The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and AssociationsHulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward)
History
The Flags of the World: Their History, Blazonry, and Associations
Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward)
Flags
That is to say, there were--in modern English wording--many rich devices
embroidered on silk and satin, many a beautiful pennon fixed on lance, many
a banner displayed. The writer says:--"First, I will tell you of the names
and arms, especially of the banners, if you will listen how." Of these
numerous banners we give some few examples: Fig. 1 belongs to him "who with
a light heart, doing good to all, bore a yellow banner and pennon with a
black saltire engrailed, and is called John Botetourte." Fig. 2 is the
banner of Sire Ralph de Monthermer; Fig. 3 the devices of Touches, "a
knight of good-fame"; while Fig. 4, "the blue with crescents of brilliant
gold," was the flag of William de Ridre. "Sire John de Holderton, who at
all times appears well and promptly in arms," bore No. 6, the fretted
silver on the scarlet field; while Fig. 5 is the cognisance of "Hugh
Bardolph, a man of good appearance, rich, valiant, and courteous." Fig. 7
is the well-known lion of the Percys, and is here the banner of Henri de
Percy; we meet with it again in Fig. 14. Fig. 8 is "the banner of good Hugh
de Courtenay," while Fig. 9 is that of the valiant Aymer de Valence. Fig.
10 bears the barbels of John de Bar, while the last example we need give
(Fig. 11) is the banner of Sire William de Grandison. Of whom gallant,
courteous Englishmen as they were, we can now but say that "they are dust,
their swords are rust," and deny them not the pious hope "their souls are
with the saints, we trust."
The well-known flag (Fig. 44), that everyone recognises as the Royal
Standard, is nevertheless misnamed, as it should undoubtedly be called the
Royal Banner, since it bears the arms of the Sovereign in precisely the
same way that any of our preceding {12} examples bear the arms of the
knights with whom they were associated. A standard, as we shall see
presently, is an entirely different kind of flag; nevertheless, the term
Royal Standard is so firmly established that it is hopeless now to think of
altering it, and as it would be but pedantry to ignore it, and substitute
in its place, whenever we have occasion to refer to it, its proper
title--the Royal Banner--we must, having once made our protest, be content
to let the matter stand. Figs. 22, 43, 44, 194, 226, and 245 are all royal
or imperial banners, but popular usage insists that we shall call them
royal or imperial "standards," so, henceforth, rightly or wrongly, through
our pages standards they must be.
The banners of the Knights of the Garter, richly emblazoned with their
armorial bearings, are suspended over their stalls in St. George's Chapel,
Windsor, while those of the Knights of the Bath are similarly displayed in
the Chapel of Henry VII. in Westminster Abbey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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