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
Figs. 67, 68, 72, and 78 are flags of the London Trained Bands of the year
1643. The different regiments were known by the colour of their flags, thus
Fig. 67 is the flag of the blue regiment, Fig. 68 of the yellow, Fig. 72 of
the green, and Fig. 78 of the yellow regiment auxiliaries. Other flags were
as follows:--white, with red lozenges; green, with golden wavy rays;
orange, with white trefoils; in each case the Cross of St. George being in
the canton. {42} In a list before us of the Edinburgh Trained Bands for
1685 we find that the different bodies are similarly distinguished by
colours.[28]
On the union of the two crowns at the accession of James VI. of Scotland
and I. of England to the English throne, the Cross of St. Andrew, Fig. 92,
was combined with that of St. George.
The Cross of St. Andrew has been held in the same high esteem north of the
Tweed that the Southrons have bestowed on the ensign of St. George. It will
be seen that it is shaped like the letter X. Tradition hath it that the
Saint, deeming it far too great an honour to be crucified as was his Lord,
gained from his persecutors the concession of this variation. It is
legendarily asserted that this form of cross appeared in the sky to
Achaius, King of the Scots, the night before a great battle with
Athelstane, and, being victorious, he went barefoot to the church of St.
Andrew, and vowed to adopt his cross as the national device. The sacred
monogram that replaced the Roman eagles under Constantine, the cross on the
flag of Denmark, the visions of Joan of Arc, and many other suchlike
illustrations, readily occur to one's mind as indicative of the natural
desire to see the potent aid of Heaven visibly manifested in justification
of earthly ambitions, or a celestial support and encouragement in time of
national discomfiture.
Figs. 75 and 76 are examples of the Scottish red and blue ensigns. The
first of these is from a picture at Hampton Court, where a large Scottish
warship is represented as having a flag of this character at the main, and
smaller but similar colours at the other mastheads and on the bowsprit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account