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Dictionary of Vexillology: P (Padding the Sleeve - Phoinikis)

Last modified: 2008-01-05 by phil nelson
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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PADDING THE SLEEVE
(v) A (largely US) practice, now obsolete, of reinforcing the sleeve of a military colour (see also ‘colour 2)’ and ‘sleeve 2)’).
PAGEANT STANDARD
A term, now obsolete, for the Scottish heraldic standard as carried on ceremonial occasions; and there are indications that it was the middle of three sizes (see also ‘battle standard’, ‘standard 5)’, and ‘great standard’).
PALE
See ‘Appendix VI’.
PALIO
The flag that is presented in Sienna, Italy as a prize in the annual horse race of the same name (see also ‘flag tossing’).
PALL
1) On flags, a Y-shaped charge of equal width throughout, generally with two arms of the “Y” touching, or nearly touching the top and bottom corners of the hoist, meeting on the horizontal meridian and extending to the fly as a single band - as in the flags of South Africa and Vanuatu. When the two arms of the ‘Y’ are on the hoist it may be called a simple pall, with the two arms on the fly a reversed pall, with the two arms on the top edge an upright pall and with the two arms on the bottom edge of the flag an inverted pall (see also ‘inverted’, ‘reversed’) and ‘upright’).
2) In heraldry, a Y-shaped charge of equal width throughout, generally (but not exclusively) shown upright and when employed in ecclesiastical arms is usually seen with its lower point fringed and couped (see also ‘couped 2)’ and ‘fringe’).

Please note that the pall design originated as the pallium, a vestment symbolic of Arch-episcopal authority in some Christian churches (see also ‘pallia’).

[flags with pall]

From left: National Flag of the Republic of South Africa (fotw); National Flag of Vanuatu (fotw); Flag of Krsnosel'skoe, Russia (fotw); Flag of the Archbishop of Westminster, UK (Graham Bartram)

PALL FLAG
That flag which is used to cover a coffin prior to interment, or the deceased person when lying in state – an interment or casket flag (see also ‘funeral flag’ and ‘mourning flag’).

Please note, not to be confused with a pall as defined above.

PALLET (or PALET)
See ‘Appendix VI’.
PALLIA (or PALLIUM)
Pre-heraldic banners of varying design presented by the Pope to indicate his approval and/or support for a person or cause (see also ‘gonfanon’, ‘pall’ and and ‘pre-heraldic’).

[pallia]
One interpretation of the Pallia given to William of Normandy in 1066 as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry, and the earliest known representation of a gonfanon (fotw).

Please note that this term was derived from an item of arch-episcopal regalia – the pallium – and was almost certainly in the majority of cases a gonfanon.

PALM
A term for the square or rectangular part of any flag that carries a schwenkel, or whose fly is divided into tongues (see also ‘schwenkel’, ‘swallow-tail(ed)’, ‘swallow-tail and tongue’ and ‘tongue(s)’).

[illustration of a palm]

PALY
See ‘Appendix VI’.
PAN-AFRICAN COLOURS (or COLORS)
The green, yellow and red of the Ethiopian flag, adopted by a number of newly independent countries in Africa from 1956 onwards (see also ‘core flag’, ‘difference’ and 'flag family').

[pan-African colours]
From left: The National Flag of Ethiopia c1897 – 1996; The National Flag of Ghana (fotw); The National Flag of Senegal (fotw)

PAN-ARAB COLOURS
The white, black, red and green seen in the flags of a number of Arab countries and originally based on lines by the Arab poet Safi al-Din al-H'ly (see also ‘core flag’, ‘difference’ and 'flag family').

[Palestine]
The Flag of the Palestinian Authority (fotw)

Please note that the lines mentioned above read: “White are our deeds, black the fields of battle, our pastures are green, but our swords are red with the blood of our enemy.”, and that the first flag to used these colours was the Arab Liberation Flag of 1917 (for an illustration see ‘flag family’).

