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Anonymous
Guest
Genghis Khan said:
You would think that, but it's not so. It's just the third lane for the slowest drivers, which nobody but the truckers would ever drive on...
Random trivia
- Thread starter StrangerInAStrangeLand
- Start date
You would think that, but it's not so. It's just the third lane for the slowest drivers, which nobody but the truckers would ever drive on...
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
The last years the German highways became full of trucks (esp. since the expansion of the EU), which pass eachother as well. You have to be on your guard for that, especially when some fast one can come behind you.
Rearviewmirror all the way.... Also I remember that there are 2-lane highways at times.
Rearviewmirror all the way.... Also I remember that there are 2-lane highways at times.
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Anonymous
Guest
What do these three flags have in common (together with a handful of others)?
Unusual canton size?
A
Anonymous
Guest
No, the Albanian and German flags have the same proportions, these images just come from two different websites.
They have black on them?
The Hermit
Invader
Could it be that all three flags were originally introduced in their current format, subsequently were changed, or discarded and then finally brought back into service as the flags we see today?
I know the Albanian flag was introduced as is...black two headed eagle on a red field in 1920 when the first republic was proclaimed....was changed a few times until returning to the 1920 original.
The Vatican flag was used from 1825 to 1870 when the Vatican was integrated into Italy but was dragged back into service in 1929 when the Vatican once again became independent.
I checked the German tricolor and apparently that's been used at least 3 times in german history: from 1848-52, as the Weimar Republic flag from 1919-1933, and finally adopted as the modern German flag in 1949.
The East Germans of course used a variant of the tricolor with a coat of arms....and I'm wondering if variants might have some part in the answer...because of course if you change the keys on the Vatican flag you get the flag for the Holy See.....but I don't know any variants for the Albanian flag.
I know the Albanian flag was introduced as is...black two headed eagle on a red field in 1920 when the first republic was proclaimed....was changed a few times until returning to the 1920 original.
The Vatican flag was used from 1825 to 1870 when the Vatican was integrated into Italy but was dragged back into service in 1929 when the Vatican once again became independent.
I checked the German tricolor and apparently that's been used at least 3 times in german history: from 1848-52, as the Weimar Republic flag from 1919-1933, and finally adopted as the modern German flag in 1949.
The East Germans of course used a variant of the tricolor with a coat of arms....and I'm wondering if variants might have some part in the answer...because of course if you change the keys on the Vatican flag you get the flag for the Holy See.....but I don't know any variants for the Albanian flag.
A
Anonymous
Guest
The Hermit said:
Good guess, but no.
wasted155 is slightly closer. It does have to do with the colours, and black is indeed a part of it (except for the Vatican flag- it has some black on it, but that's not important), although not in that way.
Here's another flag that fits in:
The Hermit
Invader
OK......so the answer lies in the colours........hmmmm
For the Cambodian flag the colours have significance.....Red=nation, blue=royalty, and white=religion.
The German Empire flag...think WW1.....was black white and red....Black and white for Prussia.....Red and white for the Hanseatic League.....but that flag's not included here, so I guess not relevant. And the significance of the German black, red and gold is lost on me.....but
.....if I recall correctly the original Popish colours were 'red' and it was something to do with Napoleon using the Popish army that caused the Pope to choose gold and silver as the new colours......need to check the history of that one.
Nope.....I feel I'm barking up the wrong tree here. Will attempt to revive other brain cells to assist in this.
For the Cambodian flag the colours have significance.....Red=nation, blue=royalty, and white=religion.
The German Empire flag...think WW1.....was black white and red....Black and white for Prussia.....Red and white for the Hanseatic League.....but that flag's not included here, so I guess not relevant. And the significance of the German black, red and gold is lost on me.....but
.....if I recall correctly the original Popish colours were 'red' and it was something to do with Napoleon using the Popish army that caused the Pope to choose gold and silver as the new colours......need to check the history of that one.
Nope.....I feel I'm barking up the wrong tree here. Will attempt to revive other brain cells to assist in this.
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Anonymous
Guest
The Hermit said:
That could be the key.
Another hint.
