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Dictionary of Vexillology: G (Gaff - Gyrons)

Last modified: 2008-01-05 by phil nelson
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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GAFF
A spar rigged at an upward angle from the upper part of a mast or pole, and equipped with a halyard at its highest point from which an ensign is flown when at the peak. A gaff may be fitted to the mizzenmast (or other masts dependent upon the rig) of a sailing ship, or from the mast of a warship (when it will sometimes carry a command flag), or from a mast (or stayed mast) ashore (see also ‘fore’, ‘halyard’, ‘mast’, ‘mizzen’, ‘outrigger pole’, ‘peak’, ‘sailor’s mast’ and ‘stayed mast’).

Please note that if a gaff is fitted to a flag pole or mast for civilian use ashore, it is generally (but not exclusively) that flag which is used as a civil ensign (or a yacht ensign if appropriate) which is flown from its peak (see also ‘civil ensign’ and ‘yacht ensign’ under ‘ensign’).

GAJARDUS
A medieval term, now obsolete, for the carriage upon which a standard was fixed – a carrocerum (see also ‘standard 6)’ and ‘vexilloid’).

Please note that in the early-middle ages, standards were sometimes (for reasons which are now unclear) transported into battle and displayed whilst mounted on some form of wheeled conveyance.

GALLERY
A bar running at right angles from the staff from which the flag is partially suspended.

Please note, however, that use of the term with this meaning is given by only one source, and that such use is otherwise unsupported.

GARDANT
See ‘guardant’ in ‘Appendix V’.
GARLAND
1) In heraldry, a term for a closed or almost closed ring consisting of intertwined leaves, or of leaves and flowers – a chaplet (see also ‘wreath 1)’). 2) On flags as above, but the term is also used to describe an open topped wreath composed of leaves, or of leaves and/or flowers, that does not exceed two-thirds the depth of the object surrounded (for example that on the flag of Parana, Brazil) – or sometimes considerably less – but see ‘wreath 1’.

[garland]
From left: Flag of Parana, Brazil (fotw); A Garland in Heraldry According to English Heraldic Practice (Parker)

Please note with regard to 1), that the English heraldic requirement of only four flowers per garland is not generally observed in flags.

GARRISON FLAG
In US usage, the largest of the three standard sizes of national flag flown at army posts - 20 x 38 feet or 6.1 x 10.9m (see also ‘post flag 1)’, ‘storm flag’ and ‘war flag’).

Please note that the use of standard sizes of flag at army posts is by no means limited to the US (although the names may differ), and that the largest size is the one displayed on days of national celebration and/or service significance, or as otherwise regulated (see also ‘ceremonial ensign’, ‘holiday colours’ and ‘Sunday ensign’).

GENEVA CONVENTION FLAG
See 'safe conduct flag 1)'.
GIN PENNANT (or PENDANT)
In British RN and some other usage, an unofficial pennant of varying design – now often a defaced version of the starboard pennant in the NATO signalling code – raised when a ship’s officers wish to entertain the officers of another ship or ships (see also ‘pennant 2)’ and ‘senior officer afloat pennant’).

[Gin Pennant]
One version of the gin pennant, UK (CS)

Please note that the above is usually made on board from whatever materials lie to hand, however, the company Gordon’s Gin are known to have supplied a number of commercially produced gin pennants to yachtsmen in the 1950’s.

[commercial Gin Pennant]
Commercially Produced Gin Pennant c1955, UK (CS)

GITON (GETON or GYTTON)
A medieval term, now obsolete, used to describe a small (possibly swallow tailed) flag (see also ‘pennant’ and ‘pennon 2’).

Please note that there is no proven connection between these terms and ‘guidon’, but that the similarity cannot be ignored.

GOLDEN MEAN, THE
That proportion, first recorded by classical Greek sources, which is considered particularly pleasing to the human eye; it is the ratio of two values where the relationship of the smaller (A) to the larger (B) is the same as that of the larger to the total, and has the value of (in round figures) 0.618 (with the reciprocal being 1:1618). It is most usually seen on flags as proportions of either 5:8 or 3:5 - the divine, golden or magic ratio, or golden section.

[graphic of golden mean]

Please note from the illustration that ratio a:b is the same as b: a+b, with the exact value being [graphic of equation] , or 0.6180339887…, however, it is suggested that a mathematical reference work be consulted if further or more complete details are required.