PAN-SLAVIC COLOURS
The blue, white and red originally adopted by the Slavic peoples during their struggles for independence from the Ottoman and Habsburg empires, and derived from the national flag of the then Russian Empire (see also ‘core flag’, ‘difference’ and 'flag family')."

[pan-Slavic colours]
From left: The National Flag of Russia (fotw); The State Flag of Serbia (fotw); The National Flag of the Czech Republic (fotw)

PANEL
The area of a flag that is surrounded by a border, the panel itself is generally used to display charges or other designs (see also ’border’ and ‘charge’).
PANICLES
A term used when loosely branching clusters of flowers and/or foliage form a wreath, such as the panicles of rice on the army rank flags of Taiwan (see also ‘rank flag 1)’ and ‘wreath 1)’).

[panicles example]
flag of a Lt General, Taiwan (fotw)

PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (or PMS)
An internationally recognized proprietary system of identifying colours by a code number, and increasingly used for the official regulation of flag colours.
PARADE FLAG
A generic term for a flag intended to be carried outdoors in any parade situation, and made with appropriate materials and accessories (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘cord’, ‘cravat’, ‘fringe’, ‘tassels’, ‘sleeve 2)’ and ‘staff’ 3)’).

Please note that there are basically three ways involving a sleeve by which a parade flag or military colour may be affixed to its staff - with decorative nails (often a precisely regulated number of nails), by means of a grommet and clip, or by tab and screw (see also ‘grommet’, 'nails' ‘sleeve 2)’ and ‘tab’).

Note also however, that the practice of tying a colour/parade flag to its staff, or attaching it by cloth loops or metal rings is still occasionally seen (see also ‘grommet’, ‘sleeve 2)’, 'tab' and ‘ties’).

PARLAY (or PARLEY) FLAG
See ‘flag of truce’.
PARTI-COLOURED
See ‘counterchanged’.
PARTY FLAG
See ‘political flag 1)’.
PASSANT
See ‘Appendix V’.
PATRIARCHAL CROSS
See ‘cross of Lorraine’.
PAVILION
The heraldic term for an ermine-lined velvet robe of state that is draped from a crown or coronet and framing a royal or princely coat of arms. If behind a non-royal coat of arms it becomes a mantle (see also ‘armorial bearings’, ‘coat of arms’, ‘crown’, ‘fur’ in ‘Appendix III’ and ‘mantle’).

[pavilion]
Grand-Ducal Arms of Liechtenstein (fotw)

PAVISADE
A term for the now obsolete practice of showing a decorative display of shields, or by extension flags, along the sides of a ship.

[pavisade]
English Pavisade c1530 (CS)

PAVON
A medieval term, now obsolete, for a large triangular flag/pennant whose lower edge was at right angles to the staff.

[a possible pavon]
A Pavon (CS)

Please note that, whilst the term itself is entirely obsolete, the shape of flag (as illustrated above) is not see ‘dhvaja’ and (also ‘double-pavon’).

PAYING OFF PENNANT
An extra long version of the standard masthead pennant; it is the tradition in some navies that a ship on her final voyage, or at the end of an extended deployment out of home waters, should fly a special pennant the length of which is commensurate with the length of her last commission, or of the deployment being completed - an action pennant, a homeward bound pennant or decommissioning pennant (see also ‘masthead pennant 1) & 2)’). See supplemental note:
PEACE FLAG
Any one of a number of flags designed to symbolize peaceas, for example, those illustrated below (see also ‘rainbow flag’).

[Peace flag]
From left: Variant of the Rainbow Flag; Variant of the Dove of Peace Flag; Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (fotw)

PEAK
1) The highest point of the gaff to which the ensign of a warship is shifted (moved), when it is said to be flying at the peak of the gaff (see also 'ensign' and 'gaff').
2) A colloquial synonym (although technically incorrect) for the top of a normal flagpole (see ‘truck 1)’ and ‘finial’).

Please note with regard to 1), that the practice shifting the ensign became necessary in the sailing era due to the introduction of a lower spar to the mizzen gaff sail, whilst in modern warships the ensign is shifted from an ensign staff to the peak of the gaff for reasons of tradition or operational requirement (see also ‘ensign staff’).

