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Front Matter
Representing the Kingdom: The Vexillography and Heraldry of Hashemite Iraq, 1921-58
John T. Andrews, historian and vexillologist focusing on the modern Middle East
This article explores the vexillography, heraldry, and iconography of Hashemite Iraq from 1921 to 1958. Representations of the Iraqi state were rooted in the Arab Revolt (1916–18), a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The Hashemite monarchy created flags and iconography that attempted to place its newborn kingdom in transhistorical continuity with previous Arab dynasties and ancient Mesopotamian polities. The article first examines the Iraqi flag and its evolution before turning its attention to Iraqi heraldry’s form and meaning. It closes with a concise case study on postage stamps as a vehicle of state authority and British-Iraqi hybridity.
The Unwaved Flag in Churches: The U.S. Flag in American Lutheran Church Sanctuaries
Benjamin J. Nickodemus, doctoral candidate in Biblical Studies at Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri)
Many Lutheran churches in America place the United States and Christian flags in the sanctuary, very frequently on the chancel. This article focuses on the current use of the United States flag in the sanctuary and examines the history of how it came to be introduced. Contrary to myth, the flag did not enter primarily as a symbol of loyalty among German immigrants during the First World War, but rather came in unheralded alongside the service flag, and stayed there through the Second World War and beyond. Sometimes it accompanied church construction or renovation. Such flag use—an apparent contravention of the separation of church and state—is explored through the concept of banal nationalism. These flags are “unwaved”; they remain static in the sanctuaries of many Lutheran churches today, which creates a unique type of civil religion in America.
Liberian County Flags in Historical and Cultural Context
Steven A. Knowlton, Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University
The flags of Liberia’s counties are often derided in social media forums as “childish”, “poorly designed”, or “ugly”. However, such judgments, derived from European flag design traditions, fail to account for the cultural and political context in which the flags were created. This paper explores the historical circumstances of their introduction in the mid-1960s—a time of rising discontent among indigenous Liberians opposed to the government dominated by Americo-Liberians. The introduction of county flags—which draw upon Americo-Liberian quilting traditions and serve as a genre of flag design unique to the nation—served the political and cultural purposes of the ruling elite. This paper also addresses the reception by European and American audiences of flags employing an African artistic tradition, and how that reception is reflected in social media discussions of Liberian county flags.
Nehushtan at Sea: What is Fouling that Anchor?
Bard C. Cosman, colorectal surgeon and Professor of Clinical Surgery at University of California San Diego
There is an inherent paradox in the nearly universal use of a fouled anchor—an anchor with its cable wrapped around its shank—as a maritime emblem, because it represents an event no seaman
would wish for. Today’s ubiquitous fouled-anchor flags, ensigns, and emblems derive from the venerable symbol of the British Admiralty, which arose in the early 17th century. This in turn has its roots in the Christian use of the brazen-serpent standard (nehushtan) that Moses raised in the desert (Numbers 21:4–9). The anchor cross (St. Clement’s cross) with entwined serpent, called anchora sacra in the 16th century, evoked hope as the anchor of the Christian soul (Hebrews 6:19), as in the flag of Rhode Island. The stylization of the nehushtan’s snake into an anchor cable made the “sacred anchor” a nautical symbol and drained it of religious meaning, creating the paradoxical emblems we see today.
The Rise of the American Thin Blue Line Flag
Scott D. Mainwaring, editor of Raven, independent researcher, lecturer, and consultant
The American Thin Blue Line flag is a black-and-white version of the United States flag with the white stripe immediately below the canton replaced with a blue one, expressing support for police. It first appeared in December 2014 near the beginning of the most recent phase of political and often violent turmoil in the U.S. over relations between the police and communities of color. Since its introduction by a young entrepreneur in Michigan, the flag rapidly grew in prominence, particularly following the killing of police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas, in 2016. In terms of widespread adoption and emotional response (positive and negative), the flag is a remarkable entrepreneurial success story. This paper explores some of the reasons underlying its success. These correspond to different ways of understanding a flag: as a commercial product, as a graphic design, as a component of mourning rituals, as viral internet content, and as a carrier of contested meaning that benefits from institutional and rhetorical support. The case of the American Thin Blue Line flag
raises important theoretical and practical questions for vexillology: What constitutes success, and what makes a flag successful?
End Matter
Color Plates
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Scott D. Mainwaring, Ph.D., editor
Editorial Board:
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Perry Dane, J.D., Rutgers University
- Scot M. Guenter, Ph.D., San José State University
- Anne M. Platoff, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
- Kenneth W. Reynolds, Ph.D., Department of National Defence (Canada)
- Peter Ansoff, Annandale, Virginia (ex-officio)
Raven is a benefit of membership in NAVA.