Symbols of Talahara

Messidor Union

File:Messidor Flag.png
Use	National flag, civil and state ensign
Proportion	14:25
Adopted	May 9, 1856
Design	A black field, a red fist striking upward and shattering a ring of chains in the centre.
Variant flag of the Messidor Union
Use	Civil flag
Proportion	varies
Adopted	As a national flag on June 20, 1831, relegated to a civil flag on May 9, 1856
Design	A black field.
File:Messidorian Naval Ensign.png Variant flag of the Messidor Union
Use	Naval ensign
Proportion	111:200
Adopted	October 10, 1866
Design	A black field, a red fist striking upward and shattering a ring of chains in the canton, a sanguine sea on the lower fly.

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.

History

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.

Colours

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.

Scheme	Black	Red
Pantone	Black 6 C	Red 180 C
CMYK	0.0.0.100	0.75.75.24
RGB	(0,0,0)	(193,48,49)
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.

• Messidor Flag.png

  New Black Banner
  National flag:
  1856-present

• 

  Old Black Banner
  National flag:
  1831-1856
  Civil flag:
  1856-present

Emblems of the Messidor Union

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 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.

• 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

Flags of Aɣmatia

Aɣmatian flags incorporate a combination of traditional Amaziɣ iconography and contemporary imagery. Traditionally, the Tifinaɣ character "yaz" (ⵣ or ⵥ), the equivalent of the letter "Z", has been seen as an emblem of Amaziɣ people dating back millennia. An early version of the character was featured on a third-century CE banner attributed to the Tamazɣa confederation. 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

• Aɣmatia flag.png

  National flag:
  1799-present

• 

  Amxzninassa standard
  De facto national flag:
  1792-1799

• Flag of Libya (1977–2011, 3-2).svg

  Izîlid banner
  National flag:
  1513-1799

Provincial flags

• 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

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 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 Ottonian Bauhaus design.

National flags

• Merovia flag.png

  National flag:
  c. 12th century CE to present

• 

  Old Black Banner
  Unofficial national flag:
  1824-1831

• Flag of West Merovia.png

  Martyr's Banner
  Official national flag:
  February 11, 1830 to May 9, 1830

Provincial flags

• 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