Flag of Orioni [WIP]

The national flag of Orioni is a symbol of the Orioni Empire that inherits a historical tradition of using national symbols and is an attribute of the imperial government and executive powers.

1 Design and symbolism

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The flag features two horizontal blue (top) and red bands charged with a white diamond shield at the canton. As the colour of the sky and water, blue symbolizes calm, reflection, and the intellect. It is also the infinite, and the void from which all life develops. Ground lapis lazuli produced a pigment highly prized in Orioni for decorating temple ceilings The colour signified divine favour. Red is the colour of life, of blood, fire, passion, and war. It is worn by brides in the Orient as a symbol of good luck and fertility. Orionii calendars marked holy days in red, hence red-letter days. But red is also the colour of danger and warning signs are often marked in red. White symbolizes purity and perfection, also the Absolute. It is the colour most associated with sacredness; sacrificial animals are often white. In the Occidental world brides usually wear white, but it is the colour of mourning in much of the Orient. Ghosts are thought to be white because it is a colour that conceals nothing. A white flag signals truce, and therefore peace

The diamond shape is an early Oharic representation of a heart of womb, dating from circa 3000 BCE. Large numbers of representational clay tablets have been unearthed in modern Andro and Sirius. Some 1500 different symbols have been decoded, most of them relating to agricultural and commercial matters. The most prized as well as the hardest stone, the diamond is also associated with incorruptibility and invincibility. Its transparency and purity make it also a symbol of constancy and sincerity. In heraldry, the diamond is called lozenge. A lozenge-shaped escutcheon is used to depict heraldry for a female, but is also sometimes used as a shape for mural monuments in churches which commemorate females. Traditionally very limited categories of females have been able to display their own arms, for example, a female monarch. This in contrast to the escutcheon or shield for men, which is in its origin an object of warfare. In some other cultures, the diamond is rounded to an almond-shape. Also known as the mandorla, the almond-shaped halo is formed from two intersecting circles It is used to symbolize the individual's ascension to heaven.

The coat of arms is a shield with the image of a stylised cedar tree branch, Orioni's imperial symbol. Presence and position of the tree on the shield is directly inspired by the Orioni cedar (Cedrus orioni). The Cedar is a symbol of holiness, eternity and peace. The tree has symbolic significance in cultures throughout the world. A reverence for trees, and even tree worship is widespread throughout the world. It represents the Great Mother in her nourishing, sheltering form. Many traditions speak of a tree of life: a tree that is the central point and pivot of the world. Rooted in the earth, it draws water from the ground and reaches up to the heavens and eternity, acting as a world axis. It is closely linked to the symbolism of the pillar and the mountain. As an emblem of longevity, the cedar of Orioni has its origin in many liturgical or apocryphal references.

Colour scheme	White	Blue	Red
Pantone	Safe	Blue 276	Red 1807
CMYK	0,0,0,0	99,100,0,60	0,100,100,34
RGB	255,255,255	1,0,103	169,0,0
HEX web Colour	#FFFFFF	#010067	#A90000

2 History

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The earliest flag used for Orioni was a field sign or standard used in warfare, which can be categorized as vexilloid or 'flag-like'. These are similar to the standards of the Roman legions such as the eagle of Augustus Caesar's Xth legion. In the case of Orioni, this vexilloid includes the Cedrus orioni, which is featured prominently in the Imperial Seal.

The current flag of Orioni in blue and red originated during the period of Civil War (1023-1174). When the royal court fled from O'polis to the northern city of Borealis, they took the blue imperial banner with them. During the Reconquista that followed, the red banner of war was added to the lower half to signify the blood being shed by loyalists in name of the one, just and true empress. When Sir Seymond Adhamed recaptured Hierapolis in 1174, it was this banner that he carried when entering the city.

3 Historical flags

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Flag	Date	Use	Description
	Before 980 BCE	Pre-dynastic	Prior to 980 BCE, the Hurri clan did not use the flag associated with the later monarchies. The oldest and best-known symbol of the clan has been the Tree motif, which is a graphic expression of the typical vegetation.
	980 – 536 BCE	Queendom of Orioni	Azure field with imperial symbol in argent. The Queendom was centred around O'polis, where the lightblue flag provided adequate contrast with the green valleys.
	536 BCE – 1023 CE	First Empire of Orioni	A darker flag was introduced with better contrasting colour for sailing vessels. The azure blue had made it difficult to sea against a clear sky. Since maritime trade became ever important, this clearly visible flag stayed in use for a significant period of time.
	1023-1174	Civil War flag of the Orioni monarchy in exile	Description
	1175-present	Second Empire of Orioni	Description

4 Variants

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There are three distinct types of the national flag for use on land, and three for use at sea, though many countries use identical designs for several (and sometimes all) of these types of flag. On land, there is a distinction between civil flag, state flag, and war or military flag. The state flags is used officially by government agencies, whereas civil flags are flown by anyone regardless of whether they are linked to the government. The war flags (also called military flag) is used by military organisations such as IODF. At sea, the flag that indicates nationality on a ship is called an ensign. As with the national flags, there are three varieties: the civil ensign, flown by private vessels; the state ensign (also called the government ensign), flown by government ships; and the war ensigns (also called the naval ensign), flown by naval vessels. The ensign is flown from an ensign-staff at the stern of the ship, or from a gaff when underway. Both these positions are superior to any other on the ship, even though the masthead is higher.

Use -|-|-	Civil flag	State flag	War flag
On land	⚈|-|-	-|⚈|-	-|-|⚈
At sea	⚈|-|-	-|⚈|-	-|-|⚈

Other variants:

• Mourning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Japan#Mourning

• Colonies

• Provinces

5 Similar flags

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Although the national flag is meant to be a unique symbol for a country, many pairs of countries have highly similar flags. Examples include:

• 
  Flag of Phoenicia
  Flag used during Phoenician era 3000 BCE – 200 CE (Including the currently known as Cyprus, Syria, Israel, Tunisia and Lebanon)

• Haiti – with another colour symbol

• Liechtenstein – with crown

• Slovakia – with other colour and symbol

• Slovenia – with other colour and symbol

• Province of Lugo, Spain – with a coat of arms