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Vexillology Ireland: Brateolaíocht Éireann

VIBE Autumn Newsletter 2015

Welcome to Vexillology Ireland’s Autumn Newsletter!

It has been almost a year since we published our last newsletter. We

have decided to turn VIBE into a quarterly publication and publish

every season. Therefore, as in the great work of Antonio Vivaldi, you

can expect the Four Seasons from us! This edition will focus on the

events and initiatives that the society has been involved in during

2015 and provide you with a great collection of flag knowledge.

In many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, November is the best month to enjoy what autumn (fall) is famous

for – the falling of leaves. In Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Czech and Croatian, the word for ‘November’ is listopad,

which literally means “leaf fall”. For that reason, it is very fitting that we place Canada’s maple leaf on our society’s

flag for this autumn issue.

Flagging Ireland

In August as part of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, Vexillology Ireland published the

long awaited ‘Flagging Ireland’. The 52-page full colour publication was edited by Stan

Zamyatin, the CEO, of Vexillology Ireland and includes contributions by vexillologists such

as Graham Bartram, Philip Tibbetts, Ted Kaye and Charles A. Spain, Jr. Like so many of

the Society’s other initiatives, this is Ireland’s first guidebook on flags. It explores the

cultural meaning and heritage associated with flags and emblems in Ireland, north and

south. It is intended for use by schools, colleges, sporting clubs and local communities to

assist them in the design, manufacture and use of flags. The guide takes the reader

through the steps to create a wonderfully vibrant and visible representation of the

unique local identities of communities and groups. The price of the book is €10 + €2 p&p.

International Congress of Vexillology, Sydney, Australia

Once again the society represented Ireland at a major international conference, this time it was at the 26th

International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) in Sydney, Australia, from August 31st to September 4th 2015. The

Congress consisted of presentations of papers, the FIAV General Assembly, flag-related tours, social events and

meetings. The event provided plenty of opportunities for the 74 vexillologists in attendance to socialize and network

amongst each other. Due to the distance and the costs involved, Stan was only able to travel alone, nevertheless, he

thoroughly enjoyed the trip and opportunity to fly the flag for the society, as well as Ireland.

ISBN 2009-6437

Vol. 1 No. 2

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During the event, over seventy information packs were distributed to all the delegates of the congress that

contained a copy of ‘Flagging Ireland’. A stall was set up that included information on Genealogy, Dun Laoghaire and

displayed items from the 2014 ‘Flagscapes Exhibition’ that was held in the National Maritime Museum of Ireland.

Throughout the week, different papers were delivered by the delegates on various themes dealing with vexillology.

The first day covered the theme of “understanding history through flags”. On the day, Stan gave a paper entitled

‘Flagscapes’ which dealt with the connection between flags and landscapes and how they have both contributed to

the development of national identities throughout history, especially during the Romantic period. The programme

ended with a final banquet at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, where awards were given out. After the

dinner, the Genealogical Society of Ireland (GSI) finally received the certificate of admission into FIAV.

ICV 29th Congress 2021 Bid

During the 24th FIAV General Assembly an ‘unofficial’ bid to host the International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) in

Dun Laoghaire in 2021 was made. The only competition was Ljubljana, Slovenia, however, the bidding went very well

and we are still confident that when the formal bid is presented in London in 2017, Ireland should win through.

Hopefully there will be a number of Irish delegates present at the event that will take place across the Irish Sea in

less than two years. Here is an extract from the speech that was delivered during the bid:

“…2021 will be a very important year for Ireland and indeed Northern Ireland, as it will mark the centenary of the

Partition of Ireland into North and South. Under Britain's Government of Ireland Act 1920, Ireland became partitioned

into two autonomous regions on May 3rd 1921. A few months later, on July 11th 1921, a Truce was declared with the

British in the Irish War of Independence which eventually produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6th 1921 and

the establishment of the Irish Free State as a dominion but also as a newly independent nation in 1922.

In recognition of the potential for the development of cross-border initiatives we have come together with Dr.

