Three thoughts together collided in my mind to lead to this question.

1. The sale of the Aboriginal flag copyright for $2 million.
2. A TV program showing historical parades where American fascists had at least four different flags, a swasticker in front of four country flags, an SS flag, a modified Nazi flag, the confederate flag and the KKK flag.
3. No flags in prehistoric Australia or Africa, so it’s not a hold-over from the stone age.

Why do flags exist?

Were flag invented independently in deveral countries, eg. Tibet and Rome?

Is a flag a declaration of war – eg. Jolly Roger, Eureka?

There must be hundreds of banned flags, eg. American Fascist flags. How many banned flags would there be?

Could I invent my own flag?

Flags were originally developed as a way to signal that the occupant of a “great house” (mansion) was (raised) or was not (lowered) at home, or that someone within the house had died (half-mast.) Each house (family/clan) had its own flag, loosely (or closely) based on the family crest/coat of arms.

The practice is still used: if the Office of the Governor of Victoria is occupied, for instance, the flag on Government House is raised; otherwise it’s lowered. It’s also not flown at half mast if a royal person dies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag

Flags were used as convenient, lightweight, portable markers on battlefields. They showed where a particular force, of a nobleman’s house or a tribal or national group was centred, and so marked a rallying point for members of that force and forces friendly to it.

They also helped prevent ‘friendly fire’ incidents, where your own archers, spearmen, or (later) artillery might accidentally shoot at you. They were easily recognised by common soldiers, as no literacy was needed.

The portability and easy storage of flags means that you don’t have to display your marker at all times. There may be times when it’s an advantage to your/your forces to not be quite so visible or easily identified.

In naval battles in more recent centuries, often conducted at point -blank range, the vast amount of smoke produced by cannon fire could produce huge confusion. A ship looms up through the smoke: is it friend or foe? Do you blast it, or hold fire? Flags make recognition possible. Even in more modern times, warships would go into battle with two, perhaps three ensigns flying, in case one should be shot away.

Flags are a form of branding, too. You only have to look at the number of soft-headed twits who treat the Australian flag like a super-hero cape or beach towel to give themselves a ‘warm fuzzy’ to see that.

You can design your own flag. Lots of people have, especially shipping lines. Study of flags and flag design is “vexillology” from the Latin vexillum, meaning “flag” or “banner”.

It’s been said that a good flag design is one that a seven-year old child can draw a reasonable facsimile of from memory. In other words: keep it simple.

In the past I have had trouble seeing the red flags…

roughbarked said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag

“The origin of flags is unknown.”

Not all that helpful.

From wikipedia we have:
standard → banner → flag

The “standard” dates to Egyptian times, and is used as an identifier of armies.

So, no need for them to exist until the “army” had evolved.

Even then, if armies are identifiable by clothing or other similar then in good weather there isn’t much need for a flag. And when the sounds of battle are not excessive (eg spear and arrow) then a flag wouldn’t be much needed.

The transition from banner to flag seems to have come about when silk became available.

“Flags that comprise cloth attached to an upright pole at one side seem to have first been used by the Arabs who introduced it to the west in the 1st century, although they wouldn’t be popular there until the 9th century. Tradition holds that green flags were flown Muhammad’s followers during the conquest of Mecca”

So I suppose Tibettan prayer flags would have to wait for silk as well.

captain_spalding said:

Flags were used as convenient, lightweight, portable markers on battlefields. They showed where a particular force, of a nobleman’s house or a tribal or national group was centred, and so marked a rallying point for members of that force and forces friendly to it.

They also helped prevent ‘friendly fire’ incidents, where your own archers, spearmen, or (later) artillery might accidentally shoot at you. They were easily recognised by common soldiers, as no literacy was needed.

The portability and easy storage of flags means that you don’t have to display your marker at all times. There may be times when it’s an advantage to your/your forces to not be quite so visible or easily identified.

In naval battles in more recent centuries, often conducted at point -blank range, the vast amount of smoke produced by cannon fire could produce huge confusion. A ship looms up through the smoke: is it friend or foe? Do you blast it, or hold fire? Flags make recognition possible. Even in more modern times, warships would go into battle with two, perhaps three ensigns flying, in case one should be shot away.

Flags are a form of branding, too. You only have to look at the number of soft-headed twits who treat the Australian flag like a super-hero cape or beach towel to give themselves a ‘warm fuzzy’ to see that.

You can design your own flag. Lots of people have, especially shipping lines. Study of flags and flag design is “vexillology” from the Latin vexillum, meaning “flag” or “banner”.

It’s been said that a good flag design is one that a seven-year old child can draw a reasonable facsimile of from memory. In other words: keep it simple.

Thanks, that helps a lot. Looking up vexillology. Here is the vexillology flag.

> It’s been said that a good flag design is one that a seven-year old child can draw a reasonable facsimile of from memory.

That explains something that has bugged me since the Whitlam era. There was a competition for a new flag of Australia, and one of those entries was simply beautiful in green and gold, I wanted it. But it was quite complicated, not something that a child could draw easily.

Re banned flags.

The following are a few American Fascist, KKK and other Fascist flags. From https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us%7Dnaz.html

Here is an Australian flag. Recognise it? I wouldn’t have a few days ago.

Quarantine

For other flags, see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Political_flags

eg. (Pick your favourite)

The Australian anarchist Eureka flag

The Queer insurrection and liberation army

Youth international

Bangladesh Chhatra League

Christian Left

Scottish republican socialist

Kanakh and Socialist National Liberation Front

Herri Batusuna

Communist party of Bohemia

Democratic party of Albania

Croatian Demoscratic Union

Freethinkers’ Party

Valencian Regional Right

Lesbian

New feminist

Green Eureka

Australian Greens

Social Insurrection

Rally for culture and democacy

A variant of the Gadsden

Liberal progressive

Pakistan liberal

White flags (Islamic)

Peace

Nike

Spiny Norman said:

The Indonesian red & white flag started life as the red/white/blue Netherlands flag & in the independence struggle the Indonesians simply ripped the blue part off that flag.

>Why do flags exist?

originally for communication i’d guess, like arm waving and pointing, over distance you need something more easily readable, you can use different color flags also

possibly related, of evolution of flag, is the map rolled up, to do with conceptualizing some territory, orientation, traversing territory

related symbol of territory

mollwollfumble said:

Could I invent my own flag?

Yes.

I like to muse away designing new flags every now and again. Mostly looking for a replacement to the British empire souvenir tea-towel that is the official flag.

party_pants said:

mollwollfumble said:

Could I invent my own flag?

Yes.

I like to muse away designing new flags every now and again. Mostly looking for a replacement to the British empire souvenir tea-towel that is the official flag.

Flags are over-rated. While they perhaps shouldn’t be treated like rags, neither should they be holy objects of veneration.

My own ancestors (Irish mercenaries) weren’t much interested in the colours on your flag, more in the colour of your money.

Tamb said:

Spiny Norman said:

The Indonesian red & white flag started life as the red/white/blue Netherlands flag & in the independence struggle the Indonesians simply ripped the blue part off that flag.

The Netherlands flag was originally Orange, White and Blue. But they had a bit of a power struggle between the parliament and the monarchy. The parliament chose the red version. Ultimately they won an the red white blue flag became the official one. The orange white blue flag is now only used for special royal events, like birthdays.

Spiny Norman said:

:)