I think putting a cross on our drovsh will only narrow the already slanted vantage point of the world concerning the definition of Armenian. I personally know individuals who assume that because Armenians -even the self-proclaimed agnostics & atheists- somehow refuse to weaken their loyal emotions and dissociate themselves completely from the Church, it means that the institution has been
the absolute end of the Culture for Armenia in the past 2000 years. Granted, it WAS the state when there was no state, but when you speak of the worldwide symbol of a nation (of a PEOPLE) I think waving a khach -wheather that means an eternally blossoming cross seen on khachkars or a plain St.George*- against the sky would be settling for less at best.
*Speaking of St.Gevo BTW, we all know our neighbors upstairs recently had themselves a Vart-a-guyn Revolution and premiered a certain crimson/white flag.
I myself like it, and they can keep it. Now check this out:
http://www.crwflags....ags/ge.html#hisThe flag is said to have been used by early Georgian feudal states.
A similar flag is shown in the Libro del Conoscimiento de todos los Reinos (XIVth century) for Sivas (Sebasteia). A picture of the flag from that source is shown by Georges Pasch in Vexillologia [vxa] #2 (1969). Sebasteia was the capital city of the former Byzantine province of
Armenia Prima, and
Sivas is today the capital city of the velyat of Sivas, in Cappadocia, Turkey. The new flag of Georgia does not seem to be related with this historical banner. The flag of the National Movement was unknown ten years ago and was called "the Georgian historical national flag" by the opposition leaders only after publications by the Georgianvexillologist I.L. Bichikashvili...
...in The World Atlas, which is indeed the Libro de Conoscimiento mentioned above, there are only
three pictures for Sivas but nothing on banners of any Georgian state or city....The 1917 Flag issue of National Geographic magazine [gmc17] has excerpts and illustrations from the Libro de Conoscimiento manuscript.
It shows the five red crosses for "Sauasto ... anciently Sauasco", although the center cross is couped, not extending all the way to the edges. The editors identified Sauasto as Sivas/Sebastia.It also shows either arms or a flag for Lesser Armenia. I am not sure if it was intended to be a descate-shaped flag or arms with the shield rotated 90 degrees. If a flag, it is the five red cross on white design over gold fleurs-de-lis on blue; if a shield the two designs per pale I had also heard mentions of a Cypriot connection with this flag.
What are your Opinions. Any other sources/info/links?
This post has been edited by Zartonk: 27 January 2007 - 06:03 PM