![[Flag of Somerset]](../images/g/gb_e-som.jpg)
Last modified: 2005-10-22 by rob raeside
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by
Col Barscushy
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The flag shows a red dragon. It is being used a lot in the county of
Somerset (southwestern England). It is popular with trade fairs, local parishes
& cricket clubs. It has a long heritage as it is represented on the coat of
arms and flown in most council buildings.
Col Barscushy, 20 May 2003
![[CoA of Somerset]](../images/g/gb)smrst.jpg)
by James Frankcom
Wessex keeps popping up. Apparently, in Somerset and Wiltshire at least, the
symbol is a "dragon" and not a "wyvern". A wyvern would make more sense because
the red dragon is very definitely the symbol of Wales. The arms of Somerset I
include and the motto "Sumorsaete Ealle" means "All the people of Somerset" and
is a quote from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 870 when Somerset was first
mentioned historically. The arms were granted in 1911 and to make the arms
distinctive the "dragon" supports a civil mace to show that it is the arms of a
local council and not that of Wessex.
James Frankcom, 13 October 2003
The creature is a dragon both in the flag and the coat of arms. A Griffin has
an eagle's head, whilst a wyvern only has two legs and a fish's tail.
Adam Thomas, 29 September 2005