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Dictionary of Vexillology: S (Shades of Tincture - Smaller Arms)

Last modified: 2010-01-02 by phil nelson
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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SHADES OF TINCTURE
See Appendix III.

SHAFT
1) See ‘shafted’ below.
2) A term that is sometimes used in place of lance or staff, particularly when a cavalry guidon is being carried – but see ‘lance’ and ‘staff 2)’ (also ‘guidon’).
SHAFTED
A heraldic term used when the wooden section of an arrow, lance or spear is of a different tincture to its head (and/or flights if appropriate) – but see ‘barbed’, (also ‘garnished’, ‘hafted’, ‘hilted’, ‘rogacina’ and ‘tincture’)

flag - Strelice, Czech Republic arms - Strelice, Czech Republic flag - Pracejovice, Czech Republic arms - Pracejovice, Czech Republic
Flag and Arms of Strelice, Czech Republic; Flag and Arms of Pracejovice, Czech Republic


SHAHADA
A term (meaning “testimony” or “approval” in Arabic) that refers to the Islamic statement of faith which appears on several Arab flags, and is usually seen thereon in its shortened form - La allah illa Allah (wa) Muhammed rasulu Allah – or “There is no Deity but God (and) Muhammed is God’s messenger” (see also ‘takbir’and ‘zulficar’).

Saudi Arabia Palenstian political flag
National Flag of Saudi Arabia (Graham Bartram); A Political Flag from Palestine (fotw) 

Please note that the full term reads Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah or "I bear witness that there is no Deity other than Allah and that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger". Please note also, that the use of a sacred text on the Saudi flag has resulted in many restrictions as to its use and appearance.


SHAMROCK
See ‘trefoil’.

Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club ensign
Ensign of the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club (Clay Moss)


SHARK ALERT (or ALARM) FLAG
See ‘beach flag’.

shark alert flag - Hong Kong shark alert flag - Australia
Shark Alert Flags, Hong Kong (fotw) and Australia (CS)

Please note that the Australian shark alert warning is the same as Flag Uniform in the International Code of Signals where the meaning is 'you are running into danger'.


SHEAVED BLOCK
A nautical term for a pulley, the sheave being the revolving grooved wheel within the block and on which the halyard runs (see also ‘Appendix I’ and ‘halyard’).

SHELL
See ‘escallop’.

SHIELD
1) In heraldry the shield (varying in detail and based on an item of defensive armour) is the basic element of all armorial bearings, and forms the field upon which the main heraldic charges are displayed. It is always blazoned first, and is often shown alone – an escutcheon (see also ‘Appendix IV’, ‘armorial bearings’, ‘coat of arms’ and ‘escutcheon’).
2) On flags as above, but the charge or charges displayed need not be heraldic in origin, and (and sometimes shown with weapons) is often said to symbolize a willingness to defend the country.

[Kenya]
National Flag of Kenya (fotw)

[shield shapes]
Some Examples of Shield Shapes (CS)


SHIELD-SHAPED
See ‘ogival’.

SHIFT COLOURS (or COLORS)
(v) In US, UK and some other naval usage, the procedure whereby a warship’s ensign is struck from its staff at the stern and hoisted at the peak as a vessel gets underway – see ‘peak 1)’ (also ‘gaff’, ‘ensign staff’, ‘naval ensign’ under ‘ensign’ and ‘strike’)

SHIFTED TOWARDS
See ‘offset towards’.

SHIPPING (or SHIPPING COMPANY) HOUSE FLAG
See ‘house flag 1)’.

SHIP’S CREST
In British Royal Navy usage and in some others, a traditional term for the badge of an individual warship – see ‘grommet 2)’ (also ‘badge 3)’, ‘emblem, military and governmental’ and ‘military crest’).

HMS Warspite crest
Badge of HMS Warspite, Launched 1913


SHOULDER PATCH
See ‘flag patch’.

