National Flag Origins: Religion, Revolution and Rivalry

Abstract

The introduction of national flags constitutes markers of nation building in the modern period and reflects political change. The national flag appears as a symbol for mass-participating nations that emerged with new notions of citizenship and ‘oneness’ after the course of 1789. Some flags survived from pre-modern times and were transformed into national flags as they were adopted by nations without states and states without nations. Elites in pursuit of power have played an essential role in the selection process throughout history. In this chapter we explore the reasons why flags became attached to nations and explain why some flag designs survived over time and others did not. Flag-related symbolism will be explored with reference to the latter part of the Middle Ages (1100–1500) to the early modern period (1500–1800) up to the modern period from 1800 onwards. The flags of Britain, France and Norway are discussed in detail as they represent different nation-building processes reflected in the adoption of their national flags. The conclusions drawn from the role of national flags in the building of nations will be discussed in this chapter and the next. The first building block is laid in this chapter by exploring the current national flags of Europe and by identifying different flag types aligning these with three main symbolic regimes and corresponding narratives developing in the ages of pre-modern, modern and post-imperial nations.