Portal:Heraldry/DYK Archive

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The following have appeared on the Heraldry and Vexillology portal as part of the "Did you know" series:

May 2006 edit

...that several Scottish noble families retain private officers of arms (pictured)?

...that President Lyndon Johnson was granted a coat of arms by the American College of Heraldry and Arms in 1968?

...that British officer of arms Sir William Henry Weldon was the owner of a circus?

...that the Canadian Heraldic Authority was established by Queen Elizabeth in 1988?

June 2006 edit

...that during World War II the records of the College of Arms were stored in Thornbury Castle (pictured), home of Sir Algar Howard, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms?

...that Rodney Dennys left his career in the British intelligence service to become an officer of arms?

...that the Ypotryll has the head of a boar, the body of a camel, the legs and hooves of a goat and the tail of a serpent?

...that Johannes Rietstap was the founder of modern heraldic theory in The Netherlands?

July 2006 edit

...that the coat of arms of Greenland depicts a polar bear raising its left forepaw, breaking with the heraldic tradition of showing the right forepaw raised, because polar bears are left-handed?

...that in almost 100 years of existence, Ireland King of Arms granted only four known coats of arms, two of which were within the heraldic jurisdiction of other kings of arms and so annulled or regranted?

...that the horseman depicted on the coat of arms of Moscow was not identified with Saint George until the 18th century?

August-September 2006 edit

...that in the coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstein (pictured) the lions in the Schleswig arms allegedly face the right because Otto von Bismarck thought it impolite for them to turn their backs on Holstein?

...that British paediatrician June Lloyd, Baroness Lloyd of Highbury is commemorated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health as one of the supporters in their coat of arms?

...that Henry Lane was appointed Bluemantle Pursuivant at the age of 15?

...that Charles St Clair, 17th Lord Sinclair was both York Herald and a Scottish Peer, so he could attend the State Opening of Parliament in either capacity?

October 2006 edit

...that Lesotho adopted a new flag (pictured) to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its independence?

...that the novel The Heralds follows the exploits of fictional members of the College of Arms as they vie to be the next Garter Principal King of Arms?

...that for United States heraldry, federal and state governments do not employ coats of arms, but have chosen to use seals as their official emblems?

...that James Terry was an Irish officer of arms who remained faithful to James II of England after his escape to the European continent?

...that a bumerke is a house mark with relation to coats of arms as it was frequently used instead of them and used with a shield as a frame work for the mark?

November 2006 edit

...that the ordinances of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania define a civic flag (pictured), an ensign, a pennant and a streamer?

...that the Canadian Heraldic Authority appointed three new Heralds Extraordinary in October 2006 – Albion, Capilano and Rouge?

...that the "four moors" which appear on the Flag of Sardinia have been associated with the island since the 14th century?

...that the Alphyn, a rare heraldic creature, was the badge of the Barons de La Warr?

December 2006-January 2007 edit

...that the Norwegian heraldic authority forbade any other municipality to use the dog rose which appears on the Flag of Trondheim (pictured), because of the symbol's long association with that city?

...that John Anstis became Garter Principal King of Arms in 1718, after trying for almost a decade to get the appointment?

...that the Karavas were the only Sri Lankan community traditionally entitled to use flags?

...that the Samara flag, presented as a gift from Russia to the Bulgarian volunteers in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, is the only flag awarded a Bulgarian Medal for Bravery?

February 2007 edit

...that the Coat of arms of Lardal (pictured) in Norway features a hulder as a charge?

...that the Raven banner, a standard used by various Viking leaders including Sigurd the Stout and Harald III of Norway, was a totem believed to have the power to grant victory to its holder?

...that Ralph Bigland worked as a cheesemaker across Europe before becoming an officer of arms and eventually Garter Principal King of Arms?

...that the coat of arms of Ullensaker is the only Norwegian municipal coat of arms depicting a Norse god?

March 2007 edit

...that Themba Mabaso, the State Herald of South Africa (pictured), also wrote a children's book?

...that the Pennon of the Conquest, a flag raised by the Moors of Valencia in 1238 to indicate their surrender, still exists?

...that South African heraldry combines elements of the British and Dutch heraldic traditions?

...that the Flag of El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda uses the same colours as the flag of Venezuela, though in a different order?

April 2007 edit

...that the pursuivant Thomas Hawley (pictured as King of Arms) was captured and detained before the Battle of Flodden, but released before the fighting started?

