The Official Vexillology Thread

[Target13]

The Official Vexillology Thread of The GTA Forums.

In other words: The Thread of Flags!

What is Vexillology?

Vexillology is the scientific study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum ("flag") and the Greek suffix -logia ("study"). The constitution of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (known by its French acronym, FIAV) formally defines vexillology as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge."

A person who studies flags is a vexillologist; vexillography is the art of designing flags; one who does so is a vexillographer; an admirer of flags is a vexillophile.

Thread Rules
- No fluff content
- Don't Spam
- Keep all conversations flag related only.


Related Links
-Vexillology Subreddit
-Online Flag Waver
-North American Vexillological Association

Have fun!

[Voodoo]

How about starting the discussion with some personal examples of what interests you about the subject? Otherwise, it's just a definition and a bunch of links.

[The Dedito Gae]

The only good flag is a burning flag.

Edited August 28, 2017 by The Deadite

[Target13]

How about starting the discussion with some personal examples of what interests you about the subject? Otherwise, it's just a definition and a bunch of links.

Fair point.

 

While I can't really explain what it is about flags that I enjoy, I would like to start a discussion about the State flags of The United States.

I think we all can agree that a good flag is one that can easily be identified. That's a flag's job.

 

The British and Japanese flags are just a few from many good flags. American state flags however fail to do their job.

Here below is an example of a State flag. If one were to hide the state name on the flag, it would be almost impossible to identify. Seeing as most US states have the same design.

 

 

That was the Flag of Kansas by the way. But without the obvious name on the flag, one wouldn't be able to tell.

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by Target13

[El Dildo]

here's some flag news ripped straight from the headlines.

 

the US state flag of Mississippi still has the Confederate battle insignia stamped in it.

you know, even though they lost the war.

 

people have been petitioning for a change for decades but the referendum has never made it past a vote.

the issue is back in the spotlight since numerous states have now begun to dismantle their Confederate memorials and statues. the last time they tried to change their flag was in 2001 with this proposed design:

 

but long ago - before the Civil War - Mississippi had a completely different design based on the Magnolia tree.

wish they could just go back to this one.

Edited August 29, 2017 by El Diablo

[Target13]

but long ago - before the Civil War - Mississippi had a completely different design based on the Magnolia tree.

wish they could just go back to this one.

Would be nice but the tree has far too many small details imo. I think a simplified tree would be better.

 

Or perhaps one with a tree doesn't look like it was drawn by a 6 year old.

[DOUGL4S1]

Here's one for you Flag lovers, the Alviverde, the Brazilian flag:

The flag is quite tricky to draw because of the constelations and stuff, but overall it's quite interesting.

• The green part of the flag represents the colors of the Dom Pedro I's family, Brazil's first emperor.
• The yellow part represents the colors of Maria Leopoldina's family, Brazil's first empress.
• The blue circle represents Brazil's coat of arms.
• The white band has "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress) written on it.
• The constelation represents the sky over Rio de Janeiro on November 15, 1889, when Brazil was declared an independent republic from Portugal. it is also a mirrored version because it is as if it was seen from above.
• The 27 stars represent the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The stars also have varying sizes based on the state's size.

There are other, simpler theories for the flag's colors. One of the first things you learn about it on school is that the green represents the country's nature and forests, the yellow represents its gold and money and the blue represents its seas or sky.

 

More info on its story and stuff can be seen here, too lazy to make an essay about it.

 

 

And this is the flag of the 'United States of Brazil', used for only 4 days. Can you spot any similarities?

 

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by DOUGL4S1

[The Dedito Gae]

Here's Another flag, the argie flag:

 

 

It's a sky with a burning face in the middle.

The blue stripes represents brown people who think they are white, the white is good beef and meat, and finally: the red part stands for economic stability.

[Femme Fatale]

 

Mexico's flag, I don't know anything about it since I didn't go to school here, lol. But I love that eagle devouring a snake while standing on a cactus, an I like to imagine that the color red represents the blood of our enemies. *cough* Trump *cough*

[ShadowPerson]

Initial meaning:

 

• The green stripe was said to represent Mexico’s independence from Spain.
• The color red indicated the union between the Americas and Europe, as the elite class still identified with its European roots.
• The white color was established to symbolize the purity of the Catholic religion.

 

Today´s meaning:

 

• Green represents hope
• White symbolizes purity
• Red stands for the blood of the heroes who fought for independence*

 

In the center of the middle white stripe is the Coat of Arms, a left-facing eagle. The eagle is perched atop a cactus and has a snake in its beak. Forming a half circle at the bottom are the traditional oak and laurel branches.

 

*Red alsos used to represent (as mentioned above) the blood of our enemies as well the heroes who fought during the Revolution.

[Audi]

The aguila is a reference to the Aztecs and their lore about why they chose the spot they did to build Tenochtitlan (Mexico City now). Can't remember what the green represents, but the white is the purity of the catholic church and red is the blood of all the national heroes.

 

Edit: ninjad lol

Edited August 29, 2017 by Audi

[Femme Fatale]

Oh, it really does represent blood? Lucky guess.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Femme Fatale

[El Dildo]

the color red on almost any flag usually represents blood.

the colors on most flags are usually symbolic.

 

the flag of France, for instance, is the "physical" result of the French revolution.

during the chaos of revolution itself the old white flag of the royal monarchy was burned and tattered with the blood of the tyrants, revealing behind it the hopeful blue sky and the future of France as a democratic nation.

 

 

voila

 

[DerangedCrackhead]

I like the Angolan flag, which I find particularly stylish probably due to the powerful combination of red and black color in addition to the yellow star and a segment of a gear wheel crossed by a machete, in a way that resembles a unique communist sickle and hammer.

- The red stripe, in common with many other flags, represents the blood shed during the colonial opression, the struggle for the independence and the will to defend the country.

- The black stripe symbolizes the black continent, Africa.

- The geared wheel represents the workers and industrial production.

- The machete represents the peasants, the agricultural production and the armed struggle.

- The star represents international solidarity and progress. The yellow color of these three elements mean the wealth of the country.

The flag of Mozambique, adopted in 1983, the only flag to have a modern rifle represented on it.

- The green stripe means the fertility of the land.

- The black one the African continent.

- The yellow one the mineral wealth.

- The narrow white stripes mean peace and justice.

- The red part symbolize the resistance against colonialism and the struggle for the independence of the country.

Now, one the most interesting and beautiful parts of the flag in my opinion, is the open book, which represents the importance of education. The yellow star represents Marxism and internationalism and the hoe the peasantry and agriculture. The rifle with the bayonet represents defence and vigilance, interpreted as the nation's determination to defend its freedom.

The Kalashnikov rifle, arguably the most striking part of the flag, is not free of controversy due to the association with the violent past of Mozambique and thus there have been initiatives to change the design of the flag, none of which seem to have succeded this far.

Nestor Makhnov's Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine, also know as Black Army, had another unconventional flag, composed by a white skull and crossbones overlapped in a black background, color of anarchism. Written on it, the motto of Death (above the skull) to all who stand in the way of freedom for working people (below the skull).

Edited August 29, 2017 by DerangedCrackhead