Symbols of Talahara: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox flag
[[Talahara]] has a rich symbological tradition, rooted primarily in the art of tapestry making practiced by both Kel Aman and Kel Hadar ethnic groups. These cultures developed a complex system, or language, of icons and sigils with socio-religious significance. These sigils are a uniquely Talaharan system, even within broader Kel cultures, and are chief among the most recognizable images associated with the country.
| Name = [[Messidor Union]]
| Article = the
| Image = Messidor Flag.png
| Image_size = 200px
| Alt = Flag of the Messidor Union
| Use = {{wp|National flag}}, {{wpl|civil ensign|civil}} and {{wpl|state ensign}}
| Proportion = 14:25
| Adoption = May 9, 1856
| Design = A black field, a red fist striking upward and shattering a ring of chains in the centre.
| Image2 = Black flag.svg
| Noborder2 = yes
| Use2 = {{wp|Civil flag}}
| Adoption2 = As a national flag on June 20, 1831, relegated to a civil flag on May 9, 1856
| Proportion2 = varies
| Design2 = A black field.
| Designer =
| Image3 = Messidorian Naval Ensign.png
| Noborder3 = yes
| Use3 = {{wp|Naval ensign}}
| Adoption3 = October 10, 1866
| Proportion3 = 111:200
| Design3 = A black field, a red fist striking upward and shattering a ring of chains in the canton, a sanguine sea on the lower fly.
| Designer =
}}


The '''flag of the [[Messidor Union]]''', often referred to as the '''Black Banner''' or the '''New Black Banner''', consists of a clenched red fist striking upward and shattering a red ring of chains on a black field. Officially adopted in 1856, replacing a simple black flag as the national flag of the Union, the striking fist has since become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Messidor Union.
Socialist and more specifically syndicalist iconography has also had a major impact on modern symbolic representations of Talahara. The Black Banner, the national flag, is a simple black flag that represents unostentatious unity among the commoners. Cogwheels, farming implements, and other icons of labour and the working class are common symbols used in and associated with Talahara.


==History==
{{wp|Tifinaɣ}}, the writing system for the Takelat languages of the Kel peoples, is also a recognizable symbol of Talaharan culture. The standard Talaharan alphabet contains 28 letters, with some variation from the alphabet used by the neighbouring Kel Tenere.
The movement to design a unique and recognizable flag for the Messidor Union began at its inception but gathered momentum in the 1850s. The plain black flag known as the Black Banner was found to be ill-suited to definitively identify Messidorian civil and naval vessels. The captains of Messidorian vessels bypassed these concerns by flying the Black Banner alongside either an Aɣmatian or an East Merovian flag. The 1840s had seen the dawn of the federalist movement in the Union with a push for greater unity between its constituent nations. In July 1854, the ruling Federalist Party resolved to design a single, recognizable, and neutrally Messidorian flag that would suit both Aɣmatian and East Merovian workers.


The flag was designed by a committee in the Workers' Congress. The final design was unveiled on May 10, 1856, the 26th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Merovia. This, along with the fact that the design drew heavily upon Merovian revolutionary banners, invoked the ire of several Aɣmatian representatives. Nevertheless, the motion to adopt the flag was carried the very same day. Acceptance of the design in the southern nation came gradually but steadily over the next decade.
==Flag==
Talahara's flag is a simple black flag, alliteratively referred to as the "black banner" (in {{wp|Central Atlas Tamazight|Tamaziɣt}}: ''alam abašan''; ⴰⵍⴰⵎ ⴰⴱⴰⵛⴰⵏ). The simple black banner was adopted by several anarchist factions during the [[Talaharan Civil War]]. Historically, Talaharan flags have consisted of single-colour blocks. The Third Talaharan Kingdom was generally represented by a medium-dark crimson banner. The Republic of Talahara adopted a green flag. The anarchists favoured black as a common colour representative of the struggle of the working classes. After the war, several variants of the flag were used, including versions with sigils or other symbols centered on a black field. Ultimately, the plain black flag was adopted in official use by the government of the United Communes.


