Portland Flag Association Publication 1 Portland Flag Association “Free, and Worth Every Penny!” Issue 42 October 2013 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The PFA Joins FIAV The PFA Joins FIAV 1 By Ted Kaye This welcome into the world’s The “Kingdom of Wallachia” 2 The International Federation of vexillological community recog- Gastro-Vexillology 3 Vexillological Associations nizes the PFA’s large and active September 2013 Flutterings 4 (“FIAV” in its French acronym) membership, frequent meetings, Flags in the Books 6 welcomed the Portland Flag and consistent publication sched- The Flag Quiz 7 Association as a full member at its ule—unparalleled among sub- Portland Flag Miscellany 8 General Assembly in Rotterdam national groups in the U.S. Next Meeting Announcement 8 during the 25th International In a sense, this recognition also Congress of Vexillology. www.portlandflag.org honors the PFA’s primary foun- ders, Harry Oswald and John Hood. In his final remarks at the Congress, FIAV’s president, Michel Lupant, mentioned John’s passing two years ago. After the close of the General Assembly, the board of FIAV (Kin Spain, Michel Lupant, and Graham Bartram) warmly con- After Max Liberman, the PFA’s gratulated Max on the successful delegate, delivered a compelling vote. He plans to represent the and articulate speech about the PFA at the next congress, in PFA’s candidacy, the representa- Sydney, Australia, in 2015. tives of FIAV’s members voted overwhelmingly for admission. Raise high the victory banner! —Ancient Sutra Phrase If you wish to compliment the editor, or to contribute in the future, contact Ted Kaye at 503-223-4660 or [email protected]. If you wish to complain, call your mother. 2 The Vexilloid Tabloid The “Kingdom of Wallachia” By Ted Kaye and the Kingdom of Wallachia During a recent tour of Central enjoys no formal diplomatic Europe, Debbie and I visited recognition. Valašské Kralovství, the “Kingdom The blue-white-green tribar flag of Wallachia”, in the eastern bears the arms of the kingdom, corner of the Czech Republic. crossed axes in brown and blue behind a typical large, pointed It is a micro-nation founded in black shepherd’s hat, all on a sim- 1997 by photographer Tomáš The Czech Republic, showing Prague ple yellow shield under a crown. Harabiš as an “elaborate practical (black) and Stramberk, the capital of the “Kingdom of Wallachia” (red). joke”. With a population of 27, In the “capital”, Stramberk, I it has since become one of the climbed the tower and bought a Czech Republic’s biggest tourist full-sized flag (I skipped the pass- attractions. It lies in the region of port). Our entertainment that Moravian Wallachia, which took night, in a scenic mountain inn in its name in turn from shepherds Pustevny, was a local folk troupe from Romanian Wallachia (the dressed in traditional garb, who Vlachs) who had settled in the ended its performance by singing area in the 14th–17th centuries. the “Wallachian national anthem”. Since its founding, over 80,000 Czech citizens have acquired “Wallachian Passports”— reminiscent of the Oregon pass- ports sold a generation ago. The kingdom first enthroned comedian Bolek Polívka as King Two Boleslav I the Gracious with a versions of lavish coronation ceremony in the flag of Wallachia 2000, but the Wallachian found on Performers in traditional Wallachian “government” soon deposed -line. dress—note typical hat and axe. Boleslav in a palace coup over the profits from the kingdom. Un- able to settle the dispute inter- nally, the case went to Czech court in 2007. The court ruled in favor of the “government” of Tomáš Harabiš, who crowned contest winner Vladimír Zháněl as King Vladimír II. Enthusiastic attempts to forge official ties with other countries have so far proven disappointing An actual flag of the “Kingdom of Wallachia”—bought in its capital, Stramberk. October 2013 Portland Flag Association Publication 3 Round-Up Each year Michael Orelove raises a flag in his flower “bed”. In past years, he has raised the U.S. flag, the reverse of the Oregon flag, and the Union Jack. This year it is the Canadian flag. While on vacation in Portland in July, Its maple leaf is cut out of wood Chris Bedwell and Joe Cook and the red and white stripes are discovered a business they thought petunias. We salute Michael’s probably should have had the PFA on Michael Orelove holds three green thumb and vex-ingenuity retainer...a pizza restaurant in the Canadian flags in front of his flower and look forward to what the next Alberta neighborhood which has a stand at the Saturday Farmer’s “bed” of a large Canadian flag. season brings. Market on the PSU campus. Gastro-Vexillology: Flags Good Enough to Eat To promote the Sydney Interna- tional Food Festival, Australia’s largest food event (with chefs from all over the world and a million attendees last year), the