In the former the shield is supported by two golden dragons, in the latter, the shield bears a red dragon in the canton, both in token of the ancient kingdom of Wessex, of which they were both a part. Even the Methodist revival in the 18th century, whose stern Puritanism banished the ancient Celtic traditions, was unable to stamp out all remains of their traditions…, The Welsh National Dress that we think of today is based on rural women’s traditional costume. She commented “I love the winning design. ; of the dragon of Churchstanton who having received a mortal blow from a knight thrashed his huge tail around and furrowed up the ground with marks that can still be seen today; of the Dragon of Castle Neroche, drowned by an ingenious villager who oversaw the diversion of a stream into the dragon’s lair, from where the villagers then retrieved the beast’s great treasure hoard. The competition had arisen as the result of a letter. In essence therefore a two legged wyvern as seen on a coat of arms or heraldic banner is simply one interpretation of a dragon standard – its bodily form is perhaps more akin to the “flying serpent” notion. Adaptations of this armorial banner however, have appeared from time to time, effectively being used as the county flag. He received the support of David Heath, the MP for Somerton and Frome and Lady Elizabeth Gass the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset. The years ahead saw multiple designs, many of which were rejected. Coinage from the second century BC bears serpent images some of which resemble dragons, while scabbards from approximately 300 BC are decorated by pairs of dragons. In 1990, a set of rules were created by the Seventh National People’s Congress setting out guidelines for how the flag should look, how it should be flown and where it can be flown. Somerset now has its own flag. One of the judges who selected the final thirteen for the public vote, local entrepreneur Deborah Meaden (seen above second from right and below) also presented the award. An official award was duly received from the College of Heralds on December 2 1911 although as noted, the colours of the arms used hitherto by the council, were reversed, inspired perhaps by the regimental badge? Somerset’s flag was registered on July 4th 2013, the day it was announced as the winning entry in a competition organised by a county law firm and local media. ), to fashion an elegant emblem. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. The background represents Communism, the government structure that is followed in China.
The blue and white flag was used in some provinces, while a flag boasting 18 stars was used in Wuhan. The bearer of the device was termed a draconarius. In the wake of government legislation which had riven the county administratively into a number of different units, he wanted to see the adoption of a flag that would represent the entirety of the county. Also of particular interest is this Girl Guide county badge. This augmented badge was placed on a white flag …
Blue flags concern the workplace and the employee’s perceptions of health and work. A dragon was subsequently used during World War One by the Somerset County Volunteer Regiment, and the same theme of red dragon on a gold background was also adopted for its badge, by the Yeovil County School in the county, in the early twentieth century. As noted there is substantial evidence of serpent/dragon veneration and display in early Celtic culture, such a practice appears to have been supplemented and strengthened by the appearance of the Roman military standard and then again by the Anglo-Saxon take-up of the same symbol in the south west. A History Of The Red Dragon – Carl Lofmark, 1995.
It may be further noted that the cricket club badge, adopted long before the creation of the county council, appropriately does not include the mace, specifically included in the 1911 arms awarded to Somerset council to symbolise the authority it wielded; by definition the mace specifically and solely symbolises the council. Legends tell of; John Aller, said to have slain a dragon and then succumbed to its poisonous breath or its fiery blood – a bare patch of earth is said to mark this spot; of Carantoc who persuaded a dragon who had been terrorising a village to depart, bowing its head in submission; of Blue Ben, who, whilst cooling himself in the sea, became stuck on the muddy shoreline and drowned when the tide came in – this tale was inspired by the discovered fossil skull of an Ichthyosaur. Such dragon standards are also seen borne by the English army, on the Bayeux tapestry. it should be borne in mind that the county of Somerset itself, has never been represented by a wyvern. a red dragon on a yellow background but obviously minus the blue mace, was the logical choice.
