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Zoygarian Vexillology

INSTITUTO NAÇIONAL ZOYAVSKA DE VEKSILOFÍA
NATIONAL ZOYGARIAN INSTITUTE OF VEXILLOLOGY

Preambulo

This dispatch, produced by the National Zoygarian Institute of Vexillology, has been catered to English-speaking readers. The following text will contain Zoygarian, and in some cases, Czaszar words and phrases, which will be translated and labeled accordingly. We encourage you to read until the end, and to enjoy viewing Zoygaria's rich history in flags, as well as the stories and symbolism behind them.

INZV

Zyga, Helga, and Czasza

Vexillum Zyga (Latin)
Zygan flag (English)
1203-1370

The flag of the Principality of Zyga is a vertical tricolor of blue, white, and gold with a shield bearing a crowned golden eagle and two ermines. Officially, it is in 3:5 aspect ratio, though this specification was only given in the late 90's when the flag was officially documented for the first time. The meaning behind the colors is unknown, though the golden eagle has always been a symbol of Zyga, and later Zoygaria. Interestingly, this shade of blue is not seen on any other Zoygarian flag to date, prompting the question: was this shading a mistake done later after converting the flag from drawing to digital form, or did the shade simply fall out of use? As of now, there is no solid answer. This flag is the official flag of the Zyga Oblast.




Vexillum Helga (Latin)
Helgan flag (English)
1203-1370

The flag of the Principality of Helga is a vertical tricolor of blue, white, and gold, with a shield bearing a white deer rampant with three stars. Officially, it is in 3:5 aspect ratio, though this specification was only given in the late 90's when the flag was officially documented for the first time. The meaning behind the colors is unknown, but the deer has long been a symbol of old Helga, and the three stars represent the three major regions of the Helgan Principality. The colors seen on this flag are featured in several other Zoygarian flags, prompting many to believe that it was the Helgan flag, not the Zygan flag, that was the precursor to the subsequent designs. This flag is the official flag of the Helga Oblast.




Flaga Czâszko (Czaszar)
Bandiera Czaszka (Zoygarian)
Czaszar Flag (English)
1203-Present

The flag of the Principality of Czasza is a vertical bicolor of gold and black. The flag is officially in 5:8 aspect ratio. The black represents a mass of soldiers approaching from east (though Rovasi was located west of old Czasza, the Bistran Mountain range would have prevented any chance of attack from the west), being repelled by a band of gold, the fields of wheat found all across Czasza. As Czasza suffered many invasions from the ever expanding Rovasi Empire, this flag makes sense. Not incorporated is their national symbol, a drawn sabre, which also ties into their history of repelling invaders. This flag represents the Czaszar people and language as a whole (whilst the amount of Czaszar descendants in Zoygaria are roughly equal to those of Zygan or Helgan descent, most identify as Zoygarian, as the Czaszar people were closely intertwined with the Zygan people), and has not changed since its conception.

Zyga-Helga

Flag of Zyga-Helga (English)
1370-1456

The flag of the Kingdom of Zyga-Helga is an alternating checkerboard pattern of gold and blue divided by two crosses of white and blue, with an alternating deer or eagle in each quadrant. The flag is officially in 3:5 aspect ratio. Uniting under King Viltívi I of Zyga, the Principalities of Zyga and Helga merged to form a unified state. Due to their linguistic and cultural similarities, the merger transpired seamlessly, introducing a new and powerful state to the continent of Elysia. The flag combines the Helgan national color of gold with the Zygan national color of blue, and adds both nations' national animals as ornaments.

The Zoygarian Empire

La Bandiera Imperiora (Zoygarian)
Flaga Carska (Czaszar)
The Imperial Banner (English)
1456-1739

The flag of the Zoygarian Empire is a horizontal tricolor of cyan, white, and gold with two ornate shields bearing a crowned golden eagle wearing a shield of a bolnisi cross, and a crowned white deer with three stars and two ermines. The flag is officially in 3:5 aspect ratio. Following the union of Zyga-Helga and Czasza in 1456 under the Ovostek Agreement, this was the first flag of a unified Zoygarian state. Fearsome and imposing, this banner combined elements of the old Zygan and Helgan banners to create a new flag for their new state. This banner would fly over territories of the Zoygarian Empire until its fall in 1739. For many, this flag is still among the most fearsome banners of history, representing one of the most powerful nations of all time, and a major contributor to enlightenment ideas and global modernization.

Vostok-Czasza

La Bandiera Vivieska (Zoygarian)
Flaga Vivieska (Czaszar)
The Vivieska Banner
1739-1740

The flag of the Queendom of Vostok-Czasza is a vertical bicolor of blue and gold with a crown and a drawn sabre on the blue and gold sides respectively. The flag is officially in 1:1 aspect ratio. After the partitioning of the Zoygarian Empire following the Great Zoygarian War, only Vostok-Czasza remained as a reminder of the once-great state of Zoygaria. This flag was the personal banner of Queen Vivieska I, and though it was the national flag of the temporary Queendom, it never physically flew over the state. It combines the Zoygarian national colors with a royal crown representing the Monarchy as a whole as well as Queen Vivieska, and the national emblem of Czasza, a symbol of Zoygarian defiance against all hostile threats. This flag holds the title of being the only non-rectangular Zoygarian flag, as it is a perfect square.

