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Monday, August 6, 2018

The Original Seven Kingdoms Flag of Game of Thrones


There are many kingdoms within the Game of Thrones cable television series on HBO.  But note, the dominant religion is held in the Faith of the Seven.  Seven also refers to the Seven Kingdoms, when Westeros was divided into seven kingdoms and then conquered by House Targaryen by the Sir Aegon Targaryen. 

Here is a flag that represents the Original Seven Kingdoms that became united as one under House Targaryen.

Starting the in the upper left hand corner, which is the canton, we have the seven pointed star that is reflective of the Faith of the Seven.  It is analogous to the cross of England that all Kingdoms heed in some fashion.  But for the Religion of Seven, there are seven models that represent humanity in this universe.  

To the right is a blue region that has a circle, a crescent moon and falcon that represents House Arryn which rules over the Kingdom of the Mountain & Vale.

Next over to the right is the Dire wolf's head on white.  This sigil represents the House of Stark which rules the Kingdom of the North.

Further right is the lion of the house Lannister on a field of red.  The Lannister House rules over The Kingdom of the Rock.

Below the Lion of Lannister is a stag on a field of yellow with a crown around its neck.  This sigil represents the House of Durrandon which eventually mixed and became House Baratheon.  This area is the Kingdom of the Stormlands.

To the left is a chained saltire with four different emblems of the House Hoare, which is a House no more.  The four emblems being a longship, grapes, a pine, and a raven.  The ancient Kingdom was the Isle and the Rivers.  This Kingdom is split.  The Isles are under the House Ironborn while the mainland is under House Tully.  House Ironborn has a yellow squid upon black, while House Tully has a trout leaping in the air coloured red above a river. 

Further left is the sigil of a green hand on white that represents the extinct House of Gardener.  Instead of the 'green thumb' they have a green hand to denote farming expertise.  This is the Kingdom of the Reach which is now split.  House Tyrell occupies part and the other half is directly ruled by the Iron Throne, kinda' like Washington DC being under the seat of the King, oops I meant federal government,
better known as the Iron Throne.

Finally in the lower left corner is the sigil of House Martell which as the Sun pierced by a spear.  This is the Kingdom Dorne, usually referred as a Principality, yet a Kingdom nonetheless. 

This great work of fiction takes a lot of hints from the ancient English history when England was divided into Seven Kingdoms.  You can see the flag below crossed with the Iron Throne Kingdoms of HBO.  Starting from the lower left corner the authentic seven kingdoms were: Mercia (yellow X on blue), Northumbria (yellow and red, vertical stripes), Sussex (the six birds on blue), Kent (white horse on red).  Then on the upper part we have: Essex (3 swords on red), East Anglia (3 crowns on blue), Wessex (the yellow dragon on red).  Finally in the canton is the religious symbol and icon for all original seven Kingdoms that became England (red cross on a white field).


Sunday, August 5, 2018

Atari Wessex Flag - Ode to Warren Robinett & Wessex



Wessex is represented by a yellow dragon on red.  In this case the dragon from Atari's Adventure is recycled for a fun flag from the Golden Age of Video Game Consoles.  If you didn't know Wessex was one of the 'seven kingdoms' of England.  Today in the Game of Thrones cable TV series on HBO, the fictional seven kingdoms of Westeros were inspired by these authentic seven kingdoms of history. 

Adventure 1979 was a seminal groundbreaking video game, considered the grandfather of all adventure oriented games.  The legacy of its heritage includes Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda.  It was made for the Atari 2600.

The programmer was Warren Robinett.  However in 1979 the establishment at Atari would not give credit nor royalties to these pioneering game designers.  Nonetheless Robinett was able to secretly add a hidden level-message so that people would remember his name.   He did this without authorization, in effect sticking it to man.  Consequently Warren Robinet 1951 is the true to life NEO from 1979—twenty years before the Matrix 1999 movie was released.


Image Source from Robinett's Website:
http://www.warrenrobinett.com/



Fun Moscow Adventure Atari Flag


The Fun Moscow Atari Dragon flag is a silly design that Gen-X gamers and video game historians will enjoy.  The regular Moscow flag has St. George on horseback striking a black dragon.  However with this flag, we have a dead 1979 Adventure dragon.

Quite possibly Atari's best game, no doubt it laid the framework for the Zelda games from Nintendo.

Adventure 1979 was created by Warren Robinett who put the first 'Easter Egg' in a video game.  Back then Atari video game designers were not allowed to get credit nor collect any royalties.  They wanted to keep the workers under the corporate thumb as virtual slaves to a system.  However Robinett left an unauthorized bonus screen. In a way Warren was the very first Neo, long before the rise of Matrix 1999 movie.  Thus to honor to his pioneering move to stick it to the system, here is an Atari homage.  But that is not Keanau Reeves, rather it is supposed to be Warren Robinett.