GOLDEN RATIO (or SECTION)
See ‘golden mean’ above.
GONFALON (or GONFALONE)
1) A usually long (sometimes elaborate) flag designed to be hung vertically from a cross bar, often having a shaped bottom edge or terminating in tails or tongues and characteristic of Italy and of Central Europe, or of the religious associations in Western Europe where it might also be called a religious banner (see also ‘banner 3)’. and ‘square-tongued’, ‘tongue(s)’, ‘triangular-ended’ and ‘triangular-ended tails’).
2) A flag that is designed to be attached both along its hoist to the staff, and along its top to a side-mounted cross-bar (see also ‘framed flag 2)’).

[gonfalon]
Gonfalon of Asciano Tuscany, Italy (fotw)

Please note – not to be confused with a gonfanon or with the hanging flag of German speaking and Central European countries (see also ‘hanging flag’, and ‘gonfanon’).

GONFALONIER
The bearer of a gonfalon or standard (see also ‘standard bearer’).
GONFALONIERSHIP
A term, now largely (if not wholly) obsolete, for the - often hereditary - honorary office of gonfalonier (standard or flag bearer) to a monarch (see also ‘archivexillifer’).
GONFANON
A war flag of pre-heraldic Europe, often tapered from hoist to fly, generally attached to a lance and ending in from two to five squared, rounded or triangular tails. Not to be confused with the later ‘gonfalon’ (see also ‘double-tailed descate’, ‘lanceolate’, ‘oriflamme’, ‘pallia’, ‘pre-heraldic’, ‘multi-tailed descate’, 'square-tongued', ‘swallow-tailed(ed)’, ‘swallowtail and tongue’ and ‘triple-tailed descate’).

[gonfanon]
Gonfanon of Eustache III of Auvergne c1100 (CS)

GONTFANONARIUS (or GONFAGONIER)
A medieval term, now obsolete, for a ‘standard bearer’.
GORE(S)
The generic term for a tapering piece or pieces of fabric that is sometimes used to describe the triangular blue fields of the British union jack (see also ‘union flag 1)’, ‘union jack 1)’ and ‘union jack 2)’).

UK Union flag - Army
Army Pattern of Union Flag, UK (fotw)

GOVERNMENT ENSIGN
See under ‘ensign’.
GOVERNMENT FLAG
See ‘state flag 1)’.
GRAND UNION
See ‘continental colors’.
GRAVE DECORATION FLAG
see 'memorial flag'
GREAT BANNER
The term, now obsolete, for a banner showing all the quarterings of a deceased person’s coat of arms for use at that person’s funeral (see also ‘achievement of arms 2)’, ‘badge banner’, ‘banner 1)’, ‘bannerole’, ‘coat of arms 2)’, ‘grumphion’, ‘quartering’ and ‘livery banner’).

Please note that according to English heraldry the sizes of a great banner were originally as follows: that of an Emperor; six feet square, a King; five feet square. a Prince or Duke; four feet square, a Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, and Knight-baronet; three feet square.

GREAT STANDARD
A term, now obsolete, for the Scottish heraldic standard as flown from a fixed staff, and there are indications that it was the largest of three sizes (see also ‘battle standard’, ‘standard 5)’, and ‘pageant standard’).
GREAT UNION
1) In UK usage, the pattern of Union Flag displayed by military colours and originally authorized on 30 August 1900 (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘colours 2)’ and ‘union jack 1)’).
2) In US usage, a term referring to the 1775 pattern of national flag and occasionally used in place of grand union or continental colours – see ‘continental colours’.

[Great Union - UK]
The Great Union, UK (CS)

GREATER ARMS
See under ‘arms’.
GREEK CROSS
1) A cross of any colour whose arms are of equal length, and which extends to the edges of a flag, panel or canton.
2) A cross of any colour whose arms are of equal length, but which does not extend to the edges of a flag, panel or canton – a cross couped (see also ‘couped’).

[Greek cross flags]
From left: Naval Jack, Greece (CS)

[Greek cross flags]
National Flag of Switzerland (CS)

GRIDIRON FLAG
In UK usage a term, now obsolete, for the red and white striped flag of the Honourable East India Company, it was introduced as an ensign c1600 and worn as such outside home waters from c1676–1824, then as a jack until 1864 (see also ‘continental colours’, ‘ensign’, ‘jack’ and ‘red ensign’).

[HEIC flag] [England] [United Kingdom]
From left: HEIC Flags, England c1600–1707; UK 1707–1801; UK 1801-1864 (fotw)

Please note that thirteen is the usual number of stripes shown, but that nine or eleven are occasionally seen in contemporary flag books.

