Saint Piran's Flag

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Saint Piran's Flag

Saint Piran's Flag is regarded as the national flag of Cornwall and an emblem of the Cornish people. The banner of Saint Piran is a vertical white cross on a black background. Saint Piran is supposed to have adopted these two colours from seeing the white tin in the black coals and ashes during his supposed discovery of tin.

1 Origins
2 Clues to its origin
3 Breton Family Arms
4 Usage
5 See also
6 External link

[edit] Origins

The earliest written evidence of this flag was recorded by Davies Gilbert in his 1838 work: 'The Parochial History of Cornwall', Vol III, p. 332.

He gives reference to "a white cross on a black ground [that] was formerly the banner of St. Perran and the Standard of Cornwall"

One of the oldest depictions of the flag can be seen in a stained glass window at Westminster Abbey. It was unveiled in 1888 in memory of the famous Cornish inventor and engineer Richard Trevithick.

The window depicts St Michael at the top and nine Cornish saints, Piran, Petroc, Pinnock, Germanus, Julian, Cyriacus, Constantin, Nonna and Geraint in tiers below. The head of St Piran appears to be a portrait of Trevithick himself and the figure carries the banner of Cornwall. [1].

The flag is, perhaps not coincidentally, similar to the Flag of Saint David, from the fellow Celtic nation of Wales.

[edit] Clues to its origin

The Standard of the Army of the Breton Duchy.

The Welsh Flag of Saint David

Saint Piran's flag has similarities to the Breton flag and also The Flag of Saint David. The cultural links between Brittany, Wales and Cornwall are well recorded.

[edit] Breton Family Arms

Geoffroy le Borgne

Arnèke

Rouvroy de Saint-Simon

It should be noted that several French families had coats of arms that bear a striking resemblance to the St. Piran's flag:

Saint Peran or Saint Pezran (= Piran) of Brittany (from Glomel, in Cornouaille), in is described as "sable a cross patée argent".

Geoffroy le Borgne of Brittany is described as "sable a cross argent" [2]

Rossillon de Gex, Coat of Arms described: De sable à la croix d'argent.

Brunet, de la Besse, Coat of Arms described: D'azur, à la croix d'argent. [3]

Arnèke Family Coat of Arms. [4]

Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, described: De sable à la croix d'argent chargée de 5 coquilles. [5]

[edit] Usage

Cornish Pirates RFC logo

Ginsters Pasties logo

Unofficial Cornish ensign

Saint Piran's Flag is now more commonly seen flying from flag poles across Cornwall than the Union Jack or the Cross of St George, yet only a generation ago many saw it as a nationalist symbol for Mebyon Kernow. However for many today it is a symbol of pride in Cornish distinctiveness rather than a political call for independence.

The flag is flown at most Cornish gatherings such as the Gorseth Kernow, St Piran's Day (March 5th), Padstow Obby Oss, Helston Flora Day, Camborne Trevithick Day and at Cornish rugby matches. It is regularly seen around Cornwall on car stickers with the word 'Kernow' (Cornish for Cornwall), and is used around the world as a symbol of the Cornish diaspora or overseas Cornish associations. In Cornwall it is used on a variety of Cornish merchandising products and is seen on the Cornish Pirates rugby logo and other local companies such as Ginsters pasties use a similar emblem on their packaging and advertising.

The unofficial 'Cornish ensign' is another flag that is sometimes used to represent the regional identity of Cornwall, although it is disliked by Cornish separatists [6].