The Hearaldry of Harry Potter

Hogwarts United Coat of Arms

When a new student arrives at Hogwarts, they are assigned to one of four houses. This is done by the Sorting Hat - that talks. The Sorting Hat seems to read the intentions and feelings of the wearer and assigns the student via a magical dynamic and sense of proper destiny.

The four teaching teams at Hogwarts are Gryffindor the Lion, Hufflepuff the Badger, Ravenclaw the Eagle, and Slytherin the Snake.

Each house has its own livery of colours. Subsequently the Harry Potter Fan Base has created heralds for these houses at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling tapped a nerve in English Folklore that has begotten a life of its own.

The House of Hufflepuff

Their emblem is the badger and the colours are black and yellow. The badger proverbially lives in the underworld, unseen by most muggles.





House of Slytherin

Their emblem is the snake and their colours are green and white. This animal is actually very nice. Muggles have an insatiable appetite to dominate the universe but the snake refuses, instead Muggles must learn to respect the snake.





House of Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw's emblem is not synonymous with its name - it is rather the Eagle. But in the final movie - Deathly Hallows 2 - there is a raven on the flag. There is also an eagle head on the crest of the helmet.







House of Gryffindor

The is house of Harry Potter. Its totem is the most famous of all - the Lion. The Lion is beloved by the Muggles and it is also the emblem for several nations - Scotland, Denmark, and England. Muggles and persons of magic are both enchanted by the power of Lions.








Sorting Hat with Flags of the Four Houses at Hogwarts
integrative Harry Potter DVD game

Vexillology's Ultimate Game - Golf!

Caddy Shack Movie Poster
1980 - the underbelly of golf

No game more effectively uses flags than golf. The objective of the game is to aim for a flag! This game has vexillology written all over it.

Golf has gone though its own cultural revolution, but since Caddy Shack and when the Tiger was let loose - the snooty ceiling was forever shattered. Golf is a game for everyone.

Here is an idea...perhaps Disney could make a Disney World Show Case Course where course or particular hole is thematic of certain nations? It'd be kinda' like miniature golf meets regular 'gargantuan' golf.

Think about it...In 2015 Walt Disney opens an Asian Theme Golf Course - Hole Number One, aim for the Vietnam Flag on a jungle setting next to peaceful rice paddies. Hole Number two - aim for a Chinese Flag and the hazard is a Great Wall. Hole Number three - aim for a Korean flag...and so on!

Flag of the First Tee Organization
Youth Leadership via Golf!
Although many in the Golf Establishment would certainly view such an effort as tacky, think about it! There already is the First Tee Program, which teaches kids good golf values. Who knows maybe Golf is the answer to world peace? If people took something from proper Golf Etiquette, the world would certainly be a better place.

Golf can be good, it's all what you putt into it.

Futurama Flag - by Matt Groening

Flag of the Earth Nation 2999 AD?

Futurama is an animated sitcom born out of the imagination of Matt Groening - who was responsible for the Simpsons.

In Futurama the hero of the story is a pizza delivery born who accidentally gets cryogenically frozen on January 1, 2000 and awakens on December 31, 2999. Much has changed - aliens from distant planets live on earth, robots are sentient, and techonology rules everything. But some things never change - our hero Fry is assigned to be a delivery boy, as determined by a talent microchip that matches people to their best job.

Logo of Planet Express

The result is a satire on culture, gadgets, robots and all sorts of space age antics. If Star Trek were to have a baby with the Simpsons - Futurama is what you'd get. Although the show is supposed to take place in 1000 years in the future - the show often mocks the modern day with a twisted and witty humour. Essentially people in the future are not so different from today - although they have marvelous technologies and can travel to the moon in a jiffy - the people of earth in 2999 are rather cynical, greedy and prone to stupidity.

The three main characters
Leela (purple hair), Fry (red hair), Bender (the robot)

In one episode Futurama takes on the issue of burning the Flag of Earth, which looks remarkably like the flag of the United States. The primary difference is that there are no stars, instead a cloudless view of the American Hemisphere in its place - on navy blue background. The flag is also called 'Old Freebie' instead of 'Old Glory.'

