Banner of arms

A Banner of arms or a heraldic banner is a banner (flag) depicting a heraldic coat of arms. It is not a regular flag, but a flag whose design is derived from a family coat of arms, city arms, princely coat of arms...

History

Battle of the Golden Spurs (1302) with the banner of arms of Flanders, France, Hainaut, and Holland

A Banner of arms is a heraldic flag directly based on the design of a coat of arms and originated in the 12th and 13th centuries, coinciding with the rise of heraldry.^[1]

When knights were difficult to recognize due to heavy helmets and armor, their coats of arms were displayed on shields and flags, so they could be identified from afar on the battlefield. In the Middle Ages, the banner of arms served as the personal standard of a knight or nobleman, and losing it was considered a great shame. The flag served not only as a mark of recognition but also as a rallying point for troops. From the 14th and 15th centuries, banner of arms were also used by cities, guilds, and institutions, especially during processions and ceremonies. Although they lost their practical function with the advent of new military tactics and firearms, they remained an important ceremonial and symbolic element in the Renaissance and later centuries. Today, heraldic banners are primarily used as heraldic flags of noble families, municipalities, or cultural associations, and are part of Europe's historical heritage.^[1]

The oldest known banner of arms is that of the County of Flanders, the Flemish lion. The lion first appears on the counterseal of Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, in 1162. This counterseal is the first to show a square or highly rectangular flag that precisely reproduces the bearer's heraldic coat of arms: "a rampant lion, which, according to heraldic custom, faces the flagpole as if climbing it." Galbreath & Jéquier (Manuel du Blason, 1977) describe this example as the first true banner of arms, as it fully meets the later definition of such a banner: "a flag that repeats the shield without additions or fringe." The fact that this banner of arms already appears in 1162, fifteen years before Philip left for the crusade, proves that the origin of banner of arms has nothing to do with the Crusades, but stems from the 12th-century need for recognition on the battlefield. Thus, the Flemish example is the oldest heraldically documented banner of arms in Europe.^[1]

Banner of arms

There are many different heraldic banners; below you will find some of the most influential. The heraldic banners of Flanders and England are among the most important in the history of heraldry. The Flemish Lion on the counterseal of Count Philip of Alsace from 1162 is the oldest documented heraldic banner in the world and served as the model for many later lion coats of arms in the Netherlands. The English St. George's Cross was for centuries the distinguishing mark of English knights and kings, and became a national symbol that made the medieval heraldic banner tradition known worldwide. Together, these examples illustrate how heraldic banners became both military identification marks and a legacy of national and dynastic identity.

Banner of arms of the County of Flanders

Banner of arms of England

County of Flanders

The banner of arms of the County of Flanders was the symbol (and banner) of Flanders. The Lion was first used by Philip of Alsace in the 12th century as his personal coat of arms as Count of Flanders and was later also used by the County of Flanders itself, both as a coat of arms and as a flag/banner of arms.

In gold (= yellow) a lion sable (= black) tongued and clawed gules (= red).

In the past, most Belgian provinces used a banner of arms as an (unofficial) flag, including West Flanders, East Flanders, Antwerp, Brabant, Namur, Luxembourg, Limburg, and Liège. Today, only the province of Hainaut still uses a heraldic banner as its symbol and de facto flag.

Saint George's Cross

The Cross of St. George is the flag of England and consists of a red cross. The cross first appeared during the Crusades, where England used it as a flag. Flanders and France used similar banner of arms (also with a cross) as their flag.

In argent (= wit) een kruis van keel (= rood).

The legend of St. George slaying a dragon dates back to around the 12th century, when St. George became the patron saint of England. The red cross was used during the Crusades and is one of the earliest symbols of England. The Cross of St. George has become part of the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom, and also of the Scottish version of the British royal coat of arms. The Cross of St. George also appeared on the coat of arms of Great Britain during the Commonwealth period.

See also

• Flag
• Banner