Dominic Bryan, the Director of Irish Studies at Queen’s University in Belfast, who has researched, lectured and

published on the flying of flags in Northern Ireland for many years. Our hope is to create a somewhat joint event that

would foster reconciliation between the North and the South and build cross-community and cross-border relations.

Naturally, we would host the Congress in the beautiful suburb of Dún Laoghaire, south of Dublin city, where our

society is located and the host to Bratacha 2013 – Ireland’s first ever ‘Festival of Flags and Emblems’…”

Ireland Flag Day

During the congress in Sydney, one participant from each country took part in the Australian National Flag Day (3

September) ceremony that was organized in the centre of Sydney. Commenting on the event, Stan said: “I was very

proud and happy to represent Ireland and to fly our national flag. I was so moved by the ceremony that I got the

desire to push for our own National Flag day back at home in Ireland”.

This is why Vexillology Ireland has now launched a campaign to

create a ‘Flag Day’ for Ireland on 7 March. Officially it would be

known as the ‘Irish National Flag Day’ and it would celebrate

the first time the Irish tricolour was flown on 7 March 1848 by

Thomas Francis Meagher at the Wolfe Tone Club in Waterford

City. This idea is already gathering support amongst our

Teachtaí Dála (MPs) and Senators. The focus on the National

Flag in the events commemorating the centenary of the 1916

Easter Rising would most certainly highlight the need for an

annual ’National Flag Day’.

Every year the National flag is flown from all State buildings throughout the country on four days: St. Patrick’s Day,

Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and the National Day of Commemoration. The Irish National Flag Day would become

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the fifth day and encourage all Irish citizens to fly or display the Irish tricolour in any way they can. The day would

serve to promote pride and respect for the national flag and encourage everyone to learn the history, meaning and

the proper use of it. Due the closeness of the day to St. Patrick’s Day, the two days could be combined, allowing the

Irish tricolour to fly for a longer period.

The Irish tricolour stands for much more than peace between Catholics and

Protestants, it also symbolises the general peace amongst all people of

different religious, political and social backgrounds. The flag reflects today’s

diverse society and promotes interculturalism through mutual respect and

understanding. Flags serve as uniting symbols for people to recognize and

unite under, based on shared beliefs and values. Thomas Francis Meagher said

it himself: “A national flag is the most sacred thing a nation can possess”.

Many countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Georgia and Russia have their own flag days. A National Flag Day

in Ireland is the least that our national flag deserves.

Brigid’s Cross Flag

St. Brigid’s Cross is an ancient Irish symbol that is unique to Ireland. Almost every Irish person is familiar with the

symbol and has at least once undertaken the traditional craft of making the cross out of rushes or straw for the feast

day of St. Brigid on 1 February. This day has been traditionally celebrated as the

arrival of early spring and new life. This is why Brigid was considered to be a fertility

goddess in pre-Christian Ireland. She represented the coming of warmer days and was

also seen as a fire goddess. Today she is considered to be one of the three Irish patron

saints along with St. Patrick and St. Columba and is the only female amongst them.

St. Brigid’s Cross is sold in Irish souvenir shops and can still be found in many Irish

homes. Despite this, the cross is seldom used as a symbol and is almost non-existent

on flags. Here are the few examples that exist:

Notably, St. Brigid’s Cross was used in the logo of Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE), Ireland’s national public

service broadcaster, from 1961 to 1995. Throughout these years, the logo was changed a number of times

while still keeping the cross. The blue logo (below) was used between 1969 and 1986.

St. Brigid is associated with the county and town of Kildare where she founded a monastery in the 5th

century. The coat of arms of Kildare County Council were granted in 1991 and incorporated St. Brigid’s cross

in the design, including recent logo that is illustrated below.

The Louth GAA team displays a St. Brigid’s Cross on its crest and can be found on some Louth GAA flags.

Although unintentionally, the flag of Portland uses what can be described as the cross of St. Brigid.

