Flags
The Celtic Flags
Bratach na hEireann
The Irish flag has been first seen during the Young Irelander Rebellion of March 1848. It replaced the Green Flag, which still has an unofficial existence. It has been made official by the Constitution of 1937.
The green is the colour of the Catholic movement. The orange is the colour of the Protestant one (House of Orange-Nassau). The white symbolises peace between both communities.
Bratach na h-Alba
The Scottish flag has been created during the IXth century, which makes of it one of the oldest worldwide. It shows a white saltire, the St Andrew's Cross, the Scottish patron saint.
A legend says this white saltire appears on a blue sky background the day a battle occures between the Pictish King Oengus II and the Angles during the IXth century. Pictish won the battle and this Cross became their flag. This Cross has also been decreed by the Scottish Parliament in 1385 as the insignia worn by the Scottish soldiers serving in France.
The blue background came after to remind the legend and to be distinguishable from the red background of the English partisans.
The blue background came after to remind the legend and to be distinguishable from the red background of the English partisans.
Gwenn-ha-du
The modern Breton flag has been created by Morvan Marchal between 1923 and 1925. So, its first official appearance was in 1925. Its name, Gwenn-ha-du means "Black and White". After decades of controversies linked to its creator and the flag itself, it has been nowerdays adopted by most Bretons.
The flag is made of two parts. First, in the top left-hand corner, there are eleven ermines, symbol of the Brittany. The second part is made of five black and four white stripes. Those nine stripes embody the nine Breton subdivisions. The black stripes represent the Upper Brittany ones (Pays Nantais, Pays Rennais, Pays de Dol, Pays de Saint-Brieuc and Pays de Saint-Malo) and the white the Lower Brittany ones (Pays Vannetais, Cornouaille, Leon and Tregor).
Y Ddraig Goch
The Welsh flag still exists today, symbol of a great Celtic history, even if Wales has been conquered by Edward I of England in 1284.
The Welsh Red Dragon belongs to King Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd in Wales during the VIIth century. His banner embodied the dragon of the King Arthur legends, symbolising the people of Britain facing the Saxon invaders. This banner has been adopted by King Henri VII of England, the House Tudor founder, to remind the Welsh line ancestry. The green and white background can remind the House Tudor colours or the leek, another Welsh symbol.
Baner Peran
The flag of Cornwall is not official and has the same colours as the Breton one. It has been created during the XIXth century under the name of Saint Piran's Flag, the Cornwall and tin workers (historical Cornish resource) patron saint.
The flag origins are not clear. There could be a link between this flag and the Breton one to remind the both nations common cultural links. Indeed, the Cornish language and the Breton are very similar. There is a link in their population origins, because the Breton peopling comes in part from the immigration of Britain people in Brittany caused by the Angle and Saxon invasions.
Ny Tree Casyn
The Manx flag is very original and has an uncanny and unexplainable likeness to the Sicilian one. This is one of the oldest among the Celtic flags: XIIIth century.
The Isle of Man is a very old Celtic nation, occupied in its history first by the Vikings, then by the Scottish and finally by the English. One of the flag interpretation is linked to a local and separatist adage: "Kick out England, kick out Scotland, and kick out Ireland". The three kicks are present on the flag... There can also be a link with the triskele, an old Celtic symbol.
If you wish to have more details about the Celtic flags and their history, I recommend you to watch videos from the YouTube channel "History With Hilbert". Videos on the Irish, the Scottish and the Welsh flags have already been uploaded by him:
- Irish flag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVBzHpic8Zo
Comments
Post a Comment