Oct 23, 2012

Sardinia (Italy)

In my other blog about flags, I posted a proposal to a new Aragon flag. Studying the possibilities, I found the Sardinia flag. It's below:

















There's two answers to the origin of this flag. The Spanish tradition says it was first flown after the victory in the Battle of Alcoraz (1096), between Aragonese and the Moors (here's the association with Aragon). The St. George's cross was used because the saint appeared to help Aragonese army, and the four Moor heads represented the defeated enemies. According to Sardinian tradition, the flag is older (from 1017), attributed by the pope to the Pisans in order to help Sardinian against the Sarracens.

Why am I talking about this specific flag? Because it remembered me about the legendary origin of the use of flags. Whitney Smith, in his famous book "Flags Through the Ages and Across the Time", stated that probably the first "vexilloid" (something like a "proto-flag") possibly was made with a blooded cloth was put on the top of a spear to scare the enemy.

In truth, the oldest flags generally have origin as a cloth to be carried on battles and wars, or else as made by enemies' blood. The Austrian flag and senyera (used in Catalan countries) were on second category. The Danish flag was "received from God" during a battle. Other example ais the blutfahne or blutbanner ("blood flag"), a solid red flag used in Holy Roman Empire by the feudal lords and made with blood of men sentenced by the Blutgericht ("Blood Court"). All of them were created before 13th century.

In the Middle Ages, it could make sense, but killing people to create flag is a unacceptable practice by current moral, fortunately. And some people see the Moor head (also used in Corsican flag) as racist manifestations. And today I presented something like "the secret story of the flags". I hope you liked!

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6 comments:

  1. Nice flag:-) It should be flown proudly!

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  2. The only way the flag represent racism is when the moores head are facing left when the moores head are facing right it represents the 20years that the moores rule the whole european country and that flag was place by the moores to show that they had conqure and that the country was under moores rules "i dont know why races people keep saying these peoples was of a different orgin then black" take alook at the flag do that look like a arab to you? some smart people still sound dumb because the saints was with the moore the bible history is the moores and black all around tje world history so white people stop lying!

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    Replies
    1. Could you provide reliable sources that the flag dates from the time of Moor ruling? They would be more than welcome, as I really never read any source stating it.

      The possible racism on the flag, in the case, is that, if it represents death to other ethnicities, some people could feel sensitized in a multi-ethnic state, like already occurred in two municipalities of Spain.

      About the topic whether they are Arabs or blacks, the official flag of Aragon represents the same episode with four light-skinned heads with beards and turban i.e. an European recurring cliche for Arabs.

      Anyway, thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  3. Sorry but because people like you, the internet is a trash dump!!!
    If you do not know the history of the Quattro mori flag do not post BS like this!!!

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Every comment is greatly welcome!