engravings of Confederate soldiers with 2:3 aspect ratio dark blue saltire battle flags.

Then you'd feel right foolish.

[Donward]

Oooo...

There hasn't been a burn like that since Sherman went through Georgia.

[Vanagandr]

Trusting google to find the correct flag when I type in "Confederate Navy Jack" is a mistake. Lee used it as a battle flag I though, but I was pretty sure it was only a square version of the linked flag, and not the rectangular version. It's totally semantics, but the goal isn't to win in high school debate club, it's to antagonize people. A more purist thing to do might be to bait them into calling that flag the "Stars and Bars" and then correct them on it but showing off your superior flag knowledge still isn't functional as an argument.

[T___A]

Blood Stained Banner still superior to the stars and bars.

 

Meanwhile the flag of River Gee County in Liberia is still undisputably the worst:

 

[Priory_of_Sion]

Isle of Man has a pretty cool flag. I don't know why 3 legs represents the Manx people, but it is thought to do something with relations to Sicily(which has a similar, but less awesome flag) back in the 1200s. 

[Sturgeon]

Trusting google to find the correct flag when I type in "Confederate Navy Jack" is a mistake. Lee used it as a battle flag I though, but I was pretty sure it was only a square version of the linked flag, and not the rectangular version. It's totally semantics, but the goal isn't to win in high school debate club, it's to antagonize people. A more purist thing to do might be to bait them into calling that flag the "Stars and Bars" and then correct them on it but showing off your superior flag knowledge still isn't functional as an argument.

 

Both the square and 2:3 ratio flag were used, and the 2:3 ratio flag turns up almost exclusively in Confederate veteran reunion and remembrance photos:

1875:

 

1917, with what I reckon is a period flag:

 

 

Ft. McAllister battle flag:

 

A reunion, I think in 1909:

 

Battle of Franklin, illustration from 1891:

 

Illustration from 1896:

 

Flag of the 65th Regiment, Georgia Infantry:

 

Battle flag of the 41st Regiment, Georgia Infantry:

 

 

So, what's very clear is that the 2:3 aspect ratio battle flag was used during the war along with a zillion other flags, but immediately after the war it skyrockets in popularity as a unified symbol of the Confederacy. And why not? It's a distinctive, powerful looking symbol, more aesthetically pleasing for example than the US flag proper.