|
Continued
from page 1 - Special
Heraldic Flags |
|
All the flags
described so far may be used by anyone who has a coat of
arms (an armiger). However, there are flags which are
authorised specially by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, Scotland
and are blazoned in the grant of arms or matriculation of
arms of the armiger. These are the standard, guidon, pennon,
and pinsel. |
|
|
| |
The Standard
The standard ia a long, narrow, tapering flag, granted by the
Lord Lyon only to those who have a following, such as clan
chiefs or chieftain. As a 'headquarters' flag, its principal use
is to mark the gathering point or headquarters of the clan,
family or following and does not necessarily denote the presence
of the standard's owner as his personal banner does. The
standards of peers and barons have their ends split and rounded;
for others the end is unsplit and rounded. At the hoist, the
standard usually shows the owner's arms, though some are still
granted with the former practice of having the national saltire
in the hoist. The remainder of the flag is horizontally divided
into two tracts of the livery colours for chiefs of clans or
families, three tracts for very major branch chieftains and four
for others. Upon this background are usually displayed the
owner's crest and heraldic badges, separated by transverse bands
bearing the owner's motto or slogan. The whole flag is fringed
with alternating pieces of the livery colours. The length of the
standard varies according to the rank of its owner, as follows:
The Sovereign 8 yards, Dukes 7 yards, Marquesses 6.5 yards,
Earls 6 yards, Viscounts 5.5 yards, Lords 5 yards, Baronets 4.5
yards and lastly Knights and Scottish barons 4 yards. (One
wonders if these ensigns are likely to come under European
weights and measures legislation soon!) |
|
| |
|
 |
|
Standard of the Earl of Rothes |
|
|
|
| |
The Guidon
This is a long flag similar in shape to the standard. The guidon
is eight feet long and is assigned by the Lord Lyon to
non-baronial lairds who have a following. It tapers to a round,
unsplit end at the fly and has a background of the livery
colours of the owner's arms. The owner's crest or badge is shown
in the hoist and his motto or slogan is lettered horizontally in
the fly. |
|
| |
|
 |
|
Guidon of Charles J. M.
Mckerrell of Hillhouse |
|
Top> |
|
| |
The Pennon
Strictly speaking, a small guidon, four feet long, which
nowadays is very rarely assigned today. The pennon carries the
owner's arms in the hoist and his livery colours dividing the
fly which tapers down to a rounded end. This term pennon,
however, is more commonly used to refer to a long triangular
flag borne at the end of a lance or spear, or flown from the
mast of a ship. |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Pennon of John A. Duncan
of Sketraw |
|
|
|
|
| |
The Pinsel
A small triangular flag granted by the Lord Lyon only to chiefs
or very special chieftain barons for practical use to denote a
person to whom the chief has delegated authority to act in his
absence on a particular occasion. The flag is 4 feet 6 inches
long by 2 feet high, with a background of the main livery colour
of the chiefs arms. On it is depicted his crest within a strap
and buckle bearing the motto and outside the strap and buckle a
circlet inscribed with his title. On top of the circlet is set
his coronet of rank or baronial chapeau if any. In the fly is
shown the plant badge and a scroll with his slogan or motto. |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
The Pinsel of Peter
Barclay of Towie Barclay, Chief of the Clan Barclay |
|
|
|
|
| |
Manufacture
No material is wrong for a flag, although some are more suitable
than others in certain situations. For external use, including
naval flags flown at sea, the traditional woollen bunting has
largely given way to modem synthetic fibres such as polyesters.
Indoors, and for decorative purposes, silk, satin, damasks and
brocade may be used, as well as finer spun polyesters. In
general, the brightest possible colours give the best effect
although luminescent dyes are not recommended. Gold and silver
are represented by yellow and white respectively. However,
special flags are sometimes decorated with gold thread or paint,
as for example, to emphasise a coronet. Except in a few cases
such as standards, fringes are regarded in Scotland as mere
decoration, to be added or not according to the whim of the
owner. If plain, they should be of the same metal as chat which
is predominant in the flag. They may also be made of alternate
pieces of the principal colour and metal of the flag. Flags are
a practical and prominent form of heraldic display and however
they are made, it is essential that they are suitable for the
purpose intended. In
particular, flags to be flown on a flag pole must be light
enough to lift in the wind or the effect will be lost. |
|
|
|
