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# Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Flamant – Flying Rod)

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Last modified: 2026-05-16 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- FLAMANT (or FLAMBANT)
- FLAMED (or FLAMING)
- FLAMED GYRONNY
- FLAMES
- FLAMING (FLAMED or FLAMY) SWORD
- FLAMME DE BOEUF
- FLAMME DE FOURRAGÈRE
- FLAMME DE GUERRE
- FLAMMES
- FLAMMULA
- FLAMMULE
- FLAMMULETS
- FLAMMULLY (or FLAMULLY)
- FLANCH (or FLAUNCH)
- FLANCHES (FLAUNCHES or FLANKS)
- FLANK (or FLANKS)
- FLANKED (or FLANKING)
- FLAPPING FLAG
- FLASH COLLAR
- FLEUR-DE-LIS (FLEUR DE LYS or FLOWER-DE-LUCE)
- FLEUR-DE-LIS/FLEUR DE LYS CROSS (or FLEURY CROSS)
- FLEUR-DE-LIS/FLEUR DE LYS FLORENÉE (or FLEUR DE LIS/ FLEUR DE LYS ÉPANOUIE)
- FLEURY (FLORY, FLORETTY or FLORONNY)
- FLEURY CROSS
- FLOATANT
- FLORENTINE FLEUR DE LIS
- FLOTILLA COMMAND PENNANT
- FLÜGER (or FLÜGEL)
- FLY
- FLY-CHEVRON
- FLY-DIAGONAL
- FLY EDGE (or FLY END)
- FLY-TRIANGLE
- FLYING ANGEL FLAG
- FLYING AT THE LEECH
- FLYING AT THE PEAK (or AT THE PEAK OF THE GAFF)
- FLYING LINE
- FLYING ROD

FLAMANT (or FLAMBANT)
  The alternative heraldic terms used to describe burning – flambant – see inflamed and incensed (also mandoria).

  Flag of Ohníč, Czechia; Arms of Ivanska, Croatia; Flag of Belpberg, Switzerland

FLAMED (or FLAMING)
  In heraldry see inflamed and incensed (also flamant).

  Arms and Flag of Il-Kalkara, Malta

FLAMED GYRONNY
  See flammes 1).

  Colour of the Regiment Reding, Spain, c1740

FLAMES
  See flammes, flammulets and wolfteeth.

  Flag of Csepel, Hungary; Military Flag of Glarus, Switzerland; Flag of a General Officer, Austria

FLAMING (FLAMED or FLAMY) SWORD
  The terms for a sword whose blade is either wavy to represent fire, or surrounded by flames, and usually (but not invariably) intended to have religious significance – a flamed or famy sword or a sword flamant.

  Flag of Vracovice, Czechia; Flag of Marmeleira, Portugal; Flag of Obora, Czechia

FLAMME DE BOEUF
  See bullock pennant.

FLAMME DE FOURRAGÈRE
  A "flame of fodder/fodder flame" and the French term for a lanyard pennant.

  Flamme de Fourragère/Lanyard Pennant for Six Citations of the Légion d'Honneur – Overseas Operations, France

FLAMME DE GUERRE
  A "flame of war/war flame", and the French term for a masthead pennant – see masthead pennant 1).

  Flamme de Guerre/Masthead Pennant of France

FLAMMES
  1) The term that is used to describe a series of long wavy-edged (that is flame-like) triangles, which radiate from a central point to the edges of a flag, and historically, a characteristic of Swiss military regiments in foreign service – a gyronny wavy or flamed gyronny – see gyronny (also flammulets, flammully, pile(s) wavy 1), radiating, wavy, and wavy flame).
  2) This term may also be used to describe these same flame-like triangles which extend only to the corner sections of a flag, and typical of historic German military usage – but see pile(s) wavy 1).

