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Cyprus in the "Book of All Kingdoms" (late XIVth century)

The "Book of All Kingdoms"
"Cyprus" flag

See also:

Cyprus

The "Book of All Kingdoms"

The "Book of All Kingdoms" [f0fXX], of 1350, tells the voyages of an anonymous Castilian friar and is illustrated with 113 flag images, referred to (though seldom described) in the text.

António Martins, 3 November 2007

The Hakluyt Society edition (1912) [f0f12] of the "Book" notes that there are three to four texts, which were designated as "R" [f0fXXr], "N" [f0fXXn] and "S" [f0fXXs]. "R" is the more modern and has 41 leaves; "N" has 67 leaves, but incomplete and appears to be from the latter XVth century, while the "S" codex is the most complete and in the national library in Madrid. The Society notes that there are differences in the codices. The Hakluyt Society version is translated from the edition produced in 1877 by Don Marcos Jimeñez de la Espada [f0f77], who appears to have used the "S" codex and gave each codex its designation.

Phil Nelson, 19 November 2007

"Cyprus" flag

Flag of "Cyprus" - Image by António Martins, 20 November 2007

The 44th flag mentioned and illustrated in the "Book of All Kingdoms" is attributed to Cyprus. Note that, in this source, this image comes 44th but the 44th text obviously describes obviously the 45th flag, "Lesser Armenia.
The 2005 Spanish illustrated transcription of the "Book" [f0f05] shows a horizontally divided white-purple flag with in the upper half a red cross patty throughout with small red crosses patty on each quadrant, and the bottom half semy of golden fleurs de lis; the flag is shown in the ogival default shape of this source.
The anonymous author of the "Book" describes the flag thusly: E el rey de Chipre á por señales un pendón ameitidas, la una meitad cárdena con flores de oro, porque el rey es de la Casa de Francia, e la otra meitad cinco cruzes bermejas atale (And the king of Cyprus has for device a pendon in halves, the one half purple with golden flowers because the king is of the House of France, and the other half five red crosses like this).

António Martins, 20 November 2007