Vexillology Ireland has launched a campaign to promote the use of St. Brigid’s Cross in the design of flags and

emblems in Ireland and the world. There are categories of flags such as Cross, St. Andrew’s Cross (Saltire) and

Scandinavian Cross. It is only our hope that one day we shall see a category of ‘Brigid’s Cross’. Check out our video

‘Brigid’s Cross Flag’ on YouTube and please like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/brigidscrossflag/.

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Connecting symbolism in the Baltic region through flags and emblems

The Baltic Sea has for a long time acted as a transit for travel, trade and invasion. The region contains a diverse

multitude of linguistic, cultural and historical ties that can be discovered on many levels. This piece looks at the

interconnecting symbols between the different countries in the Baltic Sea region through flags and emblems.

Denmark

Denmark is considered by many to have the oldest national flag in the world. Legend has it, that when the Danish

King Valdemar II was invading what is now northern Estonia, a blood-red flag with a white cross appeared from the

sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (near modern Tallinn) in 1219. The victory in the battle is celebrated with the

flying of Danish flags each year in Denmark on 15 June, which is known as Valdemarsdag (Valdemar’s Day). The off-

centred cross on the Danish flag has been a great inspiration, especially in northern Europe, and has in turn created a

category of flags known as the Scandinavian or Nordic Cross.

It is interesting to note that Estonians consider themselves to be Nordic rather than Baltic, due to their Danish,

Swedish and Finnish historical, linguistic and cultural ties. Along with changing the name from Estonia to ‘Estland’,

which is the name of the country in most Germanic languages, there have been attempts to adopt an Estonian

Nordic cross flag. The image above shows a proposal from 1919, a year after Estonia got its independence.

Norway

The Norwegian national flag was designed in 1821, seven years after Denmark was forced to cede Norway to

Sweden with the Treaty of Kiel (1814) during the Napoleonic Wars. Ruled by Denmark since 1397, the long history

between the two countries is reflected not only in the similarity between Danish and Norwegian Bokmål, but also

between the two national

flags. The flag of Norway

was based on that of

Denmark, with the

incorporation of blue in

order to show the

influence of the American

and French Revolutions on

the Norwegian people.

It is interesting to note that for a short period in 1814, the war flag of Norway was a Danish flag with the Norwegian

lion in the canton (top right). This flag was then replaced by a Swedish-Norwegian union flags (top left), until the

Norwegian flag law of 1898 abolished the union mark from the merchant and state flags. The flag became the

official national flag when Norway became independent from Sweden in 1905.

Sweden

The Swedish national flag has been used in a similar form for over 400 years, however, it was only officially adopted

in 1906, a year after the dissolution of the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. The flag is believed to be based

on that of Denmark, with the colours coming from the Swedish coat of arms, which originates in the 14th century.

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Until 1983, the 6 June was celebrated as Svenska flaggans dag (Swedish Flag Day) after which it became the Sveriges

nationaldag (Swedish National Day). On 6 June, 1523, the famous Gustav Vasa was elected as king and subsequently

laid the foundations for an independent Sweden by seceding from the Danish controlled Kalmar Union (1397-1523).

The painting below is The Entry of King Gustav Vasa of Sweden into Stockholm (1523) by Carl Larsson and shows the

triumphant king entering the city after successfully ousting the Danish King Christian II.

One of the oldest

known images of the

Swedish national flag

is found on the tomb

of Gustav Vasa in

Uppsala Cathedral.

Completed in 1583, it

is decorated with

many coat of arms, including that of Finland Proper (top left), a historical province in south-western Finland around

Turku (Åbo), the oldest city and the original capital of Finland. The coat of arms was introduced in 1556 when John

III, second son of Gustav Vasa, was made Duke of Finland.

Finland

The coat of arms Finland was first documented on a banner in 1560, during the funeral of Swedish King Gustav Vasa.

The oldest known image of the arms appears on his tomb in Uppsala Cathedral (below left). It is believed that the

lion comes from the coat of arms of the House of Bjelbo, a Swedish family whose arms is incorporated into the royal

arms of Sweden. The two swords are taken from the coat of arms of Karelia, which was also first documented during

the funeral of Gustava Vasa. The Russian sabre below the lion is a reference to the many wars that were fought

between Russia and Sweden in the area around Karelia.

