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Dictionary of Vexillology: R (Remembrance Flag - Riverwheel)

On this page:

REMEMBRANCE FLAG
RENAISSANCE SHIELD
REPEATER (or REPEATING PENNANT)
REPEATING FRIGATES
REPLICA FLAG (or REPRODUCTION)
RESERVE ENSIGN
RESPECTANT
RETREAT CEREMONY
REVEILLE
REVERSE
REVERSE BEND
REVERSED
REVERSED CHEVRON
REVERSED PALL
REVERSED PILE
REVERSED TRIANGLE
RHOMBUS
RIBBON
RIBBON SCROLL
RIGHT DIAGONAL (or RIGHT DIAGONAL BAR)
RIGHT-ANGLE TRIANGLE
RIGHT-HOISTED
RIKSBANNER (or RIJKSVAANDEL)
RING
RISING
RISING DIAGONAL
RIVERWHEEL (or RIVERMILL WHEEL)

REMEMBRANCE FLAG

See ‘memorial flag 2)’.

9/11 Remembrance/Memorial Flag, US (fotw)

RENAISSANCE SHIELD

The term often used to describe a variously detailed but elaborate (late-medieval or post-medieval) shield – see ‘shield’ (also ‘horse-head shield’).

Arms of Kemmern, Germany (Wikipedia); Arms of Kraftisried, Germany (Wikipedia)

Please note that several of the terms giving shields a national identity, as well as those describing a specific type, are still in the process of standardization, and that no consistent approach has thus far been identified, however, use of this specific term is both widespread and consistent, so it may be employed with some confidence.

REPEATER (or REPEATER PENNANT)

See ‘substitute’.

B-E-L-L (Bravo-Echo-Lima-Lima) in The ICS using the Third Repeater/Substitute Pennant (fotw)

REPEATING FRIGATES

The 18th/19th Century term, now obsolete, for those frigates that were stationed outside or behind the main line in a fleet of sailing or steam-assisted warships in order to relay flag signals to ships out of view of the flagship (see also ‘flagship ’, ‘man-o-war ’ and ‘signal flag’).

British Frigate c1805 (Wikipedia)

Please note that in the context of the above definition a frigate was a naval vessel which carried her main armament on a single, part-enclosed deck.

REPLICA FLAG (or REPRODUCTION)

The terms which may be used to describe that flag which is a visual or actual reproduction of an earlier design – a reproduction (see also ‘fictitious flag’ and ‘flag of pretence 1)’).

A rejected design of 1919 (for a Flag of the RAF) flown as a Replica in 2010 (fotw); Reproduction of the Standard of Constantine the Great c323 (fotw)

RESERVE ENSIGN

See under ‘ensign’.

Reserve Ensign of the UK (fotw); Reserve Ensign of Sri Lanka (fotw); Reserve Ensign of The Bahamas (fotw)

RESPECTANT

The heraldic term used when two animals are depicted facing towards each other – but see combatant and affrontant.

Flag of Nax, Switzerland (fotw); Arms of Mire de Tibães, Portugal (fotw); Flag of Samouco, Portugal (fotw); Arms of Poceirão, Portugal (fotw)

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 ‘reveille’ and ‘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 which in the Western tradition is always depicted with its hoist to the observer’s right and is generally, but not invariably, a mirror image of the obverse – see ‘obverse’ (also ‘ceremonial flag 1)’, ‘colour 2)’, ‘right hoisted’, and ‘unique flag’).

Reverses: National Flag of Portugal (fotw); National Flag of The Maldives (fotw); National Flag of St Kitts and Nevis (fotw); National Flag of Guinea (fotw)

Please note that a distinctive reverse design or charge will usually only be found on unique flags, ceremonial flags, regimental colours and similar, there are however, occasional exceptions - see 'double-sided 1)' and 'two-sided 1))'.

REVERSE BEND

See ‘bend sinister’

Flag of Monfarracinos, Spain (fotw)

REVERSED

1) On flags, the term is used to refer to a charge or charges that run in the opposite direction to that in which they are normally placed (see also ‘reversed chevron’, ‘reversed pall’, ‘reversed pile’ and ‘reversed triangle’).

