History of Flags

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 3, 21 January 1904, Page 15

History of Flags

Mr Edward Hulme, an Englishman of note, has recently issued a book devoted to the history of Hags the world over, and their origin and treatment, giving considerable space to the story of the American flag. First among banners, he says, came the religious banners, such as the labarum of Uonstantme, the banner of Duke William of Normandy, and the onflamme of France. Then came the heraldic devices, and these, m time, -were modified until the modern flag was evolved The standard, Mr. Hulme says, is always a flag of noble dimensions, and the cross of St. Andrew would make a Scottish standard, that of St Patrick an Irish standard, and the lilies of France, and the castle and Jion of Castile and Leon, it placed next the pole with Proper dhisions of colors, would make French and .-Spanish standards. Henry VII. had at Bosworth held at least two standards, both of the Tudor green and white, but one showing a ' red firye dragon,' and the other ' peinted a donne knows.' Mr. Hulme's book is full of interesting bits which the student of history or the lover of bits of general information will enjoy. He runs over the flags of tho various countries of the world, telling all about their origin. The first French flag was blue, believed to be a part of the capo that St. Martin divided with a beggar In time the scarlet flag of St. Denis "ousted the blue Chape de St. Martin, but this went down at Agincourt in 141>5. The lilies of {France weret added to the blucrf flag at a very early date, but Henry 111., who was a Protestant, adopted the Huguenots' white flag and added the banner to that. Both blue and white flags disap-

peared during the Revolution, when the tricolor replaced them, to last until 1815, when the white flag came back. This went down again in 1848, and the returning tri(olor still remains the flag of France without, however^ the Napoleonic bees. The Spanish royal standard is the mosL compile ited. The old Papal States used the yellow and white flag of the kingdom of Jerusalem, which Godfrey of Bouillon is said to have chosen in defiance of the laws of heraldry, that it might be unlike any other banner. He is said to have based his choice on this verse of the Psalms . ' Though ye have lien among the pots, yet ye .shall be as the wings of aftdove rovexed with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.' The Danish flag is the oldest flag in existence ; the United States flag is one of the youngest. The Danish ilag dates back to 1219 or thereabouts, and is said to be due to the fact that King Waldemar of Denmark, in a ciiticdl moment of his career, saw a white cross in the sky The Dutch flag was originally orange, white, and blue, but the orange was changed later to red. As the flag of the Sultan bears his' personal device, it changes with each accession. Mr. Ilulme speaks of flags that ha\e disappeared ; among thorn are those of Tuscany, Naples, the States of the Church, Sardinia, the East India Company, the Russian-American Company, and the Fornian Islands. The Hag of Alaska he thinks might be revived, though in a modified form. This Hag, which was given away to the stars and stripes, was also of red, white, and blue, showing the Russian eagle.