List of black flags

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This is a list of flags which are entirely or largely black.

Contents

In history

Solid black flag; flag of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901. Flag of Afghanistan (1880-1901).svg
Solid black flag; flag of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901.
Flag of the Fascist National Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista) from 1926 to 1943. There were variations of the flag with different styles of fasces, this image shows one of those styles. Flag of the National Fascist Party (PNF) variant 2.svg
Flag of the Fascist National Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista) from 1926 to 1943. There were variations of the flag with different styles of fasces, this image shows one of those styles.
Flag of the Schutzstaffel from 1925 to 1945. Flag of the Schutzstaffel.svg
Flag of the Schutzstaffel from 1925 to 1945.
The traditional "Jolly Roger" of piracy. Jolly-roger.svg
The traditional "Jolly Roger" of piracy.
Flag of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, first designed in the 1930s. For Ahmadi Muslims, it symbolizes the advent of the Mahdi. Liwa-e-Ahmadiyya 1-2.svg
Flag of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, first designed in the 1930s. For Ahmadi Muslims, it symbolizes the advent of the Mahdi.
Chetnik flag inscription reads: "For king and fatherland; freedom or death". Flag of the Chetniks.svg
Chetnik flag inscription reads: "For king and fatherland; freedom or death".

Jihadism in the 20th/21st century

The "black flag of jihad" as used by jihadist militants since around the late 1990s. Flag of Jihad.svg
The "black flag of jihad" as used by jihadist militants since around the late 1990s.

In Ali Soufan's book The Black Banners, he explains the title by noting that quotes from various Hadiths regarding "Black Banners" of a "new army" taking over Khorasan have some kind of prophetic significance with many modern adherents of extremist jihadism. He notes that it is "not a coincidence" that Osama bin Laden made al-Qaeda's flag black. Soufan also notes that there is debate about whether the prophet Mohammed actually spoke some of the quoted Hadiths (such as one attributed to Abu Hurairah). He also notes that Sheikh Salman al-Ouda has said the Black Banner hadiths are not able to be authenticated. [4]

In society

Flag of the Armoured Brigade of the Finnish Army. PsPr-lippu.jpg
Flag of the Armoured Brigade of the Finnish Army.
Flag of the National League of POW/MIA Families. United States POW-MIA flag.svg
Flag of the National League of POW/MIA Families.
Flag of mourning in Prague Castle. Rozlouceni s vaclavem havlem vladislavsky sal 443.jpg
Flag of mourning in Prague Castle.
Flag of Cornwall, a county of England Flag of Cornwall.svg
Flag of Cornwall, a county of England

As a signal in competitions and sports

The black flag is a racing flag used to signal a driver's disqualification. In sail racing, when the black flag is displayed with the preparatory signal, a boat that is over the starting line in the minute before the starting signal is immediately disqualified without a hearing. In some forms of racing, a black flag is used to disqualify competitors or indicate some other penalty (such as a forced pit stop in NASCAR).

Fictional black flags

Flag of Morgoth Flag of Morgoth.svg
Flag of Morgoth
Flag of Gondor Flag of Gondor.svg
Flag of Gondor
Flag of Mordor Flag of Mordor SVG.svg
Flag of Mordor
Flag of Minas Morgul Flag of Minas Morgul.svg
Flag of Minas Morgul
Flag of Isengard Flag of Isengard.svg
Flag of Isengard
Flag of Umbar Flag of Umbar.svg
Flag of Umbar

In The Silmarillion and other Middle-earth writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, the banner of the evil overlord Morgoth is described as being entirely black with no insignia. In The Lord of the Rings set several thousand years subsequently, the good Dúnedain bore a flag with solid black background as their royal standard, charged in silver with depictions of heirlooms from the founding of Gondor and Arnor including the Palantiri and the White Tree.

See also

References

  1. cat lliuresomorts.cat
  2. Marshall, Peter. Demanding the Impossible. Fontana, London. 1993. p. 558
  3. "SPECIAL ORDERS BY THE SUPREME COMMANDER, ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE TO THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND RELATING TO NAVAL FORCES" . Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  4. The Black Banners, Ali Soufan, 2011, W. W. Norton & Company