One of the first true flags was the vexillum carried by Roman cavalry. It was a square piece of fringed cloth hung on a crossbar at the end of a spear. Such a banner could serve as a rallying point for men in battle.
Europeans carried their flags in this manner until the Middle Ages, when they attached their flags to the sides of staffs. The Romans originated the custom of hanging their battle standards in their temples. This practice continued in Christian churches down to modern times.
During the Middle Ages and after the Crusades the first national flags were adopted. Many of the leaders of that time adopted the flag of their patron saint to represent their country. In England, for example, the cross of St. George was adopted in the 13th century. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, flags had become accepted symbols of nations, kings, organizations, cities, and guilds. Guild flags bore obvious devices. For instance, a black flag with three white candles represented the candlemakers of Bayeux, France.
Different shapes of flags: Rectangle, Broad Swallowtail, Short Triangle
Different shapes of flags: Narrow Swallowtail
Different shapes of flags: Square, Long Triangle, Triple Swallowtail
History of Flags
At first, banners were square, and for a time the size of the banner indicated the rank of the owner. Later, flags were longer and narrower, similar in proportion to the present flag of the United States.
International alphabet flags.
Early European flags usually followed the rules of heraldry (see Heraldry). Beginning in the late 1700s, especially in the New World, flags were designed freely with no thought of the rules of heraldry. Flags of special design are used as a method of communication.
References:
MLA Style: "flag." Britannica Student Library. Encyclopædia Britannica Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011.
APA Style: flag. (2011). Britannica Student Library. Encyclopædia Britannica Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.
Europeans carried their flags in this manner until the Middle Ages, when they attached their flags to the sides of staffs. The Romans originated the custom of hanging their battle standards in their temples. This practice continued in Christian churches down to modern times.
During the Middle Ages and after the Crusades the first national flags were adopted. Many of the leaders of that time adopted the flag of their patron saint to represent their country. In England, for example, the cross of St. George was adopted in the 13th century. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, flags had become accepted symbols of nations, kings, organizations, cities, and guilds. Guild flags bore obvious devices. For instance, a black flag with three white candles represented the candlemakers of Bayeux, France.
Different shapes of flags: Rectangle, Broad Swallowtail, Short Triangle
Different shapes of flags: Narrow Swallowtail
Different shapes of flags: Square, Long Triangle, Triple Swallowtail
History of Flags
At first, banners were square, and for a time the size of the banner indicated the rank of the owner. Later, flags were longer and narrower, similar in proportion to the present flag of the United States.
International alphabet flags.
Early European flags usually followed the rules of heraldry (see Heraldry). Beginning in the late 1700s, especially in the New World, flags were designed freely with no thought of the rules of heraldry. Flags of special design are used as a method of communication.
References:
MLA Style: "flag." Britannica Student Library. Encyclopædia Britannica Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011.
APA Style: flag. (2011). Britannica Student Library. Encyclopædia Britannica Student and Home Edition. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.
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