==Colours==
A flag with the lion's paw sigil in red centered on a black field is often used as a variant flag. At sea, the same flag is flown as a naval ensign, with the plain black flag the only authorized civil or merchant ensign. A third variant with red waves and a red anchor sigil in the canton on a black field is used as a naval jack.
The plain black symbolizes anarchy or opposition to governance. The black flag was adopted by East Merovian revolutionaries who opposed to the monarchy and favoured local autonomous and later syndical governance. Black was traditionally associated with commoners in the early-modern era of Belisaria, in contrast with the bright colours and expensive dyes featured in the clothing of nobility. Fashion and the availability of dyes shifted away from this trend as a rule, but the symbolism remained.


In Merovia, red was associated with the martyrdom of Saint Aliénor and the struggle against tyranny. Both the Merovian revolutionaries and the Kingdom of Merovia under Henry IV adopted red as an accent colour. Red was also the primary colour of the flag of Aɣmatia, traditionally adopted by the coastal Kel Adrar to contrast the blues of the desert-dwelling Kel Tamashek and the greens of the Gharib regimes in Aɣmatia. Internationally, red became associated with socialism either before the Messidorian revolutions with the Red Banner Movement in [[Zacapican]] or after, popularized by the revolutions in Belisaria and Scipia.
<gallery>
 
Black flag.svg|National flag, civil and merchant ensign
{| width="60%" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="background:#f5f5f5; border: 1px solid #aaaaaa; border-collapse: collapse; white-space: nowrap; text-align: left"
Talaharan Navy Jack.svg|Variant flag, naval ensign
|- style="text-align: center; background: #eee"
Talaharan Navy Ensign.svg|Naval jack
! Scheme
!style="background:#000000; color:white" | Black
!style="background:#C13031" color:white" | Red
|-
| {{wpl|Pantone}}
| Black 6 C
| Red 180 C
|-
| {{wpl|CMYK color model|CMYK}}
| 0.0.0.100
| 0.75.75.24
|-
| {{wpl|RGB color model|RGB}}
| (0,0,0)
| (193,48,49)
|-
| {{wpl|Hex color|HEX}}
| #000000
| #C13031
|}
 
==Flags of the Messidor Union==
In addition to the new flag, the old Black Banner was officially retained for use as a civil flag, though its shape and proportions are indeterminate and vary widely in practice. Both the current flag of the Messidor Union featuring the striking fist emblem and the old plain black flag of the Union are referred to as the "Black Banner". To distinguish the two, some people refer to the plain black flag as the "Old Black Banner", or simply "Old Black", and the new flag featuring the striking fist emblem as the "New Black Banner". The current naval ensign of the Messidor Union was adopted in 1866, adding the striking fist emblem to the existing motif which featured a sea of blood over a black field.
<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
Messidor Flag.png|New Black Banner</br>National flag:</br>1856-present
Black flag.svg|Old Black Banner</br>National flag:</br>1831-1856</br>Civil flag:</br>1856-present
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Emblems of the Messidor Union==
==Lion's paw sigil==
The emblem of the Messidor Union is a black and red cockade, at the centre of which is the striking fist motif, all wreathed in sheaves of grain stemming from a cogwheel, with the national motto "They Shall Not Pass" written in Audonic and Tifinaɣ on a band. The Aɣmatian and East Merovian national emblems are variants on this design, featuring their national colours with the striking fist motif replaced by a "yaz" character and a fleur-de-lys, respectively.
The national emblem of Talahara is the lion's paw sigil: a symbol taken from Talahara's artisanal tradition of tapestry weaving. The lion's paw is a representation of Talahara, drawing from its etymological origin "font of lions", and from its meaning within the symbology of Talaharan tapestry as a sigil of strength and protection. Talaharan tapestries have traditionally been woven with sigils imbuing powers into the finished pieces. These powers are occasionally treated with superstitious reverence, but in the modern era are more commonly regarded as well-wishes. Tapestries with a lion's paw imbue divine protection into a home. Sigils of trees promise easy life and happiness, grains imbue fertility, and bees promote good work. The lion's paw has been associated as a symbol of Talahara since the 9th century CE, but was only officially adopted as a symbol in 1845.