In the episode we are privy to Mat Groening's view on the issue of burning the American Flag - although Groening never explicitly says so, you'd be a dim wit not to make the connection.

Short Video About Futurama

Comedy Central's Controversial Flags - South Park & the Daily Show

Flag of South Park

Imagination Land, USA

Two immensely popular shows on Comedy Central spawned two imaginary flags that lampoon and allude to the Confederate Flag Controversy, from a supposed 'comedic' point of view. These imaginary flags mirror the issues associated with Confederate Flag without mentioning it. The 'racist' South Park flag was created in 2000 while the anti-'whitey' flag was created in 2010.

School Debate on what to do about the Flag

In South Park's 4th season - July 5, 2000 - the town flag of South Park became the center of a controversy. South Park's most popular African American resident - Chef - claimed the original flag was racist. The original South Park flag showed a black figure being hanged and surrounded by four white figures.

Chef sees the flag as a blatant racist symbol, but many other residents are totally blind to Chef's point of view. Rather they cherish their flag as a cultural symbol of heritage and history.

Is the flag 'History' or 'Racism'?

In one scene the children debate whether or not to change the South Park flag. You can see the full episode by clicking the link below to South Park's Internet site.

Chef Goes Nanners (Warning Adult Content & Language - R)

Flag of Nat Turner Rebellion Catillion
Edited to say 'Like Mikey'

From the 'other' point of view the Daily Show did a comedic-commentary about an imaginary Nat Tuner Flag in an attempt to put the shoe on the other foot of persons who believe the rise of the Confederacy had nothing to do with slavery.

This fictitious flag was created in honor of the Nat Tuner Slave Rebellion in 1831. I have edited the Nat Tuner flag to read, "Like Mikey." However the flag that aired on Comedy Central used more incendiary language. You can see the more controversial flag in the video below.

Disclaimer - The purpose of the blog is to discuss and articulate the modern day points of view about certain flag issues. Please note, the following links and videos should be viewed with discretion or adult supervision.
Comedy Central's biting take about Confederate Flag Issues PG-13

The Daily Show - The South's Secession Commemoration
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

PC NAT TURNER FLAG -
without gore and racism

Although this flag effectively reflects back a certain kind of sentiment about the Confederate Flag, from a certain Northern Point of View, the Daily Show broadly categorizes all Southerners as a group.

Adoption of the Confederate Flag 150 years later

Original Confederate Flag

It may come as a surprise to many Americans what the original Confederate Federate Flag looked like. Well, here it is. It was adopted while the Capitol of the Confederacy was at Montgomery, Alabama.

The seven stars represent states that formed the Confederacy before the Lincoln Administration and bombing of Ft. Sumter in South Carolina. After the battle of Ft. Sumter four more states would leave the Union: Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. A little later Missouri and Kentucky formed rump pro-southern Governments. This resulted in a thirteen stared Confederate Flag.

There is something of a controversy as to who designed the first Confederate Flag. The new Southern government received thousands of proposals from the general population, many proposals conserved the stars and stripes pattern. No doubt anyone who submitted a flag and saw that it coincidentally matched their own design, would think they were responsible for it.

But in the end, a Southern Congressional Committee takes ultimate responsibility for the first design of the Confederate Flag.

Current Georgia State Flag
since 2003

Currently the Georgia State Flag utilizes the Confederate Flag as its main device but with the state seal in the center of the stars. The first design of the Confederate Flag is not as decisive than later versions or the Confederate Battle Flag. Rather it represents history more than a biased personal point of view.

Thus 150 years later since the adoption of the Confederate Flag from a certain point of view - it officially flies with a peaceful grace and as a symbol of history. Ironically this is due in part to the heritage vs racism flag debate.

