Vexillology

For the album by Deadmau5, see Vexillology (album).

Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum, meaning 'flag', and the Greek suffix -logy, meaning 'study'. The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legions during the classical era; its name is a diminutive form of the word velum meaning 'sail', and thus literally means 'little sail'. Unlike most modern flags, which are suspended from a pole or mast along a vertical side, the square vexillum was suspended from a horizontal crossbar along its top side, which was attached to a spear.

The term was coined in 1957 by the American scholar Whitney Smith,[1] the author of many books and articles on the subject. It was originally considered a sub-discipline of heraldry, and is still occasionally seen as such. It is sometimes considered a branch of semiotics.[2] It is formally defined in the FIAV (Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques) constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge." A person who studies flags is a vexillologist; a person who designs flags is a vexillographer; and any person who simply likes, admires, or enjoys flags is a vexillophile.

Since 1965, an International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) has been organized every two years under the auspices of FIAV. The 2007 ICV was in Berlin, Germany; the 2009 ICV was in Yokohama, Japan; the 2011 ICV was in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, and the 2013 will be in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (www.nfc2013.com). Internet activity of vexillologists is centered on the Flags of the World website and mailing list.

Contents

Flag identification symbols (FIS)

The Flag Identification System was created by Whitney Smith and adopted by FIAV.

The first row represents use on land and the second use on water, each divided into private (civil), government (state), and military (war) use.

Usage Private use Government use Military use
Land use Civil flag State flag War flag
Sea use Civil ensign State ensign War ensign

There are 63 representing symbols that can describe the flag, including:

FIS Text mode Description Usage
C**/*** Civil flag by private persons on land
*S*/*** State flag by state institutions on land
**W/*** War flag by military on land (army)
***/C** Civil ensign on private vessels (merchant ensign)
***/*S* State ensign on state owned vessels
***/**W War ensign by navy
CS*/*** Civil and state flag by private persons and state on land
*SW/*** State and war flag by state services and military on land
CSW/*** National flag for all purposes on land
***/CSW National ensign for all purposes on vessels
CSW/CSW National flag and ensign for all purposes on land and sea

Other symbols are used to describe other aspects of the usage of the flag, such as official status and which side of the flag is being shown. The ones in general use are:

FIS Description
Normal or de jure version of flag, or obverse side
Design proposed but not officially adopted
Design is a reconstruction based on observations
Reverse side of flag
Design is an acceptable variant
Alternative version of flag
De facto version of flag
Flag has different designs on its obverse side and its reverse side
Obverse side meant to be hoisted with pole to the observer's right
Design officially authorized to represent nation by government of that nation
Design used in the past, but now abandoned (not part of Smith's original set)
Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Reverse side is congruent with obverse side
Information on reverse side is not available
Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Flag can be hung vertically by rotating the design first
Vertical hoist method of flag is unknown
Design has no element that can be rotated
Flag can be hoisted vertically only

Principles of flag design

Flag designs exhibit a number of regularities, arising from a variety of practical concerns, historical circumstances, and cultural prescriptions that have shaped and continue to shape their evolution.

First among the practical issues confronting a vexillographer is the necessity for the design to be manufactured (and often mass produced) into or onto a piece of cloth, which will subsequently be hoisted aloft in the outdoors to represent an organization, individual or idea. In this respect, flag design departs considerably from logo design: logos are predominantly still images to be read off a page, screen, or billboard, while flags are alternately draped and fluttering images to be seen from a variety of distances and angles. The prevalence of simple bold colors and shapes in flag design attests to these practical issues.

Flag design is also a historical process in which current designs often refer back to previous designs, effectively quoting, elaborating, or commenting upon them. Families of current flags may derive from a few common ancestors as in the cases of the Pan-African colours, the Pan-Arab colors, the Pan-Slavic colors, the Nordic Cross flag and the Ottoman flag.

Certain cultures prescribe the proper design of flags, through heraldic or other authoritative systems. Prescription may be based on religious principles: see, for example, Islamic flags. As a discipline, vexillology is beginning to promote design principles based on a body of research on flag history and design. Prominent examples are Ted Kaye's five Good Flag, Bad Flag principles published and endorsed by the North American Vexillological Association:

  1. Keep It Simple: the flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
  2. Use Meaningful Symbolism: the flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
  3. Use 2–3 Basic Colors: that is limit of the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
  4. No Lettering or Seals: never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
  5. Be Distinctive or Be Related: avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.

Prominent vexillologists

Prominent vexillographers

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]

External links