The Union's emblem and its national counterparts were introduced in 1901. Prior to this, the striking fist motif was often used as an emblem along and the yaz and fleur were informally considered emblems of their respective nations. Each of these three symbols were frequently used to emboss seals and documents before the official emblems were introduced.
==Colours==


<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
==See also==
Messidor Emblem.svg|Emblem of the Messidor Union
Aghmatia Emblem.svg|Emblem of the Confederation of Aɣmatia
East Merovia Emblem.svg|Emblem of the Republic of Merovia
</gallery>
 
==Flags of Aɣmatia==
Aɣmatian flags incorporate a combination of traditional Amaziɣ iconography and contemporary imagery. The ten-pointed star, representing the sun, is a symbol of [[Kaharnism]]. More specifically, the interlaced outline with acute points is identified with the [[Itmassan-ddin]] branch of the faith and was adopted to represent the Kel Adrar of Aɣmatia. Blue or indigo cloth is associated with the southern Amaziɣ people, also known as the Kel Tamashek. This tradition extends to the northern Kel Adrar, but some wealthy peoples along the coast replaced blue dyes with more expensive reds. As such, red came to be occasionally associated with the Kel Adrar.
 
Aɣmatian flag design was also heavily influenced by the Caliphates which were frequently represented by solid coloured banners. The first two Caliphates made use of black and white banners and the Huwalid emirs who governed Aɣmatia made use of these banners, occasionally embroidered with filigrees or lines from prayers. After the Gharibized Amaziɣ Izîlid dynasty took power over an independent Aɣmatia in 1513, the kings represented themselves with solid green banners. This continued up to the collapse of the Izîlid dynasty and the Kingdom of Aɣmatia in 1799.
====National flags====
<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
Aɣmatia flag.png|National flag:</br>1799-present
Flag of the Emirate of Mascara.svg|Amxzninassa standard</br>De facto national flag:</br>1792-1799
Flag of Libya (1977–2011, 3-2).svg|Izîlid banner</br>National flag:</br>1513-1799
Flag of Kel Ahaggar.svg|Tamazɣa banner</br>c. 5th century BCE-</br>2nd century BCE
</gallery>
 
====Provincial flags====
<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
New Aɣmat flag.png|Flag of New Aɣmat
Sakriwadunsn flag.png|Flag of Kirthan
Tafriqt flag.png|Flag of North Zwawa
Lbhar Rmla flag.png|Flag of South Zwawa
Hlushra flag.png|Flag of Rmla'hlu
Amara Akal flag.png|Flag of Amara
</gallery>
 
==Flags of East Merovia==
The traditional flag of Merovia features three bands: gold, white, and black. The symbolism of the colours came to be described sometime in the 15th century CE and the actual meaning behind the choices is uncertain. The early-modern interpretation of the flag's meaning is as follows: white and black bands follow the pattern signifying purity and imperial authority, respectively, and Audonian cultural identity together; while the gold band represents wheat and wealth.
 
The Martyr's Banner is an alternative flag flown traditionally by Merovian nobles related to the current Holy Audonian Emperor. It is based on the banner that Saint Aliénor the Martyr allegedly carried into battle. In the latter stages of the [[Messidorian revolutions#Merovian_revolution|Merovian revolution]], King Henry IV adopted the flag as a symbol of Merovian royalty. The banner was only officially regarded as the national flag of Merovia from the date of King Louis XII's execution to the date that a treaty was signed and East and West Merovia divided.
 