GROMMET
1) A hole or eyelet, reinforced by stitching or an inserted metal ring, usually found at both ends of the heading on the hoist of a flag, through which clips, attached to the halyard pass (see also ‘Appendix I’).
2) In naval heraldry the rope decoration that often surrounds a ship’s badge - sometimes incorrectly referred to as a ship’s crest (see also ‘badge 3)’).
GROUND
See ‘field’.
GROUP COMMAND PENNANT
See ‘command pennant’.
GRUMPHION (or GRUMPHEON)
A Scottish term, now obsolete, for a small funeral flag bearing a death’s head.
GUARDANT
See ‘guardant’ in ‘Appendix V’.
GUBERNATORIAL FLAG
In particularly (but not exclusively) US usage, a flag which symbolizes the office of governor.

Michigan governor's flag
Flag of the Governor of Michigan, US (fotw)

GUEST ON BOARD FLAG (or GUEST FLAG)
In US usage the practice, almost certainly obsolete, of flying a blue flag with a white descending diagonal stripe from the starboard yardarm (or spreader) of a pleasure vessel when a guest is on board but the owner is absent (see also ‘descending diagonal’, ‘dinner flag’, ‘meal pennant’, ‘owner absent flag’ and ‘yardarm’).

guest on board flag
Guest on Board Flag, US (fotw)

GUIDON
1) In US and some other military usage, a small, generally swallow-tailed flag used by army formations below battalion level - company, battery, troop, platoon, detachment – and at group level in the air force (but see also ‘fanion 2)’ and ‘swallow tail(ed)’).
2) In UK and some other military usage, the swallow-tailed flag (sometimes double-tailed descate or descate) that is the cavalry equivalent of an infantry regimental colour, and still displayed on fighting vehicles by their successors (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘cornet’, ‘descate’, ‘double-tailed descate’ and ‘hussar cut’).
3) A Scottish flag 2.40m long, tapering to a rounded (or lanceolate) fly, it has a body in livery colours, with the owner’s crest or badge at the hoist and his motto in the fly, and is used by lairds who have a following but are not peers or feudal barons (see also ‘badge in heraldry’, ‘lanceolate’, ‘livery colours’, ‘motto’ and ‘pinsel’)..
4) Generically, any small swallow-tailed flag.

[guidon]
Guidon of the Blues and Royals, UK (Graham Bartram)

Please note, some sources suggest that the term is derived from guide-homme (guide-man), but this remains unproven, and the similarity with the medieval terms ‘geton’, ‘giton’ or ‘gytton’ cannot be ignored.

GUL(S) (or GULLS)
A term used to describe the individual segment or segments of a geometric carpet design and usually employed to describe those on the national flag of Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan
National Flag of Turkmenistan (fotw)

GULES
The heraldic term for the colour red (see also ‘Appendix III’ and ‘rule of tincture’).
GUN SALUTE
1) A form of saluting, ashore and afloat, in which 21 blank rounds are fired by artillery or naval guns to honour a country or its flag.
2) A form of saluting in which an appropriate number of guns are fired to honour a head of state, other dignitary, or a senior officer, or the flag representing him (see also ‘broad pennant’, ‘distinguishing flag 1)’, ‘flag of command’, ‘flagship’ and ‘rank flag 1)’).

Please note that flag officers will receive a number of guns scaled according to their rank - that is an Admiral of the Fleet/five star admiral - 19 guns; Admiral - 17 guns; Vice Admiral - 15 guns; Rear Admiral – 13 guns, whilst a Commodore receives 11 guns and a Captain only seven in reply.

Please note also that in some countries a celebratory salute of as many as 101 guns may be fired at the birth of a royal heir or other occasion of national celebration (example--50 guns at noon on 4 July at US Army posts), and that minute guns (that is one shot fired every minute) may be fired in connection with the death or funeral of a person entitled to a gun salute.

GUNTFANO
A medieval term, now obsolete, for a gonfanon (see ‘gonfanon’).
GYRONNY
When the field of a flag or shield is divided into sectors (called gyrons) radiating from or near the centre of the flag or shield – typically eight in heraldic practice, but an undetermined number on flags. Formerly a characteristic of Swiss military flags, the best known present-day example is probably the jack of the Royal Netherlands Navy (and compare with ‘radiating’). See supplemental note

[gyronny] [gyronny] [gyronny]
From left: Fafe, Portugal (Sιrgio Horta); Naval Jack of the Netherlands (CS); Swiss Regiment (De Meuron) in British service 18th C (fotw)

GYRON(S)
See ‘gyronny’ above.

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