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Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Flamant - Flying Rod)

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FLAMANT
FLAMED
FLAMED GYRONNY
FLAMES
FLAMME DE BOEUF
FLAMME DE FOURRAGÈRE
FLAMME DE GUERRE
FLAMMES
FLAMMULA
FLAMMULE
FLAMMULETS
FLAMMULLY (or FLAMULLY)
FLAPPING FLAG
FLASH COLLAR
FLEUR-DE-LIS
FLEUR-DE-LIS CROSS
FLEURY (FLORY, FLORETTY or FLORONNY)
FLOTILLA COMMAND PENNANT
FLÜGER (or FLÜGEL)
FLY
FLY-CHEVRON
FLY-DIAGONAL
FLY-TRIANGLE
FLYING ANGEL FLAG
FLYING AT THE LEECH
FLYING AT THE PEAK (or AT THE PEAK OF THE GAFF)
FLYING LINE
FLYING ROD

FLAMANT

The heraldic term used to describe burning - flambant – see ‘inflamed’ and ‘incensed’.

Flag of Belpberg, Switzerland (fotw); Arms and Flag of Il-Kalkara, Malta (fotw); Flag of Bleiken bei Oberdiessbach, Switzerland (fotw)

FLAMED

See ‘inflamed’ and ‘incensed’.

Arms and Flag of Ivanska, Croatia (fotw)

FLAMED GYRONNY

See ‘flammes’.

Colour of the Regiment Reding, Spain, c1740 (fotw)

FLAMME DE BOEUF

See ‘bullock pennant’.

FLAMES

See ‘flammes’, ‘flammes’ and ‘wolfteeth’.

Flag of Csepel, Hungary (official website)

FLAMME DE FOURRAGÈRE

See ‘lanyard pennant’.

Flamme de Fourrangére/Lanyard Pennant for Six Citations of the Légion d'Honneur -Overseas Operations, France (fotw)

FLAMME DE GUERRE

See ‘masthead pennant 1)’.

Flamme de Guerre/Masthead Pennant of France (fotw)

FLAMMES

1) The term that is used to describe a series of long wavy-edged (that is flame-like) triangles, which radiate from a central point to the edges of a flag, and historically, a characteristic of Swiss military regiments in foreign service – a gyronny wavy or flamed gyronny – see ‘gyronny’ (also ‘flammulets’, ‘flammuly’, ‘pile(s) wavy 1)’, ‘radiating’, ‘wavy’ and and ‘wavy flame’).

2) This term may also be used to describe these same flame-like triangles which extend only to the corner sections of a flag, and typical of historic German military usage – but see ‘pile(s) wavy 1)’.

Colours of Swiss Regiments in Foreign Service: De Meuron, British Pre-1801; Reding, French c1760; Niderost, Spanish c1720 (fotw); Colour of the 1st Sea Battalion, Germany c1900 (Klaus-Michael Schneider)

FLAMMULA

1) A late Roman military flag of elongated shape designed to fly horizontally and split along its entire length.

2) A pre-heraldic flag cut into the form of a flame (see also ‘flammule’ and ‘pre-heraldic’).

Please note, at least one source suggests that flammula 1) might have been two red streamers attached to a lance (see also ‘streamer.1)’).

FLAMMULE

A flame shaped flag edge now characteristic of the Far East, but see also 'flamumlets' below, ‘flammula 2))’ above, and ‘flammully’.

Imperial Standard, China c1870 (fotw)

FLAMMULETS

1) Specifically in largely Central-European usage, the term for a series of flame-like (that is wavy-edged) triangular charges, that facing both inward and outward, create a repeating pattern of colours and form the border of a flag - usually around four edges, but occasionally along the outer sides or a single edge only (see also ‘border’, ‘flammes’, ‘flammule’ above, ‘flammully’ and ‘wolfteeth’).

2) Generically as above, but the term may be extended to include a border consisting of triangular charges (either upright or slanted) whose sides are straight – a zigzag border – but see note below.

Imperial Standard 1828 – 1894 and another Imperial Flag, Austria-Hungary (Željko Heimer); Flag of a General Officer, Austria (fame); Royal Standard of Yugoslavia 1925? – 1937 (fotw)

Please note with regard to 2) that the term flammulets should only apply to a border where the triangular charges face both inward and outward, and that where those charges face only inward the correct term is ‘wolfteeth’.

FLAMMULLY (or FLAMULLY)

A term that may be used when there are a number of flame-like projections from a charge or ordinary, or to describe a border made up of flammulets (see also ‘border’, ‘charge 1)’, ‘flammes’, ‘flammule’, ‘flammulets’ and ‘ordinary’).

