2006-06-23 04:53:37 · 7 answers · asked by plasmaisnoturs 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Is that true? Are there any different shapes other than rectangular?
2006-06-23 04:54:26 · update #1
All the previous answers are accurate, but don't date back to when flags were first being designed and manufactured.
The first flags were actually old, tattered shirts flown on the main mast of big sail ships so fleets could identify their own in a battle without needing to look through the monocular scope (old telescope-like thing). after a few battles their enemies caught on that this was how fleets were communicating, so they would store various types and colours of cloth on board and one ship would fly the flag of the enemy fleet as a deceptive tactic to gain advantage in battle. The flag makers quickly decided they needed a flag that couldn't easily be reproduced during a battle (a tailor in the belly of a ship, usually taken prisoner and forced to workk against his will), so they started making designs directly onto the old shirts that would be the same design throughout the fleet. Eventually this went mass scale, and so not only did the design remain, but the shape of the flag. from a distance an old shirt flown from a mast appears rectangular, especially when attached at the collar, which was the most common point due to it's strength. It is likely that when the fleet arrived back in dock the captain told a tailor "see that flag? make me another one that looks a bit better. Not so tattered, flies well, and easy to see from 1000 yards. actually no, make one for each ship in the fleet, all exactly the same, and I need them by tommorow." The next month he came back and said the same thing to the same person, and the business was born.
2006-06-23 05:52:53 · answer #1 · answered by Bawn Nyntyn Aytetu 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One reason:
The main reason that the flags came rectangular was that the flag makers of the time knew that American flags had always been rectangular and so made these flags according to what they knew from experience. They knew nothing of the various CS battle flag patterns for example other than the ANV flag - and that was square. I have seen letters to the United Daughters of the Confederacy from flag companies that told them "we will make you square flags, but you need to order hundreds of them in order for us to make the patterns or it won't be worth our while to do it - or we can just keep sending you the rectangular flags!" That is a paraphrasing of one letter from the 1930's! There are others from earlier dates than that.
2006-06-23 12:03:21 · answer #2 · answered by n9e9o9 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Swiss flag is square, Nepal is a double pennant, and the flag of Ohio is shaped like an old cavalry guidon, to name a few....
2006-06-23 11:57:26 · answer #3 · answered by aboukir200 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because round flags don't work very well in the wind. The Nepalese flag is two triangles put together going left to right.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Nepal
2006-06-23 11:58:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know, you're Swiss right? Nepalese?
I think the rectangular shape just flies better on flagpoles. I suspect there's not much more to it than that.
2006-06-23 11:55:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is easy to make and it waves well in blowing air.
2006-06-23 12:00:02 · answer #6 · answered by skroy50 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Easy to unfurl, fold and store.
2006-06-23 11:58:36 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