SIGNAL FLAG
Any of a number of straight-sided flags as well as various triangular and squared-ended tapered pennants, of a generally simple, recognized design which, when flown singly or together are used to transmit messages in an established code, especially at sea - see 'numeral flag' and 'numeral pennant' (also 'hoist 2)', ‘flags 1)’, 'International Code of Signal Flags', 'dressing ship', 'church pennant', ‘repeating frigates’, ‘yeoman of signals’.)

SIGNAL GROUP
See ‘hoist 2)’.

SIGNAL HOIST
See ‘hoist 2)’.

SIGNIFER
The bearer of a 'signum' (see ‘signum’ below).

SIGNUM (or SIGNA)
1) Generically and in the plural (signa) all the vexilla, flags and vexilloids used by the ancient Roman army (see also ‘draco’, ‘eagle 2)’, ‘flammula’, ‘vexilloid 2)’ and ‘vexillum’).
2) Specifically and in the singular (signum) the vexilloid of a maniple, or subdivision of a Roman legion (see also ‘vexilloid 2)’).
3) The similar vexilloids of auxiliary units.

Please note that a “maniple” was one- third of a cohort (which was itself one-tenth of a legion) and in the first Century AD a standard maniple would consist of about 160 men.

Also please note that signum is the Latin for “sign” as semeion was in classical Greek (see also ‘semeion’).


SILKS
See ‘company colours’.

SIMPLE BICOLOUR
See ‘bicolour 2)’.

Ukraine
National Flag of Ukraine (fotw)


SIMPLE PALL
See ‘pall’.

SIMPLE PILE
See ‘pile’.

SIMPLE TRIANGLE
See ‘triangle’.

SIMPLE TRIBAND
See ‘triband 2)’.

Peru
National Flag of Peru (fotw)


SIMPLE TRICOLOUR
See ‘tricolour 2)’.

Italy
National Flag of Italy (fotw)


SINISTER
The heraldic term for the left hand side of a flag or shield from the point of view of the bearer, or the right hand side from the point of view of an observer (see also ‘dexter’).

SINISTER EDGE
1. With regard to a shield see ‘sinister’ above.
2. A term that may be used in describing the right hand facing edge of a banner or gonfalon which is hung from a crossbar, and equivalent to the bottom edge of a conventionally hoisted flag – the trailing edge (see also ‘banner 2)’ and ‘gonfalon’).

sinister edge example


SINISTER HOIST (HOISTED or HOISTING)
The term used when a flag is depicted with its hoist to the observer’s right in the Arabic tradition – but see ‘sinister’ above (also ‘hoist 1)’, ‘obverse’ and ‘reverse’).

Abu Dhabi shown in sinister hoist
National Flag of Abu Dhabi (fotw)


SKULL AND CROSS-BONES
See ‘jolly roger’.

SLEDGE (or SLEDGING) FLAGS
In UK and some other usage now largely obsolete, the flags (of varying design) that were flown from the sledges of several polar expeditions in order to make them more visible from a distance and for reasons of esprit de corps.

[1875 North Pole expeditionary flag] [Shackleton 1914 Antarctic expeditionary flag]
From left: Flag used by the 1875 Expedition to the North Pole (fotw); Flag used on Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Expedition to the Antarctic (fotw)


SLEEVE
1) See ‘heading’.
2) Especially of an indoor flag, parade flag or military colour, a tube of material at the hoist into which the staff is inserted (see also ‘indoor flag’, ‘parade flag, ‘colour 2)’, ‘tab’ and ‘staff 2)’).

Please note that the increasingly (but by no means entirely) obsolete practice of cutting the sleeve of a military colour or parade flag into separate sections (with gaps in between) is almost certainly based on the earlier use of ties (see also ‘ties’).


SLIPPED
A heraldic term used in place of couped when applied to the stalks of trefoils, leaves and sprigs of foliage – see ‘couped 2)’.

Magenwil, Switzerland Wόrenlingen, Switzerland Schupfart, Switzerland
Flag of Magenwil, Switzerland; Flag of Wόrenlingen, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Schupfart, Switzerland

Please note that a fruit or leaf etc., without a stalk is neither slipped nor couped


SMALLER ARMS
See ‘lesser arms’ under ‘arms’.

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