Modern East Merovian flags combine design cues from traditional Audonian heraldry and modern anarcho-syndicalist aesthetics. The flag of Aix-des-Vaux is a traditional anarchist banner emblazoned with a red fleur-de-lys. The flag of Artesia is a traditional bordered field with a sheaf of wheat emblazoned on the centre; the traditional symbol of the province dating back centuries. The flag of High Grail is the newest provincial flag in the Messidor Union. Created in 1934, the minimalist flag is said to have been influenced by [[North Ottonia|Ottonian]] {{wpl|Bauhaus}} design.
 
====National flags====
<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
Merovia flag.png|National flag:</br>c. 12th century CE to present
Black flag.svg|Old Black Banner</br>Unofficial national flag:</br>1824-1831
Flag of West Merovia.png|Martyr's Banner</br>Official national flag:</br>February 11, 1830 to May 9, 1830
</gallery>
 
====Provincial flags====
<gallery mode="nolines" perrow="7" widths="150" style="background:#f5f5f5; padding:15px; text-align:center">
Aix-des-Vaux flag.png|Flag of Aix-des-Vaux
Mousillon flag.png|Flag of Guibellines
Grissons flag.png|Flag of Grissons
Couronne flag.png|Flag of Couronne
Nazaire flag.png|Flag of High Grail
Bastonne flag.png|Flag of Artesia
</gallery>


[[Category:Ajax]]
[[Category:Ajax]]
[[Category:Messidor]]
[[Category:Talahara]]
[[Category:Flags]]
[[Category:Flags]]

Latest revision as of 22:10, 13 March 2023

Talahara has a rich symbological tradition, rooted primarily in the art of tapestry making practiced by both Kel Aman and Kel Hadar ethnic groups. These cultures developed a complex system, or language, of icons and sigils with socio-religious significance. These sigils are a uniquely Talaharan system, even within broader Kel cultures, and are chief among the most recognizable images associated with the country.

Socialist and more specifically syndicalist iconography has also had a major impact on modern symbolic representations of Talahara. The Black Banner, the national flag, is a simple black flag that represents unostentatious unity among the commoners. Cogwheels, farming implements, and other icons of labour and the working class are common symbols used in and associated with Talahara.

Tifinaɣ, the writing system for the Takelat languages of the Kel peoples, is also a recognizable symbol of Talaharan culture. The standard Talaharan alphabet contains 28 letters, with some variation from the alphabet used by the neighbouring Kel Tenere.

Flag

Talahara's flag is a simple black flag, alliteratively referred to as the "black banner" (in Tamaziɣt: alam abašan; ⴰⵍⴰⵎ ⴰⴱⴰⵛⴰⵏ). The simple black banner was adopted by several anarchist factions during the Talaharan Civil War. Historically, Talaharan flags have consisted of single-colour blocks. The Third Talaharan Kingdom was generally represented by a medium-dark crimson banner. The Republic of Talahara adopted a green flag. The anarchists favoured black as a common colour representative of the struggle of the working classes. After the war, several variants of the flag were used, including versions with sigils or other symbols centered on a black field. Ultimately, the plain black flag was adopted in official use by the government of the United Communes.

A flag with the lion's paw sigil in red centered on a black field is often used as a variant flag. At sea, the same flag is flown as a naval ensign, with the plain black flag the only authorized civil or merchant ensign. A third variant with red waves and a red anchor sigil in the canton on a black field is used as a naval jack.

Lion's paw sigil

The national emblem of Talahara is the lion's paw sigil: a symbol taken from Talahara's artisanal tradition of tapestry weaving. The lion's paw is a representation of Talahara, drawing from its etymological origin "font of lions", and from its meaning within the symbology of Talaharan tapestry as a sigil of strength and protection. Talaharan tapestries have traditionally been woven with sigils imbuing powers into the finished pieces. These powers are occasionally treated with superstitious reverence, but in the modern era are more commonly regarded as well-wishes. Tapestries with a lion's paw imbue divine protection into a home. Sigils of trees promise easy life and happiness, grains imbue fertility, and bees promote good work. The lion's paw has been associated as a symbol of Talahara since the 9th century CE, but was only officially adopted as a symbol in 1845.

Colours

See also