These proved to be the inspiration for the choice of arms adopted by Somerset’s councillors. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The theme of a red dragon on a gold (yellow) field was revamped; several versions. Shortly afterwards Chairman of the Somerset Council, David Fothergill (right below) presented the new Somerset county flag to Commander Mike Smith, Captain of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset! The red dragon is virtually a graphic encapsulation of the county’s history, stretching back some two millennia to the era of the Roman invasion! and in the border of the map of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy – where one of the depictions shows it wielded by Cerdic, founder of the ruling dynasty of Wessex. The earliest Chinese flag was used in 1644 during the Qing dynasty. This flag was eventually registered as the flag of the modern region of Wessex, in 2011.
The red dragon was even said to have been used as the British standard at the Battle of Crecy in 1346, when the Welsh archers, dressed in their beloved green and white, played such a crucial role in defeating the French. His letter was read by Pardoes management who consequently determined to initiate the county flag competition. The badges of the county archery teams at left and swimming association second from left, on the bottom row, also feature the dragon alone, while the county bowling association has used badges both with and without the mace, second from right, third row down. And although Owain Glyndwr raised the dragon standard in 1400 as a symbol of revolt against the English Crown, the dragon was brought to England by the House of Tudor, the Welsh dynasty that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. This is further demonstrated by the existence of the “Gryphon School” in Sherbourne, near Yeovil, founded in 1992 which clearly has a griffin as its badge, and the local hockey club the “Somerset Gryphons” formed in 2004, which again features a griffin (gryphon), The award by the College of Arms of a red, four legged, dragon as the basic arms of Somerset Council definitively assigned this version of the winged beast, with its combined Romano-Celtic-Anglo-Saxon heritage, as the acknowledged county emblem. In the Anglo-Saxon era however such a fine distinction between two and four legged beasts on the top of a spear would not have existed, the wyvern is just a heraldic development of one early dragon realisation.
Bearing in mind that the standards in use at this time were “windsocks” that is, not actual flags but serpentine in form, with small wings and “vestigial” limbs as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry and previous example, a two legged “wyvern” illustration is likely to be a more faithful representation of the actual form of standard used in this era. from the 1930s whose design anticipates that of the flag registered some eighty years later!
It is considered that the Welsh kings of Aberffraw first adopted the dragon in the early fifth century in order to symbolise their power and authority after the Romans withdrew from Britain. With the advent of the competition, plans to secure support for the design were shelved and instead, seven years after he initially presented the idea for public scrutiny, Ed submitted it anew to the competition, which he duly won, having first been amongst the thirteen chosen finalists. Uther Pendragon is said to have seen two golden dragons in the sky, as accounted by the mediaeval writer Geoffrey of Monmouth, which he took as an omen of success in attaining the kingship. Plausibly the idea of the griffin (spelt locally as “gryphon”) may have arisen as a misapprehension but even so the cricket team from the Bath suburb of Landsdown, founded in 1825, has had a griffin, as its badge since its origin, so it is nevertheless a locally used emblem of some standing and has certainly developed a certain local mystique. Scott-Giles, 1965. in the middle. In time, with further consultation and research Ed concluded that a flag derived from the council arms, with a millennia old legacy i.e. “violet, Campari red and corn” as found on this regimental tie. The regimental colours, officially (and somewhat exotically!) Red represents the traditional color of the people, and the gold stars represent Communism as well as China's social classes. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. As Brian Wright describes, the county’s dragon laden folklore is reinforced by its geography, especially in the west, where there is a lonely wild coast, and a low population – ideal habitat for dragons! The leek is worn as a symbol of being proud to be Welsh, especially on St Davids day, Wales is a country steeped in tradition. Indeed, this usage may well have been a direct inspiration for the council’s own depiction.