...that the Flag of Federal Territory, Malaysia, was adopted on May 23, 2006?

...that Marcus Vulson de la Colombière, a French heraldist of the 17th century, was involved in a dispute with Silvester Petra Sancta over who invented the method of hatching to indicate heraldic tinctures?

...that the Pennon, one of the principal varieties of flag carried during the Middle Ages, derives its name from the Latin penna, meaning wing?

...that Richmond Herald, Lawrence Dalton, embezzled tabards from the Royal Household in 1547?

June-July 2007 edit

...that the arms of Ferry de Clugny, Cardinal-Bishop of Tournai, appear in the carpet and stained glass in the depiction of the Annunciation (pictured) now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

...that the current rendering of the mermaid in the coat of arms of Ustka is the result of a two-year debate over the size of her breasts?

...that the Shtyki Memorial, which honors the defenders of Russia in the Battle of Moscow, is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of Zelenograd?

August 2007 edit

...that the system of heraldry has two main methods to designate the tinctures of arms: hatching and "tricking", i. e. designation of tinctures by means of abbrevations or signs?

...that since 1555, St Benet Paul's Wharf has been the church of the College of Arms, and is where many officers of arms are buried?

September 2007 edit

...that the Dannebrog (pictured) is the oldest state flag in the world still in use, with the earliest undisputed source dating back to the 14th century?

...that heraldic badges were common in the Middle Ages, particularly in England?

...that the coat of arms of Montenegro derives from that of King Nikola?

December 2007 edit

...that the irises of Saint Gaugericus Island became a symbol of Brussels, and the iris is now on the flag of the Brussels-Capital Region (pictured)?

...that the coat of arms of Andalusia bears the Pillars of Hercules, the ancient name given to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar?

...that Marcela de Agoncillo, who made the first flag of the Philippines, was married to the first Filipino diplomat?

January 2008 edit

...that Garter King of Arms William Segar (pictured) was imprisoned for confirming a coat of arms to someone who was not a gentleman?

...that merchant's marks, the precursors of hallmarks, printers' marks and modern-day trademarks, served in place of heraldic imagery, which could not be used by middle class traders and artisans?

...that after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, many East Germans cut the central coat of arms from the East German flag, and the Foundation for the Reconciliation of the SED Dictatorship still uses this as its logo?

...that a romantic scene in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe refers to an area near Smisby in Derbyshire which was thought to have been used for ancient jousting battles?

February 2008 edit

...that the British First World War general Sir William Peyton (pictured) served as Delhi Herald Extraordinary at the Delhi Durbar of 1911?

...that Somerset Herald John Charles Brooke's parents originally sent him to London to study as a chemist?

April 2008 edit

...that medieval heraldry attributed a coat of arms (pictured) to Satan based on a Bible verse mentioning "three unclean spirits like frogs"?

...that the Guilford Courthouse flag is the oldest surviving example of an American flag with eight-pointed stars?

...that the symbolism of seated monarch on the Flag of Mide is derived from iconography rather than classical heraldry?

...that the Seal of Oregon includes a British man-of-war departing and an American steamer arriving?

...that the international maritime signal flags developed by Home Riggs Popham are also used in the Racing Rules of Sailing?

May 2008 edit

...that Johan Teterisa was sentenced to life in prison for waving the banned secessionist flag (pictured) of the so-called Republic of the South Moluccas in front of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a nonviolent protest?

...that British politician Jock Stallard was expelled from the Labour Party in the 1950s for flying the red flag from St Pancras town hall, but later served as a Labour MP and life peer?

...that Raymond Jacobs maintained that he was the last surviving member of the original party of Marines who raised the first flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima?

...that during the Croatian War of Independence the Croatian ship registry was not recognized, so Atlantska Plovidba registered its ships under the Flag of Malta?

July-August 2008 edit

...that the Italian mountain Cimon della Pala appears on the coat of arms of the Guardia di Finanza (pictured)?

...that the coat of arms of Russia was designed by Yevgeny Ukhnalyov, a former political prisoner?

...that the design of the Flag of Tunisia was slightly altered in its 1999 codification?

...that in Scottish heraldry, slogans may appear above a crest or coat of arms, or below a main motto?

...that the American Palestine Line claimed that its ship the SS President Arthur was the first ocean liner to fly the Zionist flag when it began service in 1925?

