Swiss mercenary flags

Last modified: 2004-08-14 by pascal gross
Keywords: mercenary | flame | vatican guard | bern | schaffhausen |
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• Description of the mercenary flags
• History of the mercenary flags
• Swiss Guard

Flamed flags have a long tradition in Switzerland. For those who never saw such a flag: the flames a kind of wavy rays from the center to the edge of the flag. They usually come in two or three colors.

These flags were mainly used by Swiss mercenary troops. Here the colors of the commander of a regiment (usually a Swiss noble) were arranged in such flames. The last (and only) mercenary regiment still in service is the Swiss Guard in Vatican.

The cantonal flags do not have any official standing, nevertheless they are seen quite often because of their attractive design. Here the cantonal arms are placed on a two-color flamed background. The colors are usually the ones of the arms

A beautiful book illustrating cantonal banners in the flame style is Flottez Drapeaux! (Fly flags!) by E.A. Gessler, (Zurich: Editions Fraumunster, 1943). [ges43]
T.F. Mills, 14 May 1996

The wavy flames radiating from the center originated in the 16th century. In Switzerland proper cantonal flags predominated over the confederate white cross, but in mercenary service the units were mixed and of little cantonal significance. Mercenary

The Swiss Guards Regiment in France (which was massacred in the August 1792 assault on the Tuilleries, an event commemorated by the Lion monument in Lucerne) had a rainbow design of black, blue, yellow and red rays.

The de