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Dictionary of Vexillology: R (Racing Flag - Running Eye and Toggle)

Last modified: 2006-09-30 by phil nelson
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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RACING FLAG
A special flag flown from a yacht that is taking part in a race, and struck if it withdraws or when it crosses the finish line (see also ‘prize flag’ and ‘strike’).
RADIANT
(adj) The heraldic term for rays that expand from a central point (see also ‘radiating’).
RADIATING
1) (adj) Rays spreading out from a central point and widening towards the edge of a flag as in, for example, the naval ensign of Japan, or the flag of the US State of Arizona (see also ‘active’, ‘inactive’ and ‘radiant’ and compare with ‘gyronny’).
2) (adj) A stripe or stripes usually widening from one fixed point, but occasionally from two closely spaced points as in, for example, the flags of the Marshall Islands or the Seychelles.

[radiating flags]
Flag of Arizona, USA (fotw)

[radiating flags]
National Flag of The Seychelles
(fotw)

[radiating flags]
Naval Ensign of Japan (fotw)

RAGGED CROSS
See ‘raguly’.
RAGULY
A heraldic term meaning any number of small regular projections set an angle on both sides of a bar, cross or saltire and thought to represent a roughly trimmed branch – as in, for example, the ragged cross (more accurately saltire) of Burgundy and later Spain.

[raguly]
Spanish Naval Flag 16-17th C (fotw)

RAINBOW COLOURS (or COLORS)
See ‘dressing lines’ (also ‘dress ship’).
RAINBOW FLAG
1) One of several flags showing the colours of the rainbow, with two prominent examples being the gay pride flag illustrated below and that of the Italian peace movement illustrated under peace flag.
2) An unofficial nickname for the national flag of South Africa.

[Federal Service Flag of Germany]
From left: The Current Gay Rights Flag; The Flag of Cusco, Peru (fotw)

RANGE FLAG
A red warning flag used to signal safe or dangerous conditions at a target range.
RAMPANT
See ‘Appendix V’.
RANK FLAG
1) A flag which signifies the rank of a military officer as opposed to that of a civilian functionary - but please see also ‘flag of command’, ‘individual flag’ and ‘tugh’.
2) An alternative term for a distinguishing flag (see ‘distinguishing flag’).

[rank flags]
From left: France - General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier General (FOTW)

Please note, that although these terms are sometimes considered interchangeable, the Editors have drawn a general distinction between the command flags used by senior naval officers, the rank flags employed by officers from the other armed services, the distinguishing flags of civilians and with personal flags.

RATIO
See ‘proportions’.
RAVEN FLAG
The flag considered by some sources to have been carried by Viking raiding parties up until the 11th Century, and to have been carried by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings (1066).

[Raven flag]
(fotw)

RED CROSS (CRESCENT or DIAMOND) FLAG
See ‘safe conduct flag’ (also ‘Geneva Convention flag’).
RED DUSTER
An affectionate nickname for the British civil ensign (see also ‘red ensign’ below).
RED ENSIGN
In British usage the ensign ensign usually (but not invariably) worn by all privately owned merchant vessels and yachts – the red duster (see also ‘civil ensign’ under 'ensign' and ‘blue ensign’).

[British Red Ensign]
The British Red Ensign (Graham Bartram)

REDUCED BEND
See ‘west-east diagonal’ (also ‘ascending diagonal’, ‘bend’ in Appendix VI, ‘descending diagonal’, 'east-west diagonal', ‘north-south diagonal’ and ‘south-north diagonal’).

[reduced bend flag]

REDUCED BEND SINISTER
See ‘east-west diagonal’ (also ‘ascending diagonal’, ‘bend sinister’ in Appendix VI, ‘descending diagonal’, ‘north-south diagonal’, ‘south-north diagonal’ and ‘west-east diagonal’).

[reduced bend sinister flag]

REEVE
(v) To thread the halyard through a block (or over a pulley) fitted into the truck and thereby raise or lower a flag (see also ‘halyard’ and ‘truck’).
REGARDANT
See ‘Appendix V’.
REGIMENTAL COLOUR (or COLOR)
See ‘colour 2)’ and ‘colours 2)’.
REGIMENTAL COLOURS (or COLORS)
1) The plural form of regimental colour and in this context used only when referring to the second or unit flag of more than one regiment (see ‘colour 2)’, ‘colours 2)’ and following note).
2) In British army usage, those shades or colours that are considered representative of a particular regiment, and which are usually employed on their camp flag and regimental ties etc., in addition to the formal regimental colour as defined in ‘colour 2)’, ‘colours 2)’ and in 2) above (see also ‘camp flag’).
REGIMENTAL FLAG
See 'camp flag'.
RELIGIOUS BANNER
See ‘banner 3)’, ‘gonfalon 1)’ and ‘religious flag’.
RELIGIOUS FLAG
Generically, any flag that is used in religious worship, or that represents a particular faith or denomination within that faith (see note below and also ‘banner 3)’, ‘Christian flag’, ‘dhvaja’, ‘ex-voto flag’, ‘khanda’, ‘prayer flag’ and ‘thangka’).

Please note that a Roman Catholic church often flies either the flag of the Vatican City State or a bicolour in the Papal colours of white and gold, that an Islamic mosque usually displays one or more crescent vexilloids and a Jewish synagogue the Menorah or the Magen David (see also ‘crescent’, ‘Magen David’, ‘Menorah’ and ‘vexilloid’). It should be noted also, that religious flags in the US are often displayed within the church building as well as outside, whereas in the UK Christian churches, with the exception of those religious banners carried in procession (and laid up military colours), usually (but not invariably) fly such flags outdoors.

