Flag of Walzenia
| File:Flag of Walzenia modern.png | |
| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 1:2 |
| Adopted | 12 December 1976 |
| Design | A red canvas on the first third of the hoist-side, with a black thunderbird holding a gold hammer and torch; on the other two thirds, three alternating stripes of in the order of blue, red, and blue. |
The flag of Walzenia (Waltch: flagge vom Walzenja), also commonly referred to as the Moienrout (lit. Waltch: morning red, meaning sunset), Dondervugel (thunderbird) and Balken en Wulleken (beams and wings), is the national flag of the Federated Commonwealths of Walzenia. It consists of a dark red canvas, with a black thunderbird holding a golden hammer and torch on the hoist-side, and two vertical, cyan-blue bars on the right-hand side. The flag was adopted on December 12th, 1976 as part of a set of decolonization reforms. It was designed by indigenous rights activist Wijome Meyer and won a contest and referendum for a new flag design the previous year.
The thunderbird, while not a universal symbol, is an important symbol and figure in the cultures of many of Walzenia's indigenous cultures. Specific legends and beliefs vary, but thunderbirds were typically mighty messengers of the Great Spirit who did battle with evil spirits, brought rainfall, and enjoyed heroic deeds. It was seen as a common symbol and as thematically comparable to the Waltch avalerion. The vertical blue bars are a continuation of the vexillological tradition of the coat of arms of the House of Avaler, and, since the early 18th century, have been a non-aristocratic symbol of the Belisarian Waltch population. Combined with the red canvas, the two symbols together are considered to represent the unity of the two historic populations of Walzenia under the common cause of socialism.
Historical flags
Sovereign Colonies
The Sovereign Colonies did not have a single overarching flag designated by the Tyrrslandic crown. Rather, each colony had its own unique flag. However, with the influx of Niederaulish settlers from Staalmark beginning in the 17th century, the colonies began developing a unique, shared cultural identity which was eventually expressed through an unofficial flag.
This flag was a simple banner of alternating blue and orange stripes, colloquially called the Blauw en Oranje (Blue and Orange) or De Strepen (The Stripes). There was no consensus on how many stripes of each color the flag should have, nor what shade of orange or blue the stripes were. The Blauw en Oranje was based on the coat of arms of the House of Avaler, a prominent aristocratic family that had been among the first to come to northern Norumbia in 1613 and which remained extremely influential in Waltch culture and politics until the early 19th century. Their coat of arms featured an orange escutcheon with two horizontal blue bars, overlayed by a white avalerion (an example of canting arms). The dual blue bars, as well as the avalerion (sometimes expressed as a white eagle), would go on to be scrubbed of their aristocratic implications and become an enduring symbol of Walzenia and Waltch culture. The Blauw en Oranje itself remained popular even after the Sovereign Congress officially adopted a different flag in 1723, displayed copiously in many state and civil capacities until the Second Waltch Revolution in 1919.
Although the Blauw en Oranje became somewhat taboo after the Second Revolution, due to its colonial and aristocratic origins, it was reclaimed in the 1980s and is once again openly displayed as a symbol of Belisarian Waltch culture.
Avalerian Republic
In 1724, the Sovereign Congress adopted a different flag than the Blauw en Oranje as the official flag of the Federal Republic of Walzenia, historiographically referred to as the First Republic of Avalerian Republic. The new flag was designed by Anneliesje Tuudor, wife of Maagdeland representative Florents Tuudor, and was again heavily based on the Avaler coat of arms. It featured two blue stripes on an orange canvas, with a line of five white stars between them. The five stars, and their position, were representative of the unity and brotherhood of all ten former colonies. Some interpretations also see the stars as representing the five distinct geographic-cultural regions of the country at that time - the St. Anne River, the northern coast, the southern coast, the Aderon Mountains, and the continental interior. Colloquially, this flag was called the Stjerren en Barren (Stars and Bars), and was the official federal flag until the Second Waltch Revolution.