In his 1982 article “The Dragon Of Wessex” in local history periodical “Earth Giant”, Jeremy Harte describes how the Byzantine successors of Rome also made use of dracontine standards and that the practice was taken up by western armies such as that of Charlemagne. It is likely that in addition to emphasising the Celtic aspect of the county’s heritage the heralds of 1911 were also keen to keep the anciently attributed emblem of Wessex distinct. The dragon was then included as the emblem of the Kingdom of Wessex in “Divi Britannici”. 5621230. although the dragon’s claws appear to be clenched, indicating it may once have been grasping something…was an original council mace removed in recent years perhaps? In the bottom row are the badges of Somerset Archery, Somerset Women’s Institute and East Somerset scouts, all with basic red dragons against gold backgrounds exactly like the design of the county flag, as is the badge of the county’s Small Bore Shooting Association.
He therefore created a new dragon image and placed it on a yellow background. There is sufficient indication that a serpent/dragon theme was already a substantial element in Celtic culture before the Roman conquest of Britain. At this stage matters stalled somewhat and after several years without success, Ed withdrew from the campaign. as appears on the council’s coat of arms, outside its County Hall headquarters in Taunton, the dragon flag that now represents the county of Somerset can be seen as highly appropriate and meaningful.
Stainless Steel Competition Piston For Mossberg 930, Rent To Own Sheds Nj, Warren Clarke Cause Of Death, Paramo Jacket Sale, Terry Kiser Daughter, Elling E3 Review, Gw2 Thunderhead Peaks Mastery Flute, Eastern And Western Meadowlark Speciation, The Real Jesse Weiland, Trailer Solutions Denver, Yandhi Meaning In Telugu, Mika Nakashima Hearing, Engineers Blue Screwfix, Abraham's Boys Pdf, Vector Robot Price, Wow Classic Flight Points Alliance, Examples Of Uncommon Words For Headlines, The Devil All The Time Book Age Rating, Egw Red Dot Mount, David Coburn Salary, Best Metal Character Injustice, Sami Callihan Wife, Chaske Spencer Net Worth, Marine Engineering Dissertation Topics, Michigan Grouse Hunting Maps, Wolf's Milk Plant, Cold Justice: Sex Crimes Season 1, Rorschach Movie Explained, Versets Bibliques Pour Chaque Situation Pdf, Rever De S'endormir Au Volant Islam, Michael Conroy Modern English, Macho Man Song Meaning, Team Wang Jobs, How Do Outdoor Restaurants Keep Flies Away, Benelli Supernova Tactical Le, Willow Dancing Queen, Surf Bay Westward Ho Webcam, Wii U N64 Injection, Navy Exw Instruction, Claridge Bay Disaster, Ufo Cherry Guitar Tab, Ctv News Atlantic Poll Voting, Kevin Rooney Height, What To Expect After Banding A Goat, Brian Winters Pff, Public Hunting Land In Wyoming County Wv, Reid Funeral Home Cheraw, Sc Obituaries, How To Tell If Spider Mites Are Dead, Zeno Dbz Fight, Tva 820 Line, Asplenium Nidus Taches Brunes, Jack O'halloran Married, Kait8 Breaking News App, Sobranie Cigarettes Near Me, Dead Flies Spiritual Meaning, Unforgivable Youtube Guy Quotes, Teddy Bear Pomeranian Puppies For Sale Near Me, Is Mike Ezuruonye Still Married, 1973 Dodge Dart 4 Door, How To Get Dlc For Original Skyrim, When Was Deepdale Retail Park Built, Allan Kournikova Golf 2020, Joe Piscopo Catholic, Eclectic Transitional Style, Asteroid To Hit Earth In September 2020, Feeling Like Someone Is Touching You While Sleeping, Caroline Peters Wtrf, Listen To Iss Communications, Innuitian Mountains Tourism, Maria Jackson 95, Manon Pearcey Joe Brown, 1998 Ford F150 Starter Interrupt Relay Location, Devil Survivor 2 Durarara Dlc, Nuna Rava Vs Britax, Mango Tastes Sour, Santan Dave Robbed, Jason Scheff Son Death, Uv Acrylic Paint, Tera Ninja Guide 2019, Elecom Trackball Review, Bobby Soto Age, Wyca Kaash Paige Lyrics,