RESERVE ENSIGN
See under ‘ensign’.
RETREAT CEREMONY
In military usage, a formal ceremony requiring a full guard and band for lowering the national flag at the end of the day on special occasions (see also ‘sunset’).

Please note that this ceremony has its roots in late Medieval and early Renaissance period with the formal ceremonies associated with closing the gates of fortresses and castles for the night.

REVEILLE
In UK, US and some other military usage, the ceremony of hoisting the national flag at the start of a day and taken from the name of the bugle call sounded to awaken the troops (see also 'colours 5)' and 'retreat ceremony').
REVERSE
The less important side of a flag that is generally, but not always, a mirror image of the obverse, A distinctive reverse design or charge will usually only be found on a regimental colour (see also ‘obverse’).

Please note however, that there are occasional exceptions.

REVERSED CHEVRON
See ‘chevron’.
REVERSED PALL
See 'Pall'.
REVERSED PILE
See ‘pile’.
RING
1) A charge in the form of a narrow circular band typically used to separate a sun’s central disc from its rays, as in the flags of Macedonia and Taiwan (see also ‘disc’ and ‘cartouche’).
2) A piece of wood or metal for attaching a windsock to its pole and for keeping it open (see also ‘windsock’).
3) See ‘battalion ring’ and ‘battle honour’.

Please note that the heraldic term for this type of charge is an annulet, but we suggest that a suitable glossary or heraldic dictionary be consulted for its correct usage.

RISING DIAGONAL
See ‘ascending diagonal’.
ROPE GROMMET
See ‘grommet 3)’.
ROUNDEL
1) An often circular emblem of nationality employed on military aircraft and Air Force flags, generally (but not exclusively) consisting of concentric rings of the national colours and based on the cockade (see also ‘aircraft insignia’, ‘cockade 2)’, ‘fin flash’ and ‘national colours 2’). See supplemental note
2) A heraldic term for a disc – see ‘disc’.

[royal flags]
From left: Argentina; Belgium; Columbia; The Philippines. Japan (fotw)

ROWEL
See ‘star 2)’.
ROYAL BANNER
See ‘royal standard 1)’ and following note..
ROYAL COLOUR (or COLOR)
See ‘colour 2)’ and ‘colours 2)’.
ROYAL MAIL PENNANT
See ‘mail pennant’.
ROYAL PLATE
In British Royal Naval usage and some others, the royal equivalent of a flag disc and used on boats in place of the appropriate royal standard when full ceremonial is not required (see also ‘flag disc’ and ‘royal standard’ below).

flag disc
From left: The Plates of The Duke of Edinburgh; The Prince of Wales and of Other Members of the Royal Family, UK (Graham Bartram)

Please note that a boat with Her Majesty The Queen on board never carries a royal plate, but always flies the royal standard which requires full ceremonial.

ROYAL STANDARD(S)
1) That flag, frequently a banner of arms, which signifies the presence and/or authority of the monarch (see also ‘banner 1)’, ’personal flag 1)’ and ‘presidential standard’ – but see note below).
2) In the plural, a term sometimes applied to the flags flown by other members of a royal family – the queen’s, crown prince’s standard etc.
3) In UK military usage, the official name of the state colour of the Grenadier Guards – but see ‘state colour.2)’.

[royal flags]
From left: UK Royal Standard (Martin Grieve); Denmark Royal Standard (fotw); Crown Prince’s Standard, Japan (fotw)

Please note that this term has been defined in 1) above according to current UK usage, but should, strictly speaking, only be applied to Royal Standards of the heraldic pattern as detailed herein under ‘standard 3)’ and ‘standard 4)’, and the term “Royal Banner” employed where more appropriate.

royal standard Richard III of England
The Heraldic Standard of King Richard III of England (fotw)

RULE OF TINCTURE
Most authoritative sources agree that good flag design should obey the heraldic Rule of Tincture, and it is therefore stated in brief here: A colour should never be placed on a colour or a metal (that is silver and gold in heraldry and generally white and yellow in flags) on a metal. Metal may, however, be placed on colour and colour on metal. It is, none the less, strongly suggested that those more deeply interested in this subject should refer to the entries on ‘tinctures’, ‘metal’ and ‘fur’ given in Appendix III, and to consult a dictionary of heraldry for a more complete description.
RULES OF ETIQUETTE
The rules governing flag etiquette (or the protocol governing flag usage) vary slightly from country to country, but are stated briefly in Appendix II (see also ‘flag code’, ‘flag etiquette’, ‘flag law’ and ‘precedence’).
RULES OF RESPECT
The rules that govern respect for the national flag may be summed up in a Golden Rule, which simply stated says that the national flag should be treated with respect at all times. The particulars of what exactly this respect entails vary in detail, legal status and extent, from country to country, however, the general principles remain the same and a full list is given in Appendix II.
RUNNING EYE AND TOGGLE
A traditional method, of hoisting a flag much favoured in European countries, whereby a rope is sewn into the heading fitted with a wooden toggle at the top and a loop or eye splice at the bottom that fastens them to their opposites on the halyard – toggle and becket (see also ‘becket’, ‘eyesplice’, ‘hoistline’, and ‘toggle’).