Wizard Flags

[pengolodh_sc at yahoo.no]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)" wrote:
[snip]
> I disagree with both of you. Simple and visible from a distance,
> yes.  The same old tricolors, no. In general, Muggles adopted
> tricolors to replace using the old royal flag when they had
> removed the old royal family, and the many of the old royal
> flags were much more visually interesting, such as the French
> fleur-de-lises. The wizarding folk are conservative and baroque
> and might replace fleur-de-lis with grape bunch and wine bottle,
> but not with plain stripes.

To be precise - I was not advocating that the wizards use tricolors 
as their flags, I was merely using the Tricolor if France as an 
example that simple flag-designes still can get a message across 
effectively.  It is not a given that the wizards were untouched by 
the revolutions and changes that brought about the new flags, 
either.  Wizards may have supported the first moves towards changing 
the system in france, perhaps even they'd be divided over it - 
particularly after the Revolution started eating its own.  Also, the 
French equivalent to the Ministry of Magic would still have to be a 
body subordinate to the Fifth Republic, not to whoever is head of the 
House Bourbon, and thus the government flag of the French ministry 
would still be the Tricolor.

The English MoM on their side, would stay in accordance wiht English 
principles.  The British Army Ensign can be seen at
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/g/gb-armye.gif
This could be a possible starting point for the MoM-flag.  Remember 
that tha Magical governments do seem to have to at least pay lip-
service to the Muggle governments that are in power at any one time, 
and flasg are an easy way of doing this.  This is in fact added 
reason for the magical governments to take into regard that the 
Svalbard-arms are too similar to the Norwegian arms.  In my view, the 
Svalbard-arms as depicted are most likely to be the arms of the 
Norwegian magical government.

For Ireland, on the other hand, I am not certain which flag would be 
chosen.  The green flag with the harp might be as likely as the Irish 
Tricolor.

> Hey, maybe Beauxbaton's blue uniforms are connected to the blue 
> background of the fleur-de-lis flag!

Weren't the Beauxbatons uniforms pale blue?  the blue background of 
the French standard is azure, not pale blue.

> Why? They're both blue backgrounds with some yellow stuff in the 
> middle, and the Commonwealth stuff is less busy-busy than the 
> Commonwealth Games stuff (probably because it doesn't have letters 
> on it: I generally hate letters on flags or arms). In fact, I think 
> the Commonwealth flag is rather clever (altho' reminiscent of the 
> state flag of Colorado): removing some sunburst rays to result in 
> a C.

Because of the device - the nature of the device actually matters.  
The Commonwealth Games Flag contains a crown, while the Commonwealth 
Flag has a modern design on it, rather reminiscent in style of 
elements of for instace the EBU-logos and the UN emblem.  The 
Commonwealth-flags does have letters, btw. - look at it once more.

Vexillogically yours
Christian Stubø