Flag of Isle of Man - Description of the Isle of Man Flag
The
Isle of Man is a British crown dependency and lies in the
Irish Sea
The origins
of the name of the island are unknown but it is referred to in
Scandinavian Sagas as Mon or Maon
As the
above picture of the Isle of Man Flag indicates the overall
background Red
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Isle of Man flag represent the
following:
Red -
hardiness, bravery, strength & valour
The
basic style shown in the picture of the Isle of Man flag is
described as Emblem -reflecting the
central design of the flag pattern
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the Isle of Man flag is described as 1:2 ( length twice the height )
The
emblem on the Isle of Man flag pictures the "trinacria"
emblem in the centre which is a Coat of Arms which date back to
the 13th century
The Meaning
& History of the Isle of Man Flag - The Isle of Man emblem depicts
the triskell, or triskelion, from the
Greek "three-legged" is one of the oldest symbols known to
mankind and depicts triplicity in unity:
The
triskell is featured the Celtic religion, and is said to
represent the three dynamic elements: water, air, and fire
The
representation of the triskell must be dextrogyrous (turning to
the right)
A
senstrogyrous (turning to the left) triskell would have a
hostile meaning
The war
dances of the ancient Celts started by turning to the left to
show hostility, and ended by turning to the right, as a sign of
victory
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
Isle of Man
Flag Etiquette
Isle of Man Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including Isle of Man as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Isle of Man
State Flag of Isle
of Man
Military Flag of
Isle of Man (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of Isle
of Man
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Isle of Man Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The National flag of
Isle of Man should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The Isle of Man flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Isle of Man should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Isle of Man flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Isle of Man, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in Isle of Man Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Isle of Man flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Isle of Man flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Isle of Man flag to the top, then lowering the
Isle of Man Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Isle of Man flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Isle of Man flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Isle of Man flag
The Isle of Man flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The Isle of Man
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
Isle of Man flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to Isle of
Man
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts and
information regarding Isle of Man Flag Etiquette has provided a useful
resource
Isle of Man
Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea,
between Great Britain and Ireland
Land Size of
Isle of Man : 572 sq km
Climate / Weather
of Isle of Man : temperate; cool summers and mild winters;
overcast about one-third of the time
Population of
Isle of Man : 74,655 (July 2004 est.)
Former Name(s) :
n/a
Capital City of
Isle of Man : Douglas
GDP of Isle of Man :
$1.6 billion (2001 est.)
Main Industries :
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Currency of Isle of
Man
: British pound (GBP)- there is also a Manx pound
Man became
an island as the glaciers of the last Ice Age retreated and the
sea level rose around ten thousand years ago
Was first
settled during the Iron Age
50 - 450
occupied by the Romans
1000 was
subjected to Viking raids
Until 1266
the Isle of Man was owned by Norway
It was a
separate country with its own King
1300's -
1500's sovereignty passes between Scotland, Ireland and England
Manx is a
Celtic language spoken on the Isle of Man and is closely related
to the now extinct Irish dialects of Ulster and Galloway
In 1313
Robert the Bruce, the King of Scotland invaded
In 1334
Edward III became the Isle of Man's first English king
In 1405
Henry IV gave the Isle of Man to the Stanley family and it later
passed to the Dukes of Athol
It was used
extensively by smugglers as its position and virtual
independence made it difficult for the British to prosecute
In addition
to the smugglers a local Manx law meant that debts in England
and Ireland could not be recovered in the Isle of Man
The Isle of
Man therefore provided sanctuary for vast numbers of debtors and
other profligates
In 1765 the
third Duke was induced to surrender the regality and customs
duties to the Crown for £70,000 and an annuity of £2,000
allowing prosecution
In 1829, the
British Government acquired all remaining privileges from the
Dukes of Athol for a lump sum payment of £410,000
1914 - 1918
WW1
1939 - 1945
WW11
August 1945
The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the
1900'S the Island achieved a large measure of self-government as
a Crown dependancy
The Island's
democratically elected government exercises full control of its
internal affairs and territorial waters - the Island's
Parliament is called the Tynwald
The ancient
Manx Celtic language is still used on road name signs and taught
as a specialist subject in Manx schools
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The
Flag of the Isle of Man
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Flag of the Isle of Man has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your knowledge
of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the Flag and Nations
Index and test your knowledge with our
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