| Portal to SouthBear's Study of Vexillology |
| Next to genealogy, vexillology is my favorite hobby. Vexillology is the study of flags, their symbolism, and their use. The term comes from the Latin word for a flag, vexillium. It entails not only the study of flags themselves, but also the political, cultural, and historical aspects of the peoples, nations, and states that fly them. Vexillologists must have a working knowledge of heraldry and the heraldic traditions of cultures all over the world. They study religious ideals, political ideals, and cultural ideals that identify groups of people as being distinct from other groups. Flags are meant to be a visual representation of these ideals. The best flags incorporate all of these ideals in symbolic heraldry in such a manner that any one who views that flag knows exactly who those people are and what they stand for. The first flags in the world were exactly that. They were little more than rags attached to the top of a pole or stick held over a tribe or clan. In times of war, these rags may well have been stained with the blood of a slain leader. By hoisting this blood-stained rag over them, the tribe that raised it were telling their enemies that this flag represented their dead leader and that they were there to avenge that death. The color of the blood represented that dead leader because it contained his essence, his blood. Even the stick to which it was attached represented the group's demand for revenge, since a stick is the most elemental weapon of war. Today, flags can be complicated symbols, using heraldric customs, religious icons, and totems to identify entire nations and their principles. The sight of these flags |
| can evoke a wide range of emotions, from anger when the flag of an ememy is recognized, to pride when a veteran salutes the flag under which he had fought. There are few other images and symbols, perhaps only religious in nature, that evoke such emotion and loyalty among people. Flags are used to confer respect from the nation to individuals, dignity to leaders, and honor to groups of people who have rendered service to the nation. Flags do this in such a way that few other symbols are capable. in some nations, the flag embodies all of the dignity and honor of the state itself. Particularly in republican states, flags become the physical embodiment of the state itself. To desecrate a state's flag is to insult the state itself. Likewise, to pay homage to a state's flag is to pay homage to the state itself. Because of this, the study of flags and their symbolism is an important and worthy endeavor. |
| Vexillological Definitions A dictionary of terms used in the study and design of flags |
| International Flags Flags of international organizations, military & political alliances, and other confederations. |
| National Flags Flags of independent, sovereign states. |
| SouthBear's Vexillogram Collection |
| A vexillogram is an image or picture of a flag's design. There are eight types of vexillograms in my collection. These include the images (1) International Flags, (2) National Flags, (3) Subnational Flags, (4) Municipal Flags, (5) House Flags, (6) Ethnic & Cultural Flags, (7) Royal Standards, and (8) Historical Flags. Within each category, flags are organized geographically, by continent, country, and local region. |
| The Vexillogram Directory |
| Subnational Flags Flags of political and administrative subdivisions of independent states. |
| Municipal Flags Flags of cities and their municipal governments. |
| House Flags Flags of private individuals and corporations. |
| Ethnic/CulturalFlags Flags of ethnic & cultural communities including National Aspirants. |
| Royal Standards Flags of Royal houses, including personal standards & official standards of office |
| Historical Flags Flags that flew over the events that shaped our world. |
| Return to SouthBear's Den © 2006-2007 SouthBear This page was created on 31 May 2006 in Tupelo, Mississippi Date of Last Revision: 17 January 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama Animated flagpoles: www.fg-a.com |
| Discussion of Forms of States & Governments |
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| Discussion of the Major National Groups of the World |