Waltch Socialist Republic
After the proclamation of the Waltch Socialist Republic (sometimes referred to as the Third Republic) in 1919, there was no concerted effort to designate a new flag for the duration of the civil war (1919-1921). Thus, many different provisional flags were used by different groups in different parts of the country. Some notable or popular ones included:
- The flag of the Federation of Mescousinite Syndicates, a red banner featuring three black chevrons pointing towards the fly, evocative of the state's motto ("Forward!"), was eventually repurposed into a war flag, a version of which remains in use today.
- Many Matagamon anarchists used a shallow swallowtail-with-tongue with five stripes, alternating between red and black, with pair of white ellipsis in the shape of eye on a black hoist-side section. Written in black uppercase letters, divided among the three red stripes, was the phrase: "Doe jouw aagen / nit bliede / van unrechtigkeet?" (Do your eyes / not bleed / from injustice?"). In modern times, this flag is often referred to as the Bliedig Flagge (Bleeding Flag) and is still used nationwide as a protest flag.
- Workers' councils on the east coast, particularly in Blowhiwen, utilized a crimson banner with the phrase "So hie sterwed zu machen mensen helleg, lit uns sterwen zu mensen fräi maachen" ("As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free"), written in gold, uppercase letters. This is a reference to the Ferron Mountain Hymn, a protest song originating with striking workers around 1878 and since adopted as a marching song by socialist militias.
- Oniegamie anarchists in Mossanie used a black banner featuring a white thunderbird (sometimes stylized as a simple X) in the center. This is theorized to have been the inspiration for Wijome Meyer's modern use of the thunderbird.
- Additionally, simple blank red or black banners were used by many diverse groups.
Following the end of the civil war in 1921, a new flag was designed for official state use by Minister of Agriculture Maurice Lang. Colloquially called the Moienrout (sunrise), it was a red field with a horizontal orange stripe running through the center, framed by much narrower blue stripes, with a white version of the Third Republic's seal overlaid hoist-side on the stripe. This flag was generally unpopular and many groups and regions retained use of their own flags for the duration of the Third Republic. Another version, lacking the seal and using five white stars in the central orange stripe in the style of the First Republic's flag, was occasionally used for state functions and enjoyed more popularity.
Democratic Federation
After the dissolution of the Third Republic in 1953, the newly formed Democratic Federation of Walzenia adopted an entirely new flag to distance itself from the old, unpopular regime. The new flag was designed by schoolteacher Juri Zimisch and won a contest and referendum to choose a new flag. It features a red field with two vertical blue bars on the right-hand side and a simplified, white version of the federal seal for which it is named - a white star inside a circle, which is made of half of a cog and half of a sheef of grain (sometimes interpreted as wild rice). Thus, it is colloquially called the Stjer en Tandwiel. Turning the blue bars vertically was intended to represent the paradigm shift between the old republic and new federation, a way of acknowledging the past while using it to build a different future. Another version of the flag featuring one large star in the hoist, without the cog, was also, less frequently, used. The flag was criticized by some for being too similar to the old regime's flag, but it was generally much more popular than the previous flag and enjoyed copious use in a variety of settings. It was used until 1976, when it was replaced with the current flag.
During this period, some groups used a flag made of alternating vertical red and blue stripes, meant to evoke the Blauw en Oranje, based on the vertical bars design of the Stjer en Tandwiel. This eventually fell out of use as the original Blauw en Oranje came back into regular, acceptable use in the 1980s.
Other flags
| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
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1976-present | Hanging variant of national flag | A red canvas with narrow cyan stripes on both edges, featuring the federal seal in the center towards the top. |
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1976–present | Civil ensign and merchant flag | Alternating stripes of red and blue, three each. |
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1982–present | Naval ensign | Bisected into a blue half on the left, red half on the right, with a white design depicting a Mishibijiw in the left half. The Mishibijiw, often depicted as evil, extremely powerful water-dwelling spirits, was adopted as a symbol of the Federal Navy in the 1980s. Some believe that, by invoking the spirit on the ensign, sailors secure safe passage and redirect them towards their enemies. |
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1979-present | War flag, used by all branches of the Bondeweier | A red canvas featuring two black chevrons, with a black thunderbird on the hoist-side. |