Flag of Ceredigion
.svg) | |
| Use | Civil flag  |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | Historical |
| Design | An Or Lion regardant on a sable field |
The flag of Ceredigion is the de facto flag of Ceredigion (previously Cardiganshire), Wales. The earliest source referring to the flag dates back to 1611. The flag enjoys widespread usage throughout the county.
History
Early history
The design of the flag is thought to have derived from the arms of the ancient Welsh ruler Gwaithfoed of Ceredigion, which depicted a black lion on a field of gold.[1][2]
The earliest source relating to the flag can be found in John Guillim's 1611 work A Display of Heraldry which described a black lion on a yellow background belonging to “Gwaythe Voyde, sometime Lord of Cardigan in Wales”.[3] A similar reference to the design is noted in 1878 in The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales by Sir Bernard Burke.[4]
A black lion on a yellow field is also featured on a monument to Lewis Pryse, grandfather of Pryse Pryse, at St. Padarn's Church, Llanbadarn Fawr, on the outskirts of Aberystwyth.
The relationship between the black lion on a yellow field and the influential Pryse family led to a greater adoption of the flag in the surrounding area. For example, a pub in Aberystwyth has been named 'The Black Lion' since 1851.
An extract from the 1894 work of Arthur Charles Fox-Davies and M. E. B. Crookes, The Book of Public Arms, describes the county of Cardigan as possessing no official arms, yet states that the local population of Aberystwyth recognise the "lion rampant regardant" as being the arms of the town.[5]
Modern history
The significance of the lion rampant regardant to
The
With the symbol firmly entrenched in the society and culture of the county, its inclusion in the arms awarded to
By the late 20th century, the adoption of the reversed colours of the symbol allowed for it to be distinguished from the arms of Pryse family and had come to represent the county in its own right. The yellow lion on a black field can be found flying in settlements throughout
Yet, as of 2023 the flag has not officially been recognised as the flag of
Design
The flag depicts a
.References
- ^ a b c d "Ceredgion Flag". British County Flags. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ "Cardiganshire (Ceredigion)". Association of British Counties. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- ^ Guillim, John (1611). A Display of Heraldry. London. p. 184.
- ^ Burke, Sir Bernard (1884). The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time. London. p. 1060.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1894). The book of public arms : a complete encyclopædia of all royal, territorial, municipal, corporate, official, and impersonal arms. London. p. 6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "About the Coat of Arms". Aberystwyth.gov. Retrieved 8 July 2019.