2) In heraldry, as above but the term is also used when arms or a charge are reversed or turned downward – debased, everted, inverted, subverted, subvertant or transposed.

Flag of Birżebbuġa, Malta (fotw); Example

REVERSED CHEVRON

See ‘chevron 1)’ and ‘chevron 2)’.

Flag of the California Transport Corp. c1953 (fotw)

REVERSED PALL

See 'pall 1)'.

Flag of Krasnoarmeyskiy, Russia (fotw)

REVERSED PILE

See ‘pile 1)’.

Flag of Paszowice, Poland (fotw)

REVERSED TRIANGLE

See ‘triangle 1)’.

Flag of Łomża rural district, Poland (fotw)

RHOMBUS

See ‘lozenge 1)’.

National Flag of Brazil (fotw)

RIBBON

1) See ‘scroll’ (also ‘ribbon scroll 2)’).
2) See ‘cravat 2)’ and ‘draping’.
3) A term that is also (and inaccurately) used to describe a wavy stripe – see ‘wavy’.

RIBBON SCROLL

1) Generically, see ‘scroll’.

2) Specifically, the term used for a narrow ribbon in the form of a scroll but of greater length than is usual); it is normally (but not exclusively) placed below and/or around the shield in a set of armorial bearings or an emblem, and is generally inscribed with a motto – a ribbon.

Flag of Saint John, Canada, (fotw); Arms and Flag of Dorog, Hungary (Wikipedia & fotw)

Please note with regard to 2) that further examples (amongst several) are to be found on the flags of the US States of Iowa and Massachusetts (see also ‘scroll’).

RIGHT DIAGONAL (or RIGHT DIAGONAL BAR)

See ‘bend’ and ‘descending diagonal 1)’.

Flag and Arms of Waaxens, The Netherlands (fotw)

RIGHT-ANGLE TRIANGLE

See ‘triangular panel 2)’).

National Flag of Papua New Guinea (fotw)

RIGHT-HOISTED

A term that may be used (in place of its heraldic equivalent) when the obverse of a flag is depicted (or is manufactured) with its hoist to the observer’s right in accordance with Arabic tradition – but see ‘sinister hoist’ and the note below (also ‘hoist 1)’, ‘obverse’ and ‘reverse’).

National Flag of Qatar (fotw)

Please note that the Editors recommend use of the heraldic term as being more accurate and will avoid any potential confusion.

RIKSBANNER (or RIJKSVAANDEL)

See ‘coronation flags’.

Riksbanner/coronation Flag, Norway 1906 (Official Website)

RING

1) On flags a charge in the form of a narrow circular band typically (but by no means exclusively) used to separate a sun’s central disc from its rays, as in the flags of Kyrgyzstan and North Macedonia (as illustrated below) - a torus or disc/disk voided (see also ‘disc’ and ‘cartouche’).

2) In heraldry see ‘annulet’.

3) A piece of wood or metal for attaching a windsock to its pole and for keeping it open (see also ‘windsock’).

4) See ‘battalion ring’ and ‘battle honour’.

5) One of a number of circular metal bands used as an increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete method of attaching a military colour, parade flag or gonfalon to its staff - see ‘colour 2)’, ‘parade flag 2)’ with its following notes and ‘gonfalon 2)’ (also ‘loops’ and ‘ties’).

National Flag of Kyrgyzstan (fotw); National Flag of North Macedonia (fotw); Flag of the Kurdish Workers Party, Turkey (fotw); Flag of Bercher, Switzerland (fotw)

RISING

The heraldic term used when a bird is represented as in the act of taking flight (see also ‘displayed’, ‘vol’ and ‘volant’.

Arms and Flag of Złocieniec, Poland (fotw)

RISING DIAGONAL

See ‘ascending diagonal’.

Flag of Franekeradeel, Netherlands (fotw)

RIVERWHEEL (or RIVERMILL WHEEL)

See ‘waterwheel’.

Flag of Fafe, Portugal (fotw)

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