  Colours of Swiss Regiment de Reding, British Pre-1801 (Archive of the Colors); East Asian Infantry Regiments Colours, Germany c1900; Military Flag of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

FLAMMULA
  1) A late Roman military flag of elongated shape designed to fly horizontally and split along its entire length.
  2) A pre-heraldic flag cut into the form of a flame (see also flammule).

  Please note, at least one source suggests that flammula 1) might have been two red streamers attached to a lance (see also streamer 1)).

FLAMMULE
  A flame shaped flag edge now characteristic of the Far East, but see also flammulets below, flammula 2) above, and flammully.

  Imperial Standard, China 1872

FLAMMULETS
  1) Specifically in largely Central-European usage, the term for a series of flame-like (that is wavy-edged) triangular charges, that facing both inward and outward, create a repeating pattern of colours and form the border of a flag – usually around four edges, but occasionally along the outer sides or a single edge only (see also flammes, flammule above, flammully, wolfteeth).
  2) Generically as above, but the term may be extended to include a border consisting of triangular charges (either upright or slanted) whose sides are straight – a zigzag border – but see note below.

  Imperial Standard 1828–1894, Austria-Hungary; Royal Standard of Yugoslavia 1925?–1937

  Please note with regard to 2) that the term flammulets should only apply to a border where the triangular charges face both inward and outward, and that where those charges face only inward the correct term is ‘wolfteeth’.

FLAMMULLY (or FLAMULLY)
  A term that may be used when there are a number of flame-like projections from a charge or ordinary, or to describe a border made up of flammulets (see also charge 1), flammes, flammule, rayonny).

  Presidential Standard of Czechoslovakia; Presidential Standard of Czechia

FLANCHE (or FLAUNCH)
  The alternative heraldic terms for a single charge (as opposed to a pair of charges) as detailed in flanches below.

  Arms of Märkisch Buchholz, Germany (source)

FLANCHES (FLAUNCHES or FLANKS)
  Alternative heraldic terms for a pair of usually (but not invariably) curved shoulders on either side of a shield, banner of arms or any quartering thereof – flaunches or flanks (see also flanked).

  Arms of Green-Templeton College, Oxford, UK; Flag of Schönewalde, Germany; Arms of Green College 1979–2008, Oxford, UK

FLANK (or FLANKS)
  1) The terms sometimes used in European heraldic blazoning when a charge touches the (vertical) edge or edges of a shield or banner of arms – a use, as far as has been discovered, unknown in English heraldry – but see 3) below (also blazon).
  2) See flanked.
  3) See flanches (also naissant 2)).

  Flag of Blatten, Switzerland; Flag of Curopos e Vale de Janeiro, Portugal; Flag of Rüthi, Switzerland

FLANKED (or FLANKING)
  Military terms sometimes used in European heraldic blazoning and in vexillology when objects are placed either side of a central charge (see also charge 1)) – but see the note below and accosted.

  Flag of Barosa, Portugal; Flag of Avô, Portugal; Flag of Arca, Portugal

  Please note that English heraldry can use the word "accosted" (as referenced above) to describe the same effect.

FLAPPING FLAG
  An exact translation of the German terms knatterflagge or knatterfahne – but see vertically hoisted flag.

  Flapping/Vertically Hoisted Flag of Sankt Wolfgang, Germany

FLASH COLLAR
  A decorative cover sometimes used at the base of an outdoor flagpole.

FLEUR-DE-LIS (FLEUR DE LYS or FLOWER-DE-LUCE)
  A charge reputedly in the form of a stylized lily, particularly associated with the former Royal House of France but widely used elsewhere – a fleur de lys, flower-de-luce or heraldic lily (see also fleury, fleur de lis florenee, cross fleury, double-tressure).

  Flag of Sveta Marija, Croatia; Royal Banner of France; Flag of Podstrana, Croatia

  Please note that the fleur-de-lis became a symbol of the French monarchy in the early Middle Ages, was amended circa 1350, went out of use after 1792, was restored briefly in 1814, and again between 1815 and 1846.