...that George Hargreaves, Christian Party candidate in the 2008 UK Haltemprice and Howden by-election, said that the dragon symbol on the Welsh flag is "nothing less than the sign of Satan"?

September-October 2008 edit

...that the Alamogordo Museum of History owns a rare 47-star U.S. flag, thought to have been made in 1912 to celebrate the entry of New Mexico into the United States?

...that the Russian frigate Oryol was completed in 1669 as the first Russian naval ship, and flew the earliest recorded white, blue, and red Russian flag?

...that politicians proposed replacing the red lion on the Flag of Tasmania with a thylacine or Cape Barren Goose?

...that in 1817, the previously banned coat of arms of Paris was restored to its traditional form?

December 2008 edit

...that, among the flags of Romania, the removal of the socialist coat of arms during the Romanian Revolution of 1989 gave rise to the phrase "the flag with the hole" (pictured)?

...that Christopher E. Gadsden, the fourth Episcopal bishop of South Carolina, was the grandson of Christopher Gadsden, the designer of the Gadsden flag? (pictured)?

...that in The Stages of Life, German painter Caspar David Friedrich depicted his son holding a Swedish flag because Friedrich considered himself half-Swedish?

...that Kasim Reed, a 2009 Atlanta mayoral candidate, is known for keeping the battle emblem of the Confederate States of America from being considered for inclusion on the Georgia State Flag?

...that for the filming of Max Manus in 2008, the flag of Nazi Germany was flown from the roof of the Norwegian parliament building for the first time in over 60 years?

January 2009 edit

...that the tiger in the Coat of arms of Singapore represents Malaysia?

...that Donal McLaughlin, as part of a team led by Oliver Lincoln Lundquist, designed a logo for the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization that became the model for the Flag of the United Nations?

February 2009 edit

...that it has been claimed that Clan Schaw descends from cup bearers to the Scots kings Alexander II or Alexander III; and that the clan's coat of arms alludes to the office of cup bearer?

...that Rideau was the first Canadian company to be granted its own coat of arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority?

April 2009 edit

...that Arthur Bliss wrote A Colour Symphony after he came across a book on heraldry in which he read of the symbolic meanings attached to certain colours?

May 2009 edit

...that Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera once served on the committee that designed the Buddhist flag (pictured) in 1885?

...that the cross in the coat of arms of Colchester represents the True Cross, as discovered by Saint Helena of Constantinople, the patron saint?

...that C. S. Schilbred was among the founders of both the Norwegian Genealogical Society and the Norwegian Heraldry Society?

June 2009 edit

...that Puerto Rican poet Francisco Matos Paolí was arrested in 1950 because he made four speeches in favor of Puerto Rico's independence and he had a Puerto Rican Flag in his house?

July 2009 edit

...that the Flag of Nunavut (pictured) features an inukshuk, a traditional Inuit monument that guides travelers and marks sacred sites?

...that the flag of New Mexico is designed after the Zia tribe's symbol?

...that the first Czechoslovakian flag was handed over by the President of France in the small Vosges town of Darney?

...that Paul Bunker died in a Japanese POW camp in 1943 but kept hidden a remnant of the U.S. flag from the Battle of Corregidor now displayed at the West Point Museum?

August 2009 edit

...that the herald Robert Glover was appointed to the office of Norroy King of Arms jointly with his 82-year-old father-in-law William Flower in 1580?

...that the English herald Ralph Brooke tricked Sir William Segar into granting a coat of arms to a London hangman?

...that the Fairy Flag is traditionally thought to have been a gift from the fairies to the chiefs of Clan Macleod?

October 2009 edit

...that the three caducei on the Flag of Brisbane (pictured) represent Hermes' role as the protector of commerce, and not its more familiar meaning associated with medicine?

...that from 1850 until 1872, the Party Processions Act made it illegal to parade with music, flags or banners in Ireland?

...that the Treaty of Grimnitz allowed Brandenburgian prince-electors to touch Pomeranian flags?

...that the current flag of Bhutan was introduced after it was noticed the previous square version didn't flutter like the flag of India?

...that a recently rediscovered Union Jack presented to James Clephan after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 is the only surviving flag from the battle?

December 2009 edit

...that the triskelion (pictured) in MacLeod heraldry originates from a belief that the clan's founder, Leod, was a son of a king of Mann?

...that according to Chinese scholar Wei Yuan, British ships mistook Chinese red flags for a declaration of war, triggering the First Battle of Chuenpee (1839) in the First Opium War?

