History
It is probable that almost as soon
as men began to collect together for common purpose some kid of conspicuous object was used as the symbol of the common sentiment,
for the rallying point of the common force. In military expeditions where any degree of organization and discipline prevailed,
objects of such a kind would be necessary to mark out the lines and stations of encampment and to keep in order the different
bands when marching or in battle.
In
addition, it cannot be doubted that flags or their equivalent have often served by reminding men of past resolves, past deeds
and past heroes, as to arouse to enthusiasm or family pride and honor of personal devotion, patriotism or religion, which
as well as upon good leadership, and numerical force, success in warfare depends. It appears that several companies
of the Egyptian army had their own particular standards. These were formed of such objects as there is reason
to believe, were associated in the minds of the men with feelings or owe and devotion. Sacred animals, boats, emblems
of figures, a tablets bearing a kings name and fan and feather=shaped symbols were raised on the end of a staff as standards
and the office of bearing this was once taken as an answer to prayer, and an assurance of celestial aid. It was for
with adopted as the danish flag and called the dannebrog. The principal varieties of flags borne during the middle ages
were the pennon, the banner and the sstandard. The guyhommes or guidons, banderolls, pennon cells, streamers of pendants,
may be considered as minor varieties. The pennon as a purely personal ensign,sometimes pointed, but more generally
forked or swallow-tailed at the end. The banner was, in the earlier days of chivalry, a square flag, though at a later
date it is often found greater in length than in depth, precisely as is the case in the ordinary national flags of today.
In some very early examples it is found considerably longer in the depth on the staff than in its outward projection from
the staff. The banner was charged in a manner exactly similar to the shield of the owner, and it was borne by knights
bannerett and all above then in rank. As a rough guide it may be taken that the banner of an emperor was 6 ft. square for
a king.
As
the function of the banner was to display the armorial bearings of the dignitary who had the right to carry it, is evident
that the square form was the most convenient akin to the shield of primal heraldry. In fact, flags were originally heraldic
emblems, though in modern devices the strict laws of heraldry have often been departed from. They was looked upon as
one of peculiar privilege and honor, somewhat similar seen to have been the customs of the Assyrians and Jews. Banners
and standards and ensigns are frequently mentioned in the bible. Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by
his standard with the ensign of their fathers house.
*Who is she that looketh forth
as the morning, fair as the moon, clear s the sun, terrible as an army with banners.
The Persians bore
an eagle fixed to the end of a lance, and the sun, as their divinity , was also represented upon their standards.
Figures
of animals, as the wolf, horse, bear and others were borne, and it was not till a later period that the eagle became the special
standard of the legion.
Early
flags were almost purely of a religious character roman missionary agustine said to have borne a banner which silver crosses
were displayed. The national banner of england for centuries, the red cross of st. George was a religious one, in fact the
aid of religion seems ever to have been sought to give sanctity to national flags and the origin of many can be traced to
a sacred banner and in notably the case with the oriflamme of France and the dannybrook of Denmark. King alderman of
denmar, leading, his troops to battle against the enemy in 1219, saw at a critical moment a cross in the sky. This was once
taken as an answer to this prayer, and an assurance of celestial aid. It was adopted as the danish flag and called the dannebrog.
Before the declaration of independence the flags of those colonies which now form the united states of America were very various.
In the early days of new england the puritans objected to the red cross of st. George, not from any disployalty to the
mother country, but from a conscientious objection to that they deemed an idolatrous symbol, by the year 1700 most of the
colonies had devised badges to distinguish their vessels from those of england and of each other. On the 14th of June 1777
congress resolved that the flag of the united states be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Unionbe thirteen
stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. The was the origin of the national flag, but at first, as
the number of the stripes were having seven white and six red stripes, and at the other times seven red and six white, and
it was not for some considerable time it was authoritatively laid down that the latter arrangement was the
one to be adopted.