FLEUR-DE-LIS/FLEUR DE LYS CROSS (or FLEURY CROSS)
  In heraldry see cross fleury.

  Flag of Guriezo, Spain

FLEUR-DE-LIS/FLEUR DE LYS FLORENÉE (or FLEUR DE LIS/ FLEUR DE LYS ÉPANOUIE)
  The terms used in French heraldry to describe a more elaborate form of this symbol than that used in France – a fleur-de-lis épanouie.

  Flag of Gradište, Croatia; Flag of the City of Florence pre-1251, Italy; Flag of Malhadas, Portugal

FLEURY (FLORY, FLORETTY or FLORONNY)
  The alternative heraldic terms used when a charge (or charges) or an ordinary, such as a cross, baton or bar, is (or are) decorated with fleur-de-lis – flory, floretty or floronny (see also batons fleury, cross fleury, double-tressure fleury counter fleury).

  Flag of Brislach, Switzerland; Flag of Jølster, Norway; Royal Banner of Scotland

  Please note that these terms are never used alone, but always with the charge so described – for example batons-fleury as illustrated above.

FLEURY CROSS
  In heraldry see cross fleury.

  Arms and Flag of Batalha, Portugal

FLOATANT
  The heraldic term designed to describe a bird or flag floating in air, but occasionally used to indicate an object appearing without support (see also impending).

  Flag of Eriswil, Switzerland

FLORENTINE FLEUR DE LIS
  See fleur-de-lis/fleur de lys florenée.

  Flag of the City of Florence (variant), Italy

FLOTILLA COMMAND PENNANT
  See command pennant.

  Flotilla Command Pennant, Sweden

FLÜGER (or FLÜGEL)
  The terms in German language vexillology for a wimpel or wimpels that are stiffened with a frame.

  Flüger of the Hamburg Customs Flag (Klaus-Michael Schneider)

FLY
  1) That edge or section of a flag, which lies opposite to (or furthest from) the flagpole, mast or staff (see also Appendix I and hoist).
  2) (v) The act of displaying a flag from a flagpole, flag mast or flag staff (see also wear a flag).
  3) The length of a flag.

FLY-CHEVRON
  See chevron 1).

  Flag of Ureterp, The Netherlands

  Please note that this is an extension of an existing term and has been introduced by the editors as no established alternative could be found.

FLY-DIAGONAL
  1) A direct translation of the Dutch term vluchtdiagonaal – but see bend sinister, per bend sinister, ascending diagonal 2).
  2) See inclined fly.

  Flag of Klobouky u Brna, Czechia; Flag of Poznań County, Poland

FLY EDGE (or FLY END)
  See fly 1).

FLY-TRIANGLE
  See triangle 1).

  Flag of Cercs, Spain

FLYING ANGEL FLAG
  A term for the flag of The Missions to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen), a worldwide missionary and welfare arm of the Anglican Church founded in 1856 (see also bethel flag and church pennant).

  A former design c1950; Flag of Mission to Seafarers, 2000, UK

FLYING AT THE LEECH
  See leech and its following note (also shift colours).

FLYING AT THE PEAK (or AT THE PEAK OF THE GAFF)
  See gaff and shift colours.

FLYING LINE
  A short, weighted length of line that is suspended below a helicopter, other slow moving aircraft or from the forward stumpmast yardarm of a cargo transit vessel on inland waterways, used to fly a banner, flag or house flag and with the weight adjusted to the speed of the craft involved in order to keep it vertical – but see flying rod below (also banner 5), house flag 1)).

  Please note that this term (and flying rod below) has been introduced by the Editors as no existing established term could be found.

FLYING ROD
  A short, removable rod that is vertically mounted above and/or below the yardarm of a stumpmast and which is used for the flying of a house flag or pennant, usually aboard cargo transit craft on inland waterways – but see "flying line" above (also house flag 1) and pennant 2)).

  Please note that this term (and flying line above) has been introduced by the Editors as no existing established term could be found.

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