...that the silver fern flag was a proposed alternate flag in the New Zealand flag debate?

...that in 2006 Devon County Council first raised the flag of Devon, which was designed by a member of the public in 2002 via an online poll on BBC Devon?

...that Benny Benson created the Alaskan flag while living at the Jesse Lee Home for Children, an orphanage in Seward, Alaska?

...that the flag on the top of the Tall Hermann tower on Toompea Hill is one of the best-known symbols in Estonia of the government in power?

January 2010 edit

...that the civil flag of Monaco utilizes the heraldic colors of the House of Grimaldi?

February 2010 edit

...that Togolese painter and sculptor Paul Ahyi, who designed the flag of Togo, was inducted as a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2009?

...that in 1865, William Carpenter Bompas protected his party of ox-carts from attacks by purportedly hostile Sioux by flying the Flag of England?

...that during the Convention of Aguascalientes the Zapatista Antonio Díaz Soto y Gama said that the Mexican flag symbolized "triumph of clerical reaction" and was then threatened by other attendees?

March 2010 edit

...that Indonesia's first flag flown was fashioned by its first first lady Fatmawati?

...that the state flag of the German state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is used on state police boats?

April 2010 edit

...that Atlanta, Georgia-based architect Cecil Alexander designed a controversial Georgia state flag (pictured) that flew from 2001-2003?

...that the coat of arms of Kola depicts a whale because whaling was the occupation of many residents of the town?

...that while the 126.8 metre Raghadan Flagpole is both earthquake and weather-resistant, the 60 metre by 30 metre Flag of Jordan that it flies must be lowered during high winds due to excessive noise?

July 2010 edit

...that Hinke Bergegren's Under röd flagg was the first periodical to introduce detailed accounts of anarchist thought in Sweden?

August 2010 edit

...that Albany, New York has a life-size version of its coat of arms that was sculpted by a local political cartoonist?

September 2010 edit

...that Moustache, a French poodle, is said to have been awarded a medal by Marshal Jean Lannes for saving a regimental flag at the Battle of Austerlitz?

October 2010 edit

...that the Flag of Macha (pictured) is considered to be the first physical flag of Argentina?

January 2011 edit

...that the designer of the Coat of arms of New South Wales, William Gullick, was also responsible for heraldic influences in postage stamp design?

May 2011 edit

...that Filep Karma is serving a 15-year jail sentence for raising the flag of West Papua in Jayapura, Indonesia?

June 2011 edit

...that the Dering Roll begins with the coats of arms of two illegitimate sons of King John of England?

...that the seals of the graduate schools of Harvard University were designed by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose?

July 2011 edit

...that the United Nations Honour Flag was designed as a symbol of the Allies of World War II at the suggestion of Winston Churchill?

...that the Duke of Cambridge's Personal Canadian Flag was first used during the 2011 royal tour of Canada?

August 2011 edit

...that during the Indonesian National Revolution the first Indonesian flag, Bendera Pusaka (first hoisting pictured), was cut in half to save it from the Dutch military forces?

...that artist Corwin Clairmont designed the Salish-Kootenai's tribal seal when he was 15 and it is still used today?

...that for most of Sir Richard Lane's time as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, there was no Great Seal?

...that the sculptor Gilbert Ledward created a new Great Seal of the Realm in 1953?

...that the Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was first used on January 1, 1941?

...that the 1255 Seal of Mindaugas, celebrated as the only surviving depiction of King of Lithuania Mindaugas, could be a medieval forgery by the Teutonic Knights?

October 2011 edit

...that educator Anna Essinger, ordered to fly the swastika on Hitler's birthday in 1933, planned a day-long outing for her school, leaving the flag to fly over an empty building?

November 2011 edit

...that some of the reliquaries for books called cumdachs were carried into battle as standards in Medieval Ireland?

October 2012 edit

...that the round symbol on the coat of arms (pictured) of Toppenstedt represents the Tangendorf disk brooch, an Iron Age fibula discovered at a Bronze Age tumulus in the German municipality in 1930?

...that King Edward III of England ordered stars effaced from the coat of arms of Sir Amery of Pavy for trying to sell Calais, a seaport of which he was the governor, to the French?

...that Yusak Pakage was sentenced to ten years in prison after raising the Morning Star flag?

...that the flags hoisted by the Finnish icebreaker Tarmo on 3 March 1918 included a large white tablecloth?

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