Last modified: 2019-05-08 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
On this page:
Please note that the above term is often misused, and that a larger ship of this period equipped with fore and aft castles and square sails to its forward masts was almost certainly a “carrack”- see ‘carrack’.
Arms
and Flag of Povoação, Portugal (fotw); Portuguese Caravel c1500 (Wikipedia); Arms
and Flag of
Velas, Portugal (fotw)
Car Flag, Regional President and Ministers, Catalonia, Spain (fotw; Car Flag, Ministers and State Secretaries, Bavaria Germany (fotw); Car Pennant, General officer, Germany 1941– 45 (fotw)
Notes
a) With regard to 1), the practice of flying a car flag or pennant was
previously (usually but not exclusively) limited to that carrying a head of state,
government official or military officer. Whilst these were formerly sometimes flown from
the radiator cap, a car flag is now more usually seen on the right front fender,
wing/mudguard (or often on both front fenders) but there is a suggestion that the two
positions might also previously have indicated differences in the rank of the occupant.
b) With regard to 2), the practice has arisen whereby such flags are available
as sports flags or may also be displayed by a funeral cortege, and that the former are
usually flown from a clip-on, window mounted staff, or from the radio antenna (see also
‘funeral flags’, ‘sports
flag 1)’ and ‘sports flag 2)’ ).
Spanish Carrack c1560 (Wikipedia); Arms and Flag of
Dubrovačko primorje, Croatia (fotw);
Arms and Flag of
Beidenfleth, Germany (fotw & Wikipedia)
Please note, an agreement between the United States and Great Britain in 1813 laid down that the cartel vessels of each country should wear their respective national ensigns at the stern, that both should wear a plain white flag at the fore whilst each should carry their opponent’s ensign at the main, and evidence suggests that this was a confirmation of contemporary (that is early-19th Century) practice (see also ‘fore’ and ‘main’).
Typical Flags flown by a British cartel vessel during the War of 1812 (fotw & CS)
Detail, Spain (CS); A Flag for Generals at Sea 1649 - 1653, England (CS);
Andorra (fotw)
Arms and Flag of Rataje, Czech Republic (fotw)
Flag and Arms of Poltava County, Ukraine (fotw)
Juneteenth flag, US (fotw); Centennial Flag of 1918,
Illinois, US (fotw); 40th Anniversary Flag,
Kings Dominion Amusement Park, Virginia, US (fotw)
Stiùbhart's Pan-Celtic flag, UK (fotw); Flag of the
Church
in Wales (fotw); Flag of the Golden Dawn Movement, Greece (fotw); Flag of the
Parti Nationaliste Français, France (fotw)
Flag of Indiana, US (fotw); Flag of Baška, Croatia (fotw); Flag of
Barbados 1870 – 1966 (fotw)
Flag of Zwolle, The Netherlands (fotw);
Flag of Quebec, Canada (fotw);
Flag of Indianapolis, US (fotw)
Please note that this term does not refer to flags used on parade or those made for indoor display, but to flags and ensigns that are identical with their everyday equivalents except for size and/or care of manufacture (see also ‘parade flag’ and ‘indoor flag’).
National Flag and Ceremonial Banner of Ecuador (fotw); Flag and Ceremonial Flag of Malopolska, Poland (fotw); Flag and Ceremonial Flag of
Albufeira, Portugal (fotw and
Portuguese Wikipedia)
Notes
a) With regard to 1), not to be confused with a “flag of ceremony” (the Spanish bandera
de ceremonia) which is designed for exclusively indoor use – see
‘indoor flag’.
b) With regard to 1), that in East and Central European usage
the ceremonial flag of a community is often created as a unique flag – see
‘unique flag’.
Please note that, as far as can be discovered, Johore, Malaysia is the only country which may currently still use such a flag.
Ceremonial State Ensign, Johore, Malaysia (fotw)
Naval Ensign, UK (fotw); Naval Ensign
South Africa 1952 – 1981 (fotw)
Introduction | Table of Contents | Index of Terms | Previous Page | Next Page