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# Dictionary of Vexillology: S (Snakehead Cross – Spur Rowel)

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Last modified: 2026-04-18 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- SNAKEHEAD CROSS
- SOLAR DISC (or DISK)
- SOLAR SIGN (or EMBLEM)
- SONS IN SERVICE FLAG
- SOUTHERN CROSS
- SOUTH-EAST DIAGONAL
- SOUTH-NORTH DIAGONAL
- SOUVENIR FLAGS (or PENNANTS)
- SOVEREIGN'S BANNER
- SOVEREIGN'S COLOUR (or COLOR)
- SOVEREIGN'S STANDARD
- SPANISH-STYLE (SPANISH-SHAPED or SPANISH) SHIELD
- SPANISH-STYLE TRIBAND (or SPANISH TRIBAND)
- SPECIAL BATTLE EFFICIENCY PENNANT
- SPECIFICATION (or SPEC)
- SPECIFICATION SHEET (or SPEC SHEET)
- SPECULATIVE FLAG (SPECULATIVE DESIGN or SPECULATION)
- SPINNING SHUTTLE
- SPINNING WHEEL
- SPIRAL DECORATION
- SPLICE
- SPLIT FLAG
- SPLITFLAG (or SPLITTFLAG)
- SPORTING BANNER
- SPORT SUPPORTER'S FLAG/PENNANT
- SPORTS (or SPORTING) FLAG (or PENNANT)
- SPURIOUS FLAG
- SPUR ROWEL (or SPUR WHEEL)

SNAKEHEAD CROSS
  A term that may be used for that variation of a cross moline where the curved pieces at the ends are each formed by the head of a snake – a cross gringolée – but see cross moline (also cross 2)).

  Flag of Munstergeleen, The Netherlands; Former Flag of Sittard, The Netherlands; Flag of Schinnen, The Netherlands

SOLAR DISC (or DISK)
  See disc.

  National Flag of Laos

SOLAR SIGN (or EMBLEM)
  In largely East European and West Asian usage, a stylized emblem (of varying design) that symbolizes an ancient or ancestral veneration of the sun – but see note below (also emblem 1)).

  Flag of Ingushetia, Russia; Flag of the Khakass people; Flag of Nazranovsky District, Ingushetia

  Please note that the solar sign is not a stylized representation of the sun itself, but refers rather to its veneration or worship – see sun emblem.

SONS OF SERVICE FLAG
  See service flag 4).

  Sons in Service Flags, US; Service Flag, Canada

SOUTHERN CROSS
  1) A stylized representation of the constellation Crux Australis, and used as a symbol on flags in the Southern Hemisphere – as on those of, for example, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa.
  2) A colloquial name for the saltire as used by the Confederate States of America on its battle flag, second naval jack and later national flags (see also battle flag 1) stainless banner and stars and bars).

  National Flag of Samoa; Second Naval Jack 1863–1865, CSA; Civil Ensign of New Zealand

SOUTH-EAST DIAGONAL
  A diagonal stripe that runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly whose corners may (or may not) touch the corners of the flag, but whose width is contained within the length of the flag at the hoist and its width at the fly (see also Appendix XI, ascending diagonal, descending diagonal, east-west diagonal, north-east diagonal, north-south diagonal, south-north diagonal, west-north diagonal, west-east diagonal, and west-south diagonal).

  Flag of Motuca, Brazil; Flag of Běštín, Czechia

  Please note that this term, whilst an extension of those existing and established, has been introduced by the editors.

SOUTH-NORTH DIAGONAL
  A diagonal stripe that runs from the lower hoist to the upper fly whose corners may or may not touch the corners of the flag but whose width is entirely contained within the length of the flag – an enhanced bend sinister – see bend and Appendix IX ascending diagonal, descending diagonal, east-west diagonal, north-east diagonal, north-south diagonal, south-east diagonal, west-east diagonal, west-north diagonal, and west-south diagonal).

  National Flag of The Congo; Flag of Amhara, Ethiopia

SOUVENIR FLAGS (or PENNANTS)
  1) Flags sold as a memento of those locales which do have an official design (see also sub-national flag).
  2) A generic term for flags or pennants exchanged during sporting matches by the captains of the contending teams – a flag exchange (see also club pennant, sports flag 1) and sports flag 2)).
  3) Burgees presented to a club by visiting yachts, or collected by such visitors for display at their home port (see also burgee 1) and club pennant).
  4) See brag flags.
  5) See commemorative flag.
  6) Small flags or pennants sold (or issued) to school children and/or street-lining spectators for the purpose of waving at visiting dignitaries – usually in honour of a specific event (see also handwaver).

  Souvenir Flag of the Distrito Federal, Mexico; Flag of Crystal Palace FC, UK; Burgee of the Aeolian Yacht Club, US

  Please note however, it is strongly suggested that the types of flag given in 2) above are better defined by their type and/or circumstances of presentation, and that the more precise terms (as listed separately herein) are to be preferred in description.

SOVEREIGN'S BANNER
  1) In British Army usage the ceremonial flag (equivalent to a military colour or guidon) of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (see also banner 6), colour 2), colours 2) and guidon 2)).
  2) In Australian military usage the term given to a special ceremonial flag presented to a military organization by the Sovereign in place of or in addition to colours (see also banner 6), colour 2) and colours 2)).

SOVEREIGN'S COLOUR (or COLOR)
  See colours 2).