Before 1809 the Finnish coat of

arms represented all Swedish land

to the east of the Gulf of Bothnia.

After the Russian-Swedish War

(1808-09) when Finland ceded to

Russia, it came to represent the

Grand Duchy of Finland, an

autonomous part of the Russian

Empire.

The modern Finnish flag was first used by Nyländska Jaktklubben, a yacht club founded in Helsinki in 1861. It

featured the arms of the local district Uusimaa in the canton and was based on that of the Neva Yacht Club in St.

Petersburg. The flag was officially adopted in 1918, when Finland became independent after the 1917 October

Revolution. The image on the top right depicts the Finnish state flag whose newest version was adopted in 1978.

Estonia

The Estonian coat of arms comes from the arms of the Valdemar II, the Danish king who invaded the northern part

of Estonia as part of a Crusade in order to Christianize the pagan inhabitants. He defeated the Estonians at the Battle

of Lindanise (near Tallinn) in 1219 and made Tallinn the centre of Danish rule. Consequently, the three lions

originally came to symbolise the city and can be seen in the Seal of Tallinn (next page) dating to 1340. Interestingly,

the name Tallinn is said to come from Taani linn, meaning ‘Danish town’ in Estonian. The national coat of arms was

adopted after independence in 1925 and then re-adopted with re-independence in 1993.

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The flag of Estonia was

first used in 1881 by the

student group Vironia at

the University of Tartu,

the oldest Estonian

University which was

founded in 1632 by the

beloved Swedish King

Gustav II Adolf. The flag was consecrated on 4 June, 1884 and for this reason, every year, Estonians celebrate Eesti

lipu päev (Estonian Flag Day) on 4 June. The flag was subsequently used throughout anti-Tsarist protests, most

notably during the 1905 Revolution and officially adopted on 21 November, 1918 when Estonia got its independence

from the Russian Empire.

Latvia

The Latvian national flag traces back to the 13th century, however, it was only adopted on 18 November 1918, the

day that Latvia declared independence from the Russian Empire, just over a year after the October Revolution.

In the 1860’s, a

Latvian professor at

the University of

Tartu (Universität

Dorpat at the time)

discovered a

written reference

to a Latvian flag in

the Livländische Reimchronik (Livonian Rhymed Chronicle). This chronicle was written in High German and

mentioned a battle against Estonian tribes that took place around 1280 near the town of Cēsis, where a mortally

wounded Latvian tribal leader was wrapped in a white sheet. After the sheet was removed, every part of it was

covered in blood, apart from one thin stripe. This sheet was then hoisted and used as a banner which helped the

other warriors to win the battle. This legend is similar to the one of the Austrian flag, where during the Siege of Acre

(1189-91), Duke Leopold V of Austria removed his belt from his blood-stained white coat to reveal a red-white-red

pattern.

The Latvian flag became popular amongst Latvian students at the University of Tartu. In 1873, the first Latvian Song

Festival took place in Riga, where these students from Tartu provided the security for the event while wearing red-

white-red ribbons. In addition, the banner designed for the festival featured red and white colours (top left).

Incidentally, it was also the first time that the Latvian Anthem “Dievs, svētī Latviju” (God Bless Latvia) was played.

Lithuania

Lithuania was the last pagan country in Europe. The Patriarchal cross on the Lithuanian coat of arms represents the

adoption of Christianity by Grand Duke Jogaila (later Władysław II Jagiełło) in 1387 after his marriage to Jadwiga,

“King” of Poland and

Hungary. Interestingly, the

Hungarian coat of arms

also features this cross.

The painting by Jan

Matejko (far left) shows

The Marriage of Jadwiga

and Jagiello which

represents the union

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between Poland and Lithuania. The painting to the left of it depicts the banner of King Sigismund III Vasa, who was

the son of King John III of Sweden and ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632.