From left: Examples (2); Presidential Standard of The Czech Republic (fotw)

FLAPPING FLAG

An exact translation of the German terms knatterflagge or knatterfahne – but see ‘vertically hoisted flag’.

Flapping/Vertically Hoisted Flag of Sankt Wolfgang, Germany (fotw)

FLASH COLLAR

A decorative cover sometimes used at the base of an outdoor flagpole.

FLEUR-DE-LIS

A charge reputedly in the form of a stylized lily, particularly associated with the former Royal House of France but widely used elsewhere - a heraldic lily (see also ‘fleury’ below and ‘cross fleury’ in ‘appendix VIII’ and ‘double-tressure’).

Flag and Arms of Sveta Marija , Croatia (fotw); The Royal Banner of France (fotw); Flag of Aarchot, Belgium; Flag of Florence, Italy (fotw)

FLEUR-DE-LIS CROSS

See ‘cross fleury’ in ‘appendix VIII’.

Flag of Guriezo, Spain (fotw)

FLEURY (FLORY, FLORETTY or FLORONNY)

The heraldic term used when a charge (or charges) or an ordinary, such as a cross, baton or bar, is (or are) decorated with fleur-de-lis – flory, floretty or floronny (see also ‘fleur-de-lis’, ‘double-tressure’, ‘ordinary’ and ‘cross fleury’ in ‘appendix VIII’).

Flag of Brisbach, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Puigcerdà, Spain (fotw); Flag of Grellingen, Switzerland (fotw)

Please note that this term is never used alone, but always with the charge so described - for example batons-fleury as illustrated above.

FLOTILLA COMMAND PENNANT

See ‘command pennant’.

Flotilla Command Pennant, Sweden (fotw)

FLÜGER (or FLÜGEL)

The terms in German language vexillology for a wimpel or wimpels that are stiffened with a frame – see ‘wimpel’.

Flüger of the Hamburg Customs Flag (Klaus-Michael Schneider)

FLY

1) That edge or section of a flag, which lies opposite to (or furthest from) the flagpole, mast or staff (see also ‘Appendix I’ and ‘hoist’).

2) (v) The act of displaying a flag from a flagpole, flag mast or flag staff (see also 'wear a flag').

3) The length of a flag (see also ‘length’).

FLY-CHEVRON

See ‘chevron 1)’

Flag of Ureterp, The Netherlands (fotw)

Please note that this is an extension of an existing term and has been introduced by the editors as no established alternative could be found.

FLY-DIAGONAL

1) A direct translation of the Dutch term vluchtdiagonaal but see ‘bend sinister’, ‘per bend sinister’ and ‘ascending diagonal 2)’.

2) See ‘inclined fly’.

Flag of Klobouky u Brna, Czech Republic (fotw)

FLY-TRIANGLE

See ‘triangle’.

Flag of Rawson, Argentina (Ivan Sache)

FLYING ANGEL FLAG

A term for the flag of The Missions to Seafarers (formerly The Missions to Seamen), a worldwide missionary and welfare arm of the Anglican Church founded in 1856 (see also ‘bethel flag’ and ‘church pennant’).

From left: A Former Design c1950; Flag of The Missions to Seafarers From 2000, UK (fotw)

FLYING AT THE LEECH

See ‘leech’ and its following note (also ‘shift colours’).

FLYING AT THE PEAK (or AT THE PEAK OF THE GAFF)

See ‘peak 1)’ and its following notes (also ‘gaff’ and ‘shift colours’).

FLYING LINE

A short, weighted length of line that is suspended below a helicopter, other slow moving aircraft or from the forward stumpmast yardarm of a cargo transit vessel on inland waterways, used to fly a banner, flag or house flag and with the weight adjusted to the speed of the craft involved in order to keep it vertical – but see ‘flying rod’ below (also ‘banner 5)’, 'house flag 1)', ‘stumpmast’ and ‘yardarm’).

Please note that this term (and flying rod below) has been introduced by the Editors as no existing established term could be found.

FLYING ROD

A short, removable rod that is vertically mounted above and/or below the yardarm of a stumpmast and which is used for the flying of a house flag or pennant, usually aboard cargo transit craft on inland waterways - but see ‘flying line’ above (also ‘house flag 1)’, ‘stumpmast’ and ‘pennant 2)’ ).

Please note that this term (and flying line above) has been introduced by the Editors as no existing established term could be found.

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