These fit the pattern:
But these don't:
Ok, I think the German flag colors are based on the German soldiers uniform colors during the Napolionic wars... does this have any correleation?
The Hermit
Invader
I think we'd better not restrict ourselves only to the Napoleonic conflict....for even though the Cambodian hordes were eager to intervene...they were slightly challenged geographically.
The only thing that springs to mind from the Vatican reference is the change from a single colour to multi-coloured......but I think this is only true for the Vatican flag......so another blank is drawn there.
Could it be that all the flags have 'metal' colours in their design? Gold and Silver......but then Albania and Cambodia don't fit.
Or.....stab in the dark time......the flags were personally designed/selected by the then ruler/head of state/Pope?
The only thing that springs to mind from the Vatican reference is the change from a single colour to multi-coloured......but I think this is only true for the Vatican flag......so another blank is drawn there.
Could it be that all the flags have 'metal' colours in their design? Gold and Silver......but then Albania and Cambodia don't fit.
Or.....stab in the dark time......the flags were personally designed/selected by the then ruler/head of state/Pope?
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Anonymous
Guest
The Hermit said:
That's a perfect step in the right direction.
Neither the flag's history, nor the symbolism plays a role here.
Another pair.
This one fits the pattern:
And this one doesn't, though only barely:
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Anonymous
Guest
Here's another hint: Just by looking at the flags that fit the pattern -and completely forgetting their background for a moment- don't they look a little odd compared to most other flags (e.g. France, Canada, Argentina, Hungary, Egypt- you name it)?
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Anonymous
Guest
Powergirl81 said:
Not really, no.
I'm going to post the answer this evening (around 19.00 CET) if nobody gets it, since it's really an interesting piece of trivia.
They all have the same shade of red as the red used in the generic "Iron Maiden" logo?
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Anonymous
Guest
OK, here's the answer:
All those flags violate the heraldic rule of tincture.
Back in the Middle Ages, coats of arms and flags were a means of identifying individuals in full armour, and you had to easily spot it from afar. To make them easily recognisable, a set of rules was established, the most important one being the one of tincture.
Heraldry knows three different types of tincture: Metal- silver (white) and gold (yellow); Colour- Azure (blue), gules (red), purple, sable (black) and vert (green); as well as Furs (patterns).
From afar, a sharp contrast is needed to recognise a shield or flag. Therefore, the rule of tincture states that no Metal may be on Metal and no Colour on Colour, since the types tend to blur if viewed from distance (especially yellow and white). This "rule" is nowadays little more than a recommendation, but most flags are still designed accordingly- you will find very few flags that have two colours together without a yellow or white bar between them. There is a handful of deliberate and accidental violations, such as the ones I posted. At least the Vatican flag (originating as the flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem) does it deliberately to emphasise its special position.
It may seem like nitpicking nowadays, but it used to be a matter of life and death.
All those flags violate the heraldic rule of tincture.
Back in the Middle Ages, coats of arms and flags were a means of identifying individuals in full armour, and you had to easily spot it from afar. To make them easily recognisable, a set of rules was established, the most important one being the one of tincture.
Heraldry knows three different types of tincture: Metal- silver (white) and gold (yellow); Colour- Azure (blue), gules (red), purple, sable (black) and vert (green); as well as Furs (patterns).
From afar, a sharp contrast is needed to recognise a shield or flag. Therefore, the rule of tincture states that no Metal may be on Metal and no Colour on Colour, since the types tend to blur if viewed from distance (especially yellow and white). This "rule" is nowadays little more than a recommendation, but most flags are still designed accordingly- you will find very few flags that have two colours together without a yellow or white bar between them. There is a handful of deliberate and accidental violations, such as the ones I posted. At least the Vatican flag (originating as the flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem) does it deliberately to emphasise its special position.
It may seem like nitpicking nowadays, but it used to be a matter of life and death.
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Anonymous
Guest
I suppose it's because the German flag was originally designed as a means of identification not to other fractions, but to those who were supposed to follow it. It may also simply be because it was a fairly spontaneous design used in the underground and therefore had no need to follow heraldic conventions. It only became an official flag several decades after its first use by student protesters.