Last modified: 2008-01-05 by rob raeside
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![[Flag of Ibernia]](../images/i/is_b14f.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 13 November 2007
The 22nd flag mentioned and illustrated in the
Book of All Kingdoms is attributed
to "Ibernia" which is explicitly not Ireland. The flag itself is yet
another black lion
on yellow, identical to those reported for Norway (18th flag) and Zealand (19th
flag); the anonymous author of describes this flag thus: "E el rey d’esta isla á
por seńales un pendón de oro con un león prieto, como el rey de Noruega." (= And
the king of this island has for sign a golden pendon with a black lion, like the
king of Norway.)
The said island seems really to be Ireland: The author calls it "Ibernia", which
is the (a?) Spanish form of Hibernia, the Latin name of Ireland; he also says
that there's a city named Dubilin, no wheat nor snakes, etc. However, a previous
paragraph states that the author sailed from England to "Irlanda" (Ireland),
formerly called Ibernia, with e.g., a city named Dombelin (cf. Dubilin above),
and whose king (sic) has for sign the same flag as the king of England. Then,
the author left this Ireland by ship, sailing to Spain, and on his way he
passed by several western islands named Eterus, Artama, Citilant, and… Ibernia.
Go figure!
António Martins-Tuválkin, 12-14 November 2007
The Oct flag issue of National Geographic (1917)
identified this Ibernia as Iceland (p. 390).
Ned Smith, 14 November 2007
Eterus - Faroe Islans
Artama - Orkney Islands
Citilant - Shetland Islands
Phil Nelson, 14 November 2007
During the period of the friar's journey, Iceland was a possession of
Norway. Also quoting from
National Geographic (1917) (same page)
the friar notes "the king of this island has for his device the same flag as the
King of Noruega" or Norway.
Phil Nelson, 14 November 2007