The Holy TBN Network and Ruby Pier

In America's modern age two seemingly different songs of one spirit have been broadcast into the cosmos. One of the most dedicated modern churches whose pulpit streams from the heavens is the TBN Network. This virtual space age church utilizes over 77 satellites in orbit which broadcast to the various nations of the earth an evangelical spirit of Christ in several languages.

The TBN has a very unique corporate logo that is based on middle age European Heraldry which came into its own about 1111 years after the birth of Christ.

Logo of TBN Network

Upon the navy blue shield is a golden cross, on the center of the cross is a white dove pointing downwards. The supporter on the left side is a Lion, while the right side supporter is a white horse. On top of the shield at the 'helm' is the three letter designation TBN - which stands for Trinity Broadcasting Network. On the crest is a Christian gold and blue crown. There are two ribbons - in the compartment written in Old Northern European Script it is written Trinity Broadcasting Network. The second ribbon wraps around the Lion's belly flows up and behind the crown and then wraps around the white horse it reads - Rex Regnum around the Lion which mean King of Kings or acoustically (Reign Regal ). Around the horse it reads Fidelum Et which means Faithful & Truth or acoustically (Fidelity Is). Just to the left of the white horses knee is the modern corporate icon - TM (Trade Mark).

From another side of the American soul another spirit has shined its light into the heats of the American people. Although not as organized - it has a more intuitive and unstructured means of communion.

Ruby Pier with flag in background

Examples of this inspirational storyteller mode of communion are Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bachand Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

Although the mysterious storyteller side of the post modern American congregation has no official structure or herald, perhaps the pennant of Ruby Pier can fulfill this role? A version of this pennant was made in 2004 in the film adaptation of Five People You Meet in Heaven with John Voight.

Ruby Pier Pennant

In the film the pennant has yellow background with Ruby Pier written in red upon it, note seagulls in the background.

Old Libya Flag with New Malawi Flag

Rebel Flag of Libya 2011 &
Old Flag before Kadaffi

The flags of Africa shift like a slow and steady glacier. The new rebel flag of Libya is actually the old flag of Libya before Kadaffi came into power.

Before the 2011 Libyan Civil War, Malawi adopted a new flag due to a shift in political leadership.

Malawi abandoned The Red Sunset Flag and shifted the order of the colours. The Old Flag of Malawi is still paired with the flag of Kenya. But the Malwai-Kenya bond is outside of the "now." The new Malawi Flag since 2010 pairs up with the flag of Libya's Eastern Rebel Flag.

New Flag of Malawi

The flags of Malawi and Rebel Libya are bonded like yin and yang. Malawi has a white sun and white rays, while the Old/New Libya flag has a crescent moon. It is a perfect match of Sun and Moon or rather Day and Night. My primary research in flag study has discovered that flags can be paired up two by two.

Libya and Malawi represent of the great cultural divide within Africa. Although both countries are African Nations - they differ much in culture and customs. There are two great cultural divides within Africa - Black Africa and Arab Africa. Malawi is of the Black African sort while Libya is Arabian African.

Politically speaking, if the Western Kadaffi Loyalist flag should fall, it may herald that the flag of Saudi Arabia may also undergo a 'democratic revolution.' Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship - albeit a US friendly dictatorship. If this play with the USA dictatorship should fall it may give rise to an anti-US Democracy.

Libya's green flag is partnered with Saudi Arabia. It's interesting to note that Saudi Arabia has been a friendly dictatorship towards the US, while Libya has been a hostile dictatorship towards the US.

2011
A New pair of Flag Partners has come to awareness

There was some doubt about my flag symmetry idea when the flag of Malawi changed last year, since the apparent harmony between Malawi and Kenya was broken.

But their bond is not broken. Like the bond of love, it simply changes form, and is permanent. The Red Sun Set Flag of Malawi is still the partner to the current Kenyan Flag. However this bond exists outside of the now, as of 2011.

Likewise the dismissal of the Green Flag of Libya does not cut the tie between green flags of Saudi Arabia and Libya. Libya and Saudi Arabia will always have a connection to each other and to the United States.