Australian advertising agency WHYBIN\TBWA recently created 17 national flags using foods common to each country. Basil, pasta, and tomatoes made Italy’s flag; hot dogs and buns for the U.S.; curry with rice and pap- padum wafer for India; banana leaf, limes, pineapple, and passion fruit for Brazil; pittaya/dragon fruit and star fruit for China; and olives and feta cheese for Greece. Seeing this item on-line, Port- lander Spencer Ehrman coined the term “gastro-vexillology”, a neologism heretofore not found in Internet searches. Source: http:// www.visualnews.com/2013/08/27/ national-flags-created-foods-country- commonly-associated/ 4 The Vexilloid Tabloid September 2013 Flutterings You Need to Know In our Sept. meeting, hosted by Mike Hale, 12 PFA members enjoyed a lively evening of flags and somewhat related topics. Mike, as host, led us through introductions and moderated our discussion. He asked each of us to name our favorite flag—the answers: Brazil, Basque, Barba- dos, Signal Flags, South Africa, Namibia, Maryland, Mars, Bud- dhist, Cascadia, and the latest acquisition! David Koski led a discussion of David Ferriday honors his wife’s natal state, South Carolina, as Jesse Spiller, the purported U.S. “civilian flag”, Mike Hale, and David Koski look on. with vertical red and white stripes and blue stars on a white canton. David Ferriday brought several FIAV General Assembly, which flags he’d recently bought for accepted the PFA’s application Scott Mainwaring shared his latest friends, and played a video of for membership (see page 1). Ted book purchase, which he charac- Sweden with a clip of the royal then showed the many flags he’d terized as likely the most fringe flag with three tails flying during acquired while traveling after the flag book he’d ever seen: Psychol- a changing of the guard. He also congress in Central Europe, ogy, Symbolism, and the Sacred: shared a photo of a Portland flag including national and municipal Confronting Religious Dysfunction in a made in Portland Thorns colors. flags from Poland, Hungary, Changing World [coloroftruth.com]. Croatia, and Slovenia. He also showed images of flags Max Liberman reported on the th he’d observed in the Portland Art 25 International Congress of Museum and of an unusual flag Vexillology, held the previous he’d seen at a Nepali festival. month in Rotterdam, describing the schedule and the presenta- tions. He presented the just- starting International Vexillologi- cal Index, a project led by Annie Platoff, which will index flag pub- lications (books and periodicals). PFA members agreed to have PFA participate and make avail- able back issues of the Vexilloid Tabloid. Max also offered to help Scott with website work. Scott Mainwaring shares the Brahma Ted Kaye added compliments for Max Liberman shows “Vlag” the Kumaris flag, as observed at a local Max’s superb presentation to the Dutch magazine promoting ICV25 Nepal festival. in Rotterdam. October 2013 Portland Flag Association Publication 5 “Georgia on My Mind”— Sam Oakland and one of many of his cross-themed flags. Sam Oakland unfolded several The first member of the Thai Vexil- custom-made flags he’s recently Linguist Ken Dale lends assistance to lological Association, Patrick Genna, Michael Orelove, translating a letter debuts its flag, on which he had acquired, all with some form a from the Provincial Government of consulted. cross on them. He did so without Québec. speaking, leaving us to guess each Patrick Genna shared many im- one. He eagerly awaits the next Ken Dale translated some materi- ages of flags he had culled from shipment from his supplier in als in French for Michael, and recent news, passed around the Dublin, Ireland. expostulated on some interesting publication of the Irish flag group, aspects of language, including the and announced he was the first Jessie Spillers described his fasci- connotations of sinister/dexter member of the Thai Vexillological nation with habits, customs, and and gauche/adroit. Association, showing its flag. superstitions, and led a discussion of the origin of the 21-gun salute: We wished Mike Hale safe travels Larry Snyder presented a decora- did it really begin with the total of to Europe and planned to meet at tive tassel for use with the PFA the numbers in 1776? John Schilke’s Mary’s Woods Flag. Ted offered the PFA finial complex in November. and Max will be the keeper of the Michael Orelove showed the lat- flag for use at future meetings. est items sent in response to his solicitations—now Canadian pro- vincial flags—and when the con- versation turned to astronomy, he showed off his planetary tattoos. The Canadian territory of Nunavut All nine (!) planets, in correct order sent Michael Orelove a full-size flag and relative distance from the sun, in response to his request for bespangle amateur astronomer Larry Snyder’s braid and tassel.