flag identification help

[Silent Raven]

found this flag in a thrift shop the other day and wondered if any one know its origin, i figured that it looked European in design and thats about all i could figure out really, lol. any guesses?

[theborderer]

It is the Flag of the State of Bavaria in Germany

[English Bloke]

It isn't the official flag of Bavaria and may even be technically illegal but it is the one most commonly used by Bavarians. This website tells you pretty much all you need to know.

EDIT: It goes the other way round incidentally.

[Bob C]

Great find!

[Silent Raven]

thanks every one! i was hoping it was of scottish origin but i guess not, so it can stay there at the store

[Mike_Oettle]

The arms on the flag are those of the kings of Bavaria. The federal state of Bavaria now bears those arms.
The official Bavarian flag is either white over pale blue (divided horizontally) or with a blue and white diamond pattern (technically called lozengy or, occasionally, barry bendy) – like the background of this flag.
Although John (English Bloke) says the flag “goes the other way round”, what the picture shows is how the flag would look with a flagpole on your right and the wind blowing it to your left.
In a (non-flag-related) display of the arms, rampant gold lion and the blue heraldic panther on the shield would always face your left (called dexter, because it faced the bearer’s right). But on a flag, animals like this always face the hoist.
While this is an unofficial flag, it is in popular use.

Similarly the national flag of Germany is just three bars of black, red and gold (German flag legislation calls the yellow band Gold). But the government flag incorporates a shield of the national arms, a black eagle with red legs and beak on a gold field.
Many private citizens prefer to display this flag even though they are not supposed to have it at all.
Regards,
Mike

[creagdhubh]

Ja, nach Bayern. Sehr schoenes!

Prost!

[Guinness>water]

Whats up with all the lions? Every European (seems like) country has a lion on its arms/flag. When did England and Scotland start using the lion on its flags? At that time, had any Scot or Englishman been to Africa?

[macwilkin]

Whats up with all the lions? Every European (seems like) country has a lion on its arms/flag. When did England and Scotland start using the lion on its flags? At that time, had any Scot or Englishman been to Africa?

Tradition says that King William of Scotland, who was known as "The Lion", reportedly bore a lion banner, but the historical record does not confirm it -- the first known instance of a Scottish lion comes from Alexander II's seal in the 1200s:

Fox-Davies in "A Complete Guide to Heraldry" confirms both statements and later quotes Chalmers' "Caledonia" saying, "the lion may possibly have been derived from the arms of the old Earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, from whom some of the Scottish kings were descended". Fox-Davies also mentions a legendary explanation by Nisbet according to which, "the lion has been carried on the armorial ensign of Scotland since the first founding of the monarchy by King Fergus I -- a very mythical personage (...) about 300 B.C.".

-- http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-sc-rb.html

T.

[Guinness>water]

Amazing that there was intercontenet travel that far back. Though, Alexander the Great traveled quite a lot I hear.