Apple Schmapple: We want a Robinett Movie!
http://www.warrenrobinett.com/

There is a controversy about the sword in Adventure.  Which end is the blade?  Some believe that the arrow point indicates the tip of the blade, the other half thinks arrow point end is the hilt-handle.  The creator, Warren Robinett, said it really dose not matter.  See the video on the previous post at 49:11 to see for yourself. 

Fun Atari Imperial China Flag


The Fun Atari Imperial Dragon flag is based upon a mash up of Atari art and the ancient flag of China.

To the left is the ancient Chinese flag with its azure dragon.






New Bhutan Flag—The Atari Bhutan Flag Fun

In the Far West dragons on flags bring up memories of Medieval Times.  But in the East and Far East, Dragons also  conjure up that ancient era of the sword and arrow.  In fact, there is still one nation on Earth that has preserved the Medieval sigil of the dragon on their national banner for the modern day—Bhutan.

Likewise once you cross the Indus River, the theme of the Dragons become something more of a good thing than a bad thing.  St. George is a popular national Saint, especially in Russia and the UK, and is often depicted killing a dragon.  However, east of the Urals, the dragon is not a spirit  to be conquered.  Rather it is supposed to be honored.

Official Flag of Bhutan
Bhutan is located high within the natural fortress of the Himalayas.  Amazingly, it was neither absorbed into China or India. You can think of Bhutan as the Chinese Nepal (since China and Bhutan have a Buddhist/East Asian phenotype tilt); thus the counter-change axiom would then make Nepal, the Indian Bhutan (sine India and Nepal have a Hindu/South Asian phenotype tilt)—it's a Yin/Yang thing.

So in honor of dragons on flags and to make people in the West notice this little slice of heaven in the East, Bhutan, we have the Atari-Bhutan Dragon flag.  It has a white Atari dragon on the yellow and orange field of Bhutan.

It's unlikely that anyone in Bhutan was able to play Atari's Adventure video game back in 1979.  But just maybe, one of the super rich Bhutanese in 79' was able to get his hands on this classic American video game?  For now, the Adventure-Bhutan fun flag is an educational amusement for the Far West and a few folks in Japan and South Korea.  Perhaps someday in the future when Bhutan gets on the grid and they are able to create their own video games, they'll understand the humour of the Adventure-Bhutan flag.

Oddly video games have unintended consequences, that being of death and rebirth—reincarnation.  In Adventure 1979, you can die and get stuck in video game purgatory.  All you have to do hit the reset switch (reincarnate) and you can come back and your objects will be where you left them.  But any Dragons you have killed, will also reincarnate and continue to block your path. 

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Atari Game of Thrones Dragon Flag Fun




Funny thing is, there are three dragons in the Game of Thrones.  But back in the 1970s the original dragons from Atari were there first.  Coincidentally they even have the same colours of red, yellow, and green.  Is this just a coincidence or should Atari claim some credit for this show?

The red dragon of Atari was Rhindle, which is the Viserion the red dragon in Game of Thrones.  Both red dragons are the most aggressive and fearsome.  The yellow dragon of Atari is Yorgle, who was reborn as Rhaegal, and the green Atari dragon is Grundle, aka Drogon. Coincidence?  Or maybe the creators of Game of Thrones loved the Atari's Adventure?  Who knows?


It all makes sense now, since you basically play as John Snow in the original Atari game.  In 1970s glory the game Adventure could have been called Game of Thrones 1979?  Maybe they'll repackage it?

 


Subsequently the castles all fit into place the White Castle is actually Winterfell.  The Black Castle is the Castle Black—THE WALL.  It all fits into place.  Adventure was indeed, partly, the source material for Game of Thrones.  Those weren't bats!  They were crows!




Game of Thrones Dragons Image Source::  https://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1db3/ 
On Dragon: https://www.romper.com/p/will-drogon-die-on-game-of-thrones-he-was-severely-injured-74955

New Rhindle-Wales Flag — Atari Style


Did you know that the Rhindle from Atari's 1979 ground breaking video game of Adventure was a distant relative of the Welsh dragon.  So in honor of that heritage we have the Rhindle-Wales Flag.

To the left is the official heraldic flag of Wales with its proper dragon.  Also note that Wales also has a cross flag like England but the cross is yellow and the background is black.

Here is the lost Welsh flag that us based upon a fusion Atari dragon design with a more comprehensive Welsh Dragon. 

Here is the Welsh War ensign that could be flown at football matches or any other sporting event for Welsh Pride!!!