The Commonwealth of Zoygaria

La Trikolora Magna (Zoygarian)
Vielka Trikolori (Czaszar)
The Great Tricolor (English)
1740-1865

The flag of the Commonwealth of Zoygaria is a vertical tricolor of blue, white, and gold with a crowned shield bearing a red bolnisi cross. The flag is officially in 2:3 aspect ratio. Designed chiefly by Queen Vivieska I, this flag was designed to serve the newly founded Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria. Interestingly, the shade of blue featured on each subsequent Zoygarian flag starting with this flag would differ from the last. It is unknown whether or not this was an error or a personal choice of the monarch that oversaw the change. The flag combines elements of older flags together to create a new and powerful design for the reborn nation. Oddly, though Zoygaria's official pretitle assigned by Queen Vivieska was the "Imperial Commonwealth," it only went by "Commonwealth" until the mid 1900's when the title was formally adopted.

The Commonwealth of Zoygaria (2)

La Bandiera Zoyavska (Zoygarian)
Flaga Zoavskyie (Czaszar)
The Zoygarian Flag (English)
1865-1870

The second flag of the Commonwealth of Zoygaria is a vertical tricolor of cyan, white, and gold, with a crowned shield bearing a bolnisi cross atop a larger Maltese cross adorned with golden Fleur de Lis. The flag is officially in 2:3 aspect ratio. One of the shortest-lived flags in Zoygarian history, the "snowflake flag" as it is sometimes called was a transitional flag of the Zoygarian Commonwealth. Designed by Sigismund Vivieski IV, the flag was an attempt to modernize the flag made by Queen Vivieska. However, the design was relatively short-lived due to its unpopularity with the people, and was replaced in 1870 after just five years of service. Funnily, the nickname "Snowflake Flag" can not only symbolize the snowflake-like design of the Maltese cross, but also the brevity of its service as the national flag.

The Commonwealth of Zoygaria (3)

La Bandiera Zoyavska (Zoygarian)
Flaga Zoavskyie (Czaszar)
The Zoygarian Flag (English)
1870-1912

The third flag of the Commonwealth of Zoygaria is a vertical tricolor of cyan, white, and gold, with a golden eagle wearing dual Maltese crosses atop a crowned shield with the cross of St. Aleksi, with blue branches beneath it. The flag is officially in 2:3 aspect ratio. Following the short-lived "Snowflake Flag," this flag was part of a Zoygarian flag design contest hosted by King Vivieski IV. Designed by Taiko Jalvak, it amassed 58.7% of the total votes, combining elements of former flags together to create a banner worthy of representing Zoygaria. In an interview, designer Taiko Jalvak said that he implemented the cross of St. Aleksi, Zoygaria's patron saint, in homage to the flag of Zyga-Helga, though it is unknown whether or not the cross featured on said flag is meant to be the cross of St. Akeksi, as it was never officially documented.

The Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria

La Invirnostai (Zoygarian)
Ozimikhvit (Czaszar)
The Winterhold (English)
1912-Present

The flag of the Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria is a vertical tricolor of cyan, white, and gold, with a golden Szostó in the center. The flag is officially in 3:5 aspect ratio. Designed in 1912 by King Sigismund V, the Winterhold, or just Winterhold, is arguably the most well-known Zoygarian flag to date. It is the first Zoygarian national flag to have proper symbolism, and is the most well-received by the people. The cyan, the national color of old Zyga, represents peace, grace, and the glory of days gone by. The white, the balancing shade, represents honor, humility, and balance. The gold, the national color of old Helga and Czasza, represents prosperity, hope, and the rising dawn, possibly symbolic of the dawn of a new Zoygaria. The golden Szostó in the center is a deeply cultural symbol, representing Zoygarian identity, culture, and people. First seen on the war banner of King Viltívi I, it became a symbol of the Zoygarian culture and people, featured prominently in signs, documents, and even dress. The unique design of the symbol is also very representative of Zoygaria, as many Zoygarian symbols and icons feature triangular and diamond-like shapes. The flag does not utilize an eagle, deer, sabre, stars, crown, ermine, or anything of the sort— instead, it symbolizes a unified Zoygaria, that all who fly the flag, regardless of where they are, will always be Zoygarian. In a way, it is a manifestation of Zoygaria's national motto— Gens una, unus populus. One nation, one people.

Thank you for reading this dispatch by the National Zoygarian Institute of Vexillology (INVZ). If you enjoyed this dispatch, please consider upvoting. Note that all of the flags shown are the intellectual property of the Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria, and the illegal usage of these flags for other purposes is strictly prohibited. Please do not reproduce, in whole or in part, any of this dispatch without explicit permission from the INVZ. Thank you.

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