  King’s Colour Infantry of the Royal Guard 1704, Spain; Queen’s Colour of the Chasseurs Isabel II c1840, Spain

SOVEREIGN'S STANDARD
  1) Specifically in British military usage, that flag carried as a special mark of distinction by the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals – the Household Cavalry (see also union standard and standard 2)).
  2) Generically see royal standard 1).

  Sovereign's Standard of the Blues and Royals, UK (Graham Bartram)

SPANISH-STYLE (SPANISH-SHAPED or SPANISH) SHIELD
  The alternative terms sometimes used to describe a round-bottomed shield – a Spanish, Spanish-shaped, Iberian or round-bottomed shield (see also French shield, Gothic shield with its following note, Italian shield, rectangular shield, round-bottomed shield 2) semi-circular shield, shield 2) and triarched triangular shield).

  Flag of Antunovac, Croatia; National Arms of Spain; Flag of Drniš, Croatia

SPANISH-STYLE TRIBAND (or SPANISH TRIBAND)
  The alternative terms sometimes used for a horizontal triband, either plain or defaced, with vertical proportions of 1-2-1 – a Spanish triband (see also defaced 1), internal proportions, plain 2), triband 1) and unequal triband).

  Flag of French Polynesia; Civil Flag/Ensign of Spain; National Flag of Lebanon

SPECIAL BATTLE EFFICIENCY PENNANT
  1) See battle efficiency pennant.

  Special Battle Efficiency Pennant, USN

SPECIFICATION (or SPEC)
  1) The detailed description, either by diagram or in writing, of how the design of a flag is constructed see specification sheet below (also dimensions, proportions and type flag).
  2) The act of drawing up such design details.

SPECIFICATION SHEET (or SPEC SHEET)
  The detailed visual presentation of how the design of a flag is constructed, usually showing construction lines and figures and often including the source or sources of any such information – a construction sheet (see also de jure, dimensions, flag law, proportions, specification above and type flag).

  Specification sheet for the National Flag of Bahrain

SPECULATIVE FLAG (SPECULATIVE DESIGN or SPECULATION)
  Alternative terms for the image of a flag, or details of a flag’s design/use, for which no exact details are known or can be confirmed – a speculative design or speculation – but see reconstruction.

  Speculative Banner of Arms of Għawdex, Malta; Speculative State Flag of East Prussia 1882–1935

SPECULATIVE VEXILLOLOGY
  The study of flags as defined in speculative flag above.

  Speculative image of a Naval Ensign c1620, England

SPINNING SHUTTLE
  An incorrect term for weaver's shuttle.

  Flag of Ozorków, Poland

SPINNING WHEEL
  A treadle operated device for spinning flax into yarn for hand weaving (see also weaver's shuttle).

  Former flag of Canidelo, Portugal; Flag of Kåfjord, Norway; Flag of Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont, Canada

SPIRAL DECORATION
  A term for the practice, now increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete, of decorating a flag pole or the staff of a parade flag or military colour with a spiral decoration, usually in the national or livery colours and often accompanied by a cravat (see also colour 2), colour 3), cravat 1), livery colours and parade flag).

  State Flag of San Marino (fotw & CS); National Flag of Brazil on a Military Flagpole (fotw & CS)

SPLICE
  1) A naval term for the joint in two pieces of line, halyard or cable, and created by weaving the strands into each other (see also eye splice).
  2) (v) The act of creating a joint as detailed above.

SPLIT FLAG
  An Anglicization of the Scandinavian terms splitflag or splittflag – see "splitflag" (below).

  Flag of the Regent 1941–1944, Iceland

SPLITFLAG (or SPLITTFLAG)
  1) A term that may be officially used to describe the shape of the Danish state flag/naval ensign and of its variants (see also dannebrog, double-pointed and Scandinavian cross).
  2) A term that may also be used in other Scandinavian countries (particularly Norway with the alternative spelling given above) in place of double pointed, swallow-tail(ed) or swallow tail and tongue.

  State Flag/Naval Ensign of Denmark; Variant Flag of Danish railways; State/War Flag of Norway

SPORTING BANNER
  See banner 3).

SPORT SUPPORTER'S FLAG/PENNANT
  See sports flag 2).

  Flag of Northern Ireland Football Supporters, UK

SPORTS (or SPORTING) FLAG (or PENNANT)
  1) A flag – often the appropriate national or provincial flag – bearing (or defaced with) the name of a sporting club or related slogan – but see the note below (also car flag 2), defaced and souvenir flag 1)).
  2) A flag or pennant, usually in the club or school colours, bearing an emblem (and often associated lettering) that represents a sporting club or school team – a sport supporter's or supporters flag/pennant or a fan's flag/pennant (see also car flag 2), institutional flags/pennants and souvenir flag).
  3) The flag of a national or international sporting organization (see also international flag(s) 2)).
  4) One of a varied number of flags that are used to regulate or to assist in running a sporting activity – for example, the chequered flag in motor racing.

  Flags of: Football Federation of Chile; Ukrainian Association of Football; Football Association of Norway

  Please note with regard to 1) that in some countries the practice of defacing a national or sub-national flag as described above is either discouraged or is illegal, but continues to be employed by sports fans regardless.

SPURIOUS FLAG
  See fictitious flag.

  Spurious Flag of French Morocco from the film Casablanca

SPUR ROWEL (or SPUR WHEEL)
  In heraldry see rowel.

  Flag and Arms of Severin, Croatia

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