Alternative to flags

[DominusNovus]

How could flags end up differently?

For example, if vexillums were dominant, with the cloth hanging from a horizontal post, instead of the pole itself? Sure, its a bit more complicated, but not all that much. Just two sticks instead of one.

[David S Poepoe]

Thats, ah - umm, quite a stylish and manly posture there. I'm sure its suppose to cause dread and fear in one's enemies.

What about wearing those long white stockings? Oh, wait a minute those aren't stockings those are his legs! I guess you blind your enemy with those.

[carlton_bach]

Originally Posted by David S Poepoe

Thats, ah - umm, quite a stylish and manly posture there. I'm sure its suppose to cause dread and fear in one's enemies.

What about wearing those long white stockings? Oh, wait a minute those aren't stockings those are his legs! I guess you blind your enemy with those.

Well, the vexillum clearly identifies him as belonging to the Cohors II Praetoria. You really wouldn't expect soldiers like that to get much sunlight, evercise, or healthy outdoor living. Might as well make snide comments about the muscle tone of a Pentagon filing specialist.

[Thande]

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

[alt_historian]

Originally Posted by Thande

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

He he... finials. A funny word...

Anyway, one simple idea: what if we more often used triangular flags? Or maybe those long, streamer-type ones?

[demonkangaroo]

Or, what if we used swallow tail flags, like the Ohioan flag?

[Keenir]

here's a thought - rather than have everyone have a flag, give everyone a tattoo of their nation's emblem.

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by Keenir

here's a thought - rather than have everyone have a flag, give everyone a tattoo of their nation's emblem.

Or an armpit bloodtype tattoo...

[cow defender]

or maybe UPC code tatood to the forehead

[pa_dutch]

Originally Posted by Keenir

here's a thought - rather than have everyone have a flag, give everyone a tattoo of their nation's emblem.

I could see that happening in some kind of Maoriwank.

Here's some other thoughts:

Ghanawank: Shirt designs like kente cloth are used to symbolize nationalism.

Incawank: Square banners made up of different colored squares, like the traditional wiphala.

Aztecawank: I read somewhere that some division of the Aztec empire used an umbrella made of different colored feathers in the same way a flag would be used.

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Thande

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

That's a great idea. They look like lollipops

[Tocomocho]

What about long vertical banners like in pre-Meiji Japan?



This is Toyotomi Hideyoshi's one, according to Flags of the World.

[Tocomocho]

And this my odd attempt to make a German version:

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Tocomocho

And this my odd attempt to make a German version:

It looks good.

[sunsurf]

Nepal's flag is the only national flag which isn't square or rectangular. I think one, or a few, are square, but most are rectangular.
Saudi Arabia's flag consists of Arabic writing on a green background.
Scotland's flag oughta be plaid. But they'd be fighting over which plaid.

[Susano]

Originally Posted by Tocomocho

And this my odd attempt to make a German version:

Ironically, Germany also does use a "Banner":
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/de.html#ver

[Roberto]

Here's my sorry attempt at a Russian banner.

[Sovereign12]

In one of the Flag contest challenges I had one nation use kites as the markers for army divisions and the sails for the navy. Eventually they both evolved into semi-triangular flags.

[Alayta]

Originally Posted by Thande

I once considered this for an alien race project, and what I came up with was, instead of flags, having enlarged spherical finials on poles with symmetrical designs all the way around them. These would be represented in 2D (e.g. on paper) by circular shapes, as shown below.

My thought were ping pong rackets...
Flags came in use due to their visibility from relativley large distances. Alternatives to flags should match that. Maybe some form of coloured smoke?

[SRT]

Well, it seems to me that most of the suggestions in this thread would be good "alternatives." The requirements of a flag are, in my mind, that it should be easily and instantly recognizable, even from far away.

I don't know how well colored smoke would be since there's only so many colors (although I suppose you could make combinations) but also it doesn't have the same permanence as a flag.