PENCEL (or PENCIL)
1) A term, now obsolete, for a narrow ribbon attached below the head of a spear.
2) See ‘pennoncel’.
PENDANT
A largely obsolete spelling of pennant.

Please note, however, that this dictionary uses the older term first when referring to an obsolete British Royal Navy design or pattern of this type - as in, for example, the budgee pendant.

PENDANT (or PENNANT) OF DISTINCTION
The original 17th/18th Century English/British naval term, now obsolete, for a commodore’s broad pennant (see also ‘broad pennant’, ‘budgee pendant’ and ‘pendant’).
PENDO
A medieval term, now obsolete, for a pennant or small flag.
PENNANT
1) A general (and imprecise) term for flags which are not strictly rectangular.
2) A flag which will usual (but not exclusively) narrow in width between the hoist and the fly, and which may be triangular, square-ended or swallow-tailed (see also ‘swallow-tail(ed)’). See supplemental note:

Please note with regard to 2) that the following modern flags can fall into this category: broad pennant, burgee, pincel, club pennant, command pennant, guidon, lance flag, masthead pennant and others, as do obsolete forms such as cornet, pavon, pennon and pensel, and it is strongly suggested that the more precise terms (as defined separately herein) are to be preferred in description.

It is further suggested that one common denominator, which distinguishes a pennant from a flag, is that the former is usually secondary to the latter, and differs from it in shape, size and/or in the manner of display.

PENNANT OF COMMAND
See ‘masthead pennant 1)’.

Please note that this term is a translation of the German kommadowimpel, and should not be confused with a command pennant as separately defined herein.

PENNON (or PENNONE)
1) See ‘fanion 2)’.
2) See ‘lance pennon’.
3) At sea, an increasingly obsolete term for a small pennant.
PENNONCEL (PENNONCELLE, PENICELLUS or PENNUNCELLUS)
The term, now obsolete, for a small flag or pennon of varying shapes and sizes, but often carrying a badge against livery colours – a pencel or badge pennon (see also 'badge in heraldry', 'livery colours', and ‘lance pennon 1)’).
PENNONCIER
The medieval term, now obsolete, for a knight who bore a pennon on his lance and was, therefore, below the rank of banneret – a knight bachelor (see also ‘banneret 2)’ and ‘lance pennon 1)’.
PENSIL
See ‘pencel’.
PER BEND
A heraldic term used when an object, charge or charges are placed diagonally across their field - but see note below and ‘crown of rue’ (also ‘bend’ in ‘Appendix VI’).

Per Bend example
Chief of Naval Staff, Italy fotw)

Please note that this should only be used when the charge or charges in question run from top left to bottom right, and that the heraldic term for such objects running from top right to bottom left is per bend sinister (see also ‘bend sinister’ in ‘Appendix VI’).

PER SALTIRE
A heraldic term used when two separate objects or charges cross each other diagonally (see also ‘orthogonal’ and ‘saltire’).

[per saltire example]
Mozambique emblem (fotw)

PERSONAL FLAG
1) In UK usage, a fringed plain royal blue flag bearing in its centre a crowned and garlanded ‘E’, and used by HM The Queen when paying official visits abroad to those countries of which she is not head of state but see note below (also ‘garland’, ‘monogram’ and ‘royal standard’).
2) See ‘banner 1)’.
3) A flag intended by the designer for his personal use or that of his family (see also ‘house flag 3)’).
4) In US naval usage, a term for denoting an officer's rank – see ‘flag of command’ (also ‘distinguishing flag 3)’, ‘individual flag’ and ‘rank flag 1)’).

Please note that the various flags used by HM The Queen (of Great Britain) when visiting a Commonwealth country of which she is head of state are also officially described as personal flags, but must also be considered as the royal standards of the countries concerned (see also ‘royal standard’ and ‘standard 1)’).

[a personal standard]
Royal Standard of New Zealand (Bartram)

[a personal standard]
Personal Flag of HM The Queen, UK (Bartram)

PHOINIKIS
See ‘semeion’.

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