The flag on the top right is the state flag of Lithuania which was adopted in 2004, though it is based on a flag that

was recorded in 1410, at the Battle of Grunwald (also First Battle of Tannenberg) when the Polish-Lithuanian alliance

defeated the Teutonic Knights. During the 15th century, under the famous Vytautas the Great, Lithuania and Poland

became the largest state in Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In 1795, it became fully partitioned

by Prussia, Russia and Austria. The Lithuanian national flag dates to 1918, when the country got its independence.

Germany

In 1867, with the

establishment of the

Prussian-led

Norddeutscher Bund

(North German

Confederation), a black,

white and red flag was

adopted that combined

the black and white of

Prussia and the red and white colours of the Hanseatic League cities in north Germany. In 1871, with the unification

of Germany, the black, white and red colours were kept and the flag was officially adopted in 1892 as the Imperial

Flag of the Deutsches Reich (German Empire).

Russia

The Russian flag became the official national flag of the Russian Empire on May 25, 1896, a day before the

coronation of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. However, it was with the earlier Tsar, Peter the Great that the flag

was first officially adopted on January 20, 1705, as a merchant flag on rivers. Many believe that Peter designed the

flag himself and based it on the Dutch flag.

In the 17th century, the

Dutch Republic became

an economic

superpower, dominating

many areas including

the Baltic grain trade, at

a loss for the Hanseatic

merchants. The country

experienced a ‘Golden

Age’ where Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most praised in Europe. Consequently it served as

a model for Peter the Great, who went to the country to learn shipbuilding and other trades. In 1703, Peter

famously established the Baltic city of St. Petersburg as a ‘window to the west’ on land taken from Sweden during

the Great Northern War. The biggest event in the war occurred at the Battle of Poltava in 1709 when Sweden was

defeated, ending its status as a major Baltic power and marking the beginning of Russian supremacy.

Еvery year, on 22 August, Russians celebrate День Государственного флага Российской Федерации (Day of the

State Flag of the Russian Federation). This day marks 22 August, 1991, when the Russian tricolour was first raised

over the white marble building of the Russian government, replacing of the Soviet red flag.

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Ireland Flag Registry

Vexillology Ireland has taken the initiative to create and maintain a flag registry in Ireland.

Vexillology Ireland is developing an on-line registration system for

flags and emblems, including ‘assumed arms’ and hopefully, this

new registration facility will be enable individuals, groups and

organisations in Ireland to have their newly designed flags and

coats-of-arms recorded as a new cultural heritage resource which

would be publicly accessible on-line. Models such as that operated

in the State of Oregon and supported by the Portland Flag

Association are being considered as easy to manage and use on-line registration facilities.

The Ireland Flag Registry (IFR) is a voluntary registration facility for flags and emblems in Ireland. The objective of the

registry is to maintain a definitive record of flags and related symbols—national, regional, and local. Vexillology

Ireland welcomes applications for the registration of flags and emblems representing any Club, Society,

Association, School, College, Company, Town, Village or Parish, Clan/Sept or Family Association and others, including

individuals.

Registering a Flag

Before registering a new flag, Vexillology Ireland will have to make sure that the design:

Meets certain graphical standards of design

Has been selected in an appropriate manner by the applicants

Has been through a public consultation process where appropriate

It is public and available to everyone for use

Is not offensive, abusive or racist in intent, imagery or symbolism

Is not easily confused with an existing flag or emblem

For further information see the society’s website: https://flagsireland.wordpress.com/

VIBE Winter Newsletter 2016

The VIBE Winter Newsletter will be out in February 2016. We are now looking for people to contribute to this issue.

If you would like to write a short piece on something related to flags, please send an email to

bratachaeire@gmail.com. Go raibh míle maith agaibh!

Further Contact Email: bratachaeire@gmail.com

Address: Genealogical Society of Ireland, 11, Desmond

Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland. A96 AD76

Vexillology Ireland : Brateolaíocht Éireann Heraldry Ireland : Araltas Éireann

Website: https://flagsireland.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flags.Ireland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/flagsireland

Website: http://heraldryireland.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Heraldry.Ireland/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeraldryIreland