Inheraldry, the termstar may refer to anystar-shapedcharge with any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with straight-sided rays is usually called amullet in English heraldry, while one with wavy rays is usually called anestoile.[1]
While a mullet may have any number ofpoints, it is presumed to have five unless otherwise specified in theblazon, and pierced mullets are common; estoiles, however, are presumed to have sixrays and (as of 1909) had not been found pierced.[1] InScottish heraldry, an estoile is the same as inEnglish heraldry, butmullet refers only to a mullet pierced (also called aspur revel), while one that is not pierced is called astar.[1]
The use of the wordstar in blazons, and how that charge appears in coat armory, varies from one jurisdiction to another. In Scots heraldry, bothstar andmullet interchangeably mean a star with five straight rays;[citation needed] the official record from 1673 gives Murray of Ochtertyreazur three Starrs argent ... (Public Register, vol 1 p 188), while the Ordinary of Arms produced by a late 19th century Lyon King of Arms 'modernizes' the original asAz. three mullets arg. .... In Canadian heraldry the usual term ismullet, but there is also the occasional six-pointedstar (e.g. in Vol. IV, at p. 274 and in online version of the Canadian Public Register), which is what others would blazon as a six-pointedmullet. TheUnited States Army Institute of Heraldry, the official heraldic authority in theUnited States, uses the termmullet in its blazons,[2] but elsewhere, as in US government documents describing theflag of the United States and theGreat Seal of the United States, the termstar is constantly used, and these nearly always appear with five straight-sided points.
The termmullet ormolet refers to a star with straight sides, typically having five or six points, but may have any number of points specified in the blazon. If the number of points is not specified, five points are presumed inGallo-British heraldry, and six points are presumed inGerman-Nordic heraldry.[citation needed]
Unlike estoiles, mullets have straight (rather than wavy) rays and may have originally represented the rowel of aspur, rather than a celestialstar.[3] The term is said to be derived fromFrenchmolette, a spur-rowel,[3] although it was in use in heraldry even before rowel spurs.[4]
The termestoile refers to wavy-sided stars, usually of six points, though they may also be blazoned with a different number of points, often eight (e.g. "Portsmouth County Council" picturedhereArchived 2016-11-20 at theWayback Machine), and many variants feature alternating straight and wavy rays (e.g. "Honford" picturedhere). The term derives fromOld Frenchestoile 'star', in reference to acelestial star (cf.Modern Frenchétoile), fromLatinstella 'star'.
Stars are comparatively rare in European heraldry during the medieval period. An early reference of dubious historicity is reported byJohannes Letzner, who citesConradus Fontanus (an otherwise unknown authority) to the effect that one Curtis von Meinbrechthausen, a knight ofSaxony, in 1169 after committing a murder lost his rank and arms, described as an eight-pointed star beneath a chevron.In Scotland, the armigers ofClan Murray andClan Douglas used arms with stars as early as the 12th or 13th century.Examples of stars in a late medievalheraldry of the Holy Roman Empire include those of Wentz von Niederlanstein (1350), Gemm (attested 1352), Geyer von Osterberg (1370), Enolff Ritter von Leyen (d. 1392).[5]
Under the system ofcadency in use in England and Ireland since the late 15th century, a third son bears a mullet (unpierced) as a difference.[6]
Stars become much more popular as heraldic charges in the early modern era, especially in then-recent family coats of arms of burghers and patricians, as well as in coats of arms of cities (e.g.Maastricht,Bozen,Kaufbeuren).[7]Thecoat of arms of Valais originates in the 16th century, when seven stars representing itsSeven Tithings were added to theparty per pale coat of arms of theBishop of Sion.Of the higher nobility inSiebmachers Wappenbuch (1605), the landgrave ofHessen and the counts ofWaldeck andErbach have stars in their coats of arms, as do several Swiss knights.[8]
![Coat of arms of the de Béthune family [fr]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBlason_famille_de_B%25C3%25A9thune_(Belgique).svg)
TheStella d'Italia ("Star of Italy"), popularly known asStellone d'Italia ("Great Star of Italy"),[10] is afive-pointed white star, which has symbolizedItaly for many centuries. It is the oldestnational symbol of Italy, since it dates back toGraeco-Roman mythology[9] whenVenus, associated with the West as an evening star, was adopted to identify theItalian peninsula. From an allegorical point of view, theStella d'Italiametaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[11]
In the early 16th century it began to be frequently associated withItalia turrita, thenational personification of the Italian peninsula. TheStella d'Italia was adopted as part of theemblem of Italy in 1947, where it is superimposed on a steelcogwheel, all surrounded by anoak branch and anolive branch. From anallegorical point of view, the Star of Italy metaphorically represents the shining destiny of Italy.[11] Its unifying value is equal to that of theflag of Italy.[9] In 1947, theStella d'Italia was inserted at the center of theemblem of Italy, which was designed by Paolo Paschetto and which is the iconic symbol identifying theItalian State.[12]
The Italian Star is also recalled by some honors. The Italian Star is recalled by theColonial Order of the Star of Italy, decoration of theKingdom of Italy which was intended to celebrate theItalian Empire, as well as by theOrder of the Star of Italian Solidarity, the first decoration established byRepublican Italy, which was replaced in 2011 by the Order of the Star of Italy, second civil honorary title in importance of the Italian State.[13] The Star of Italy is also recalled by the stars worn on the collars ofItalian military uniforms and appears on thefigurehead of theItalian Navy. In the civil sphere, the Italian Star is the central symbol of the emblem of theClub Alpino Italiano.[14]
The symbolism of a star associated with Italy first appeared in the writings of the ancient Greek poetStesicoro, from whom it passed on to poets such asVirgil. The oldestnational symbol of Italy,[9] it originated from the combination ofVenus, as an evening star, with the West[15] and therefore with the Italian peninsula, one of which wasEsperia, or "land of Hesperus, the star of the Evening consecrated to Venus".[15][16] This symbolism was already attested inarchaic Greek literature, in 6th century BC by the poetStesichorus, in the poemIliupersis (Fall of Troy) that created the legend ofAeneas which described his return to the land of his ancestors (Italy) after the defeat ofTroy, under the leadership of Venus.[9]
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Stars are nearly ubiquitous inUnited States heraldry andvexillology and nearly always appear unpierced with five straight-sided points. In theflag of the United States, each star represents onestate.[17] The flag adopted in 1777 is the attributed origin of the thirteen stars, representing thethirteen United States, appearing on theGreat Seal since 1780.[18]
A mullet "barbed to chief" appears in the arms of the 240th Signal Battalion of the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National GuardUnited States Army.[19]
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In the design of modern flags and emblems, the stars (mullets, usually five-pointed) when standing alone often represent concepts like "unity" or "independence". When arranged in groups, they often enumerate provinces or other components of the nation (such as ethnic groups). In the flags of Nauru and the Marshall Islands, this enumeration is done by the points of a single star rather than by multiple number of stars.[citation needed]
Some flags of countries on the southern hemisphere show a depiction of theSouthern Cross consisting of four or five stars.Thestar and crescent symbol is found in flags of states succeeding theOttoman Empire, which used flags with this symbol during 1793-1923.
The twelve stars on theFlag of Europe (1955) symbolize unity.[20]
Thegreenfive-pointed star on theEsperanto flag (1890) symbolizes thefive inhabited continents.
The 50 stars of theUS flag is the largest number on any national flag. The second-largest is 27, on theflag of Brazil.
The currentnational flags featuring stars include:
| Flag | Date | # of stars | Points | Stars represent | Description/comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 1777; 1960 | 50 | 5 | enumerateUS states | originally 13 stars, 50 stars since 1960, seetimeline of the flag of the United States |
 Chile | 1817 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "The star represents a guide to progress and honor" |
 Brazil | 1822; 1992 | 27 | 5 | enumerateStates of Brazil | originally 19 stars, 27 stars since 1992, seeFlag of Brazil |
 Tunisia | 1831; 1956 | 1 | 5 | star and crescent | based on theOttoman flag[citation needed] |
 Turkey | 1844; 1936 | 1 | 5 | star and crescent | theRepublic of Turkey was established in 1923 and itsFlag Law was passed in 1936, declaring the continued use of theOttoman flag that had been flown since 1844 (an earlier variant with an eight-pointed star dates to ca. 1793). |
 Cuba | 1849; 1902 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "The white star in the triangle stands for independence". Based on the flag carried byNarciso López in 1850. |
 Venezuela | 1859; 1930 | 8 | 5 | enumerate provinces | various arrangement of the stars in design changes since 1859. Twenty stars during 1859–1863. |
 Italy | 1861 | 1 | 5 | from an allegorical point of view, it represents the shining destiny of Italy.[11] | theStella d'Italia ("Star of Italy"), popularly known asStellone d'Italia ("Great Star of Italy"),[10] is afive-pointed white star, which has symbolizedItaly for many centuries. It is the oldestnational symbol of Italy, since it dates back toGraeco-Roman mythology[9] whenVenus, associated with the West as an evening star, was adopted to identify theItalian peninsula. |
 Honduras | 1866 | 5 | 5 | enumerate provinces | based on the flag of theFederal Republic of Central America. The five stars also represent the historical provinces of that state, not subdivisions of Honduras itself. |
 New Zealand | 1869; 1902 | 4 | 5 | Southern Cross | used as a governmental ensign since 1869, made the official national flag in 1902. Designed byAlbert Hastings Markham under a request from GovernorGeorge Bowen. |
 Puerto Rico | 1895; 1952 | 1 | 5 | ideal | The white star in the triangle represents theisland ofPuerto Rico. Based on the design of theCuban flag, seeFlag of Puerto Rico |
 Philippines | 1898 | 3 | 5 | enumerate island groups | the three stars represent the three major geographical island groups that compose the Philippines:Luzon,Visayas andMindanao. |
 Australia | 1901 | 6 | 7; 5 | Southern Cross;Commonwealth Star | seven-pointed stars for the Commonwealth Star and the main stars of the constellation, plus a smaller five-pointed star representingEpsilon Crucis. Based on the winning design in the1901 Federal Flag Design Competition. |
 Azerbaijan | 1918 | 1 | 8 | star and crescent | "the eight-pointed star points to the eight letters of the nameAzerbaijan (inArabic script)"[21] |
 Panama | 1925 | 2 | 5 | ideal | "the blue star stands for the purity and honesty of the life of the country; the red star represents the authority and law in the country" |
 Jordan | 1928 | 1 | 7 | ideal | "The seven points symbolize the seven verses of thefirst surah of the Qur’an. The seven points also represent faith in one God, humanity, humility, national spirit, virtue, social justice, and aspiration. The star also stands for the unity of the Arab nation." |
 Vietnam | 1945 | 1 | 5 | ideal | theCommunist Star; "The five-pointed yellow star represents the unity of workers, peasants, intellectuals, traders and soldiers in building socialism" |
 Pakistan | 1947 | 1 | 5 | ideal | the star represents "light". The crescent and star symbolize progress and light respectively. |
 North Korea | 1948 | 1 | 5 | ideal | theCommunist Star |
 People's Republic of China | 1949 | 5 | 5 | ideal | "Five-starred Red Flag" (五星红旗,Wǔxīng Hóngqí), one large star representing the Communist Party surrounded by four smaller ones depicting the four then social classes |
 Samoa | 1949 | 5 | 5 | Southern Cross | |
 Somalia | 1954 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "Star of Unity" |
 European Union | 1955; 1985 | 12 | 5 | ideal | "unity among Europeans". Believed to also be a reference to theCatholic iconographic tradition of showing theBlessed Virgin Mary as theWoman of the Apocalypse, wearing a "crown of twelve stars".[22] |
 Ghana | 1957 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "the lodestar of African freedom" |
 Central African Republic | 1958 | 1 | 5 | ideal | The star "guides the steps of the Central African people towards freedom and emancipation." |
 Syria | 1930; 1961; 2011; 2024 | 3 | 5 | enumerate states | The flag was that of theFirst Syrian Republic and theSyrian Opposition before thefall of the Assad regime government change in 2024. The first star representedAleppo,Damascus, andDeir Ezzor, with the other stars representingLatakia andJebel Druze. |
 Mauritania | 1959 | 1 | 5 | star and crescent | |
 Senegal | 1960 | 1 | 5 | The five points of the star are said to recall the human ideogram which was displayed in the middle of the flag of the formerMali Federation.[citation needed] | |
 Togo | 1960 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "hope"[citation needed] |
 Algeria | 1962 | 1 | 5 | star and crescent | |
 Malaysia | 1963 | 1 | 14 | enumerate states | a 14-pointed star alongside a crescent, representing the 13 member states plus the federal government |
 Singapore | 1965 | 5 | 5 | ideal | five stars alongside a crescent, representing "democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality". According toLee Kuan Yew, the Chinese population wanted five stars (influenced by the flag of the People's Republic of China) and the Muslim population wanted a crescent moon. |
 Burundi | 1967 | 3 | 6 | ideal | "Unity, Work, Progress" |
 Nauru | 1967 | 1 | 12 | enumerate tribes | |
 Papua New Guinea | 1971 | 5 | 5 | Southern Cross | |
 Guinea-Bissau | 1973 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "the Black Star of Africa" |
 Grenada | 1974 | 7 | 5 | enumerate parishes | |
 Angola | 1975 | 1 | 5 | ideal | in origin imitating theCommunist Star |
 Cameroon | 1975 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "star of unity" |
 Suriname | 1975 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "The star represents the unity of all ethnic groups" |
 São Tomé and Príncipe | 1975 | 2 | 5 | enumerate islands | |
 Tuvalu | 1976 | 9 | 5 | enumerate islands | The stars are arranged in imitation of the geographic location of the islands of Tuvalu |
 Djibouti | 1977 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "The red star signifies the unity of the diverse state." |
 Solomon Islands | 1977 | 5 | 5 | enumerate islands | |
 Dominica | 1978 | 10 | 5 | enumerate parishes | |
 Marshall Islands | 1979 | 1 | 24 | enumerate districts | the points of the stars enumerate the electoral districts |
 Federated States of Micronesia | 1979 | 4 | 5 | enumerate states | Based on the Flag of the US Trust Territory of the Pacific, each star represents a constitutional State (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae) |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1983 | 2 | 5 | ideal / enumerate islands | "hope and liberty, or Saint Kitts and Nevis" |
 Burkina Faso | 1984 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "the guiding light of the revolution" |
 Croatia | 1990 | 2 | 6 | morning star | The stars are part of thecoat of arms of Croatia. One star is part of the coat of arms of theIllyrian movement, and the other is part of the coat of arms ofSlavonia. |
 Slovenia | 1991 | 3 | 6 | ideal | "democracy", inspired by the historical coat of arms of theCounts of Celje[23] |
 Uzbekistan | 1991 | 12 | 5 | ideal | a crescent and twelve stars, representing the "ancient calendar cycle" |
 Tajikistan | 1992 | 7 | 5 | seven stars on heaven's mountains | |
 Cape Verde | 1992 | 10 | 5 | enumerate islands | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1998 | 8 ("∞") | 5 | ideal | a diagonal line of seven five-pointed stars, plus two half-stars cut off by the flag boundary. The stars represent "Europe" and are intended to be "infinite" in number. |
 Comoros | 2001 | 4 | 5 | enumerate islands | four stars alongside a crescent |
 Turkmenistan | 2001 | 5 | 5 | enumerate provinces | five stars alongside a crescent |
 Timor-Leste | 2002 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "the light that guides" |
 South Sudan | 2005 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "theStar of Bethlehem, represents the unity of the states of South Sudan" |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2007 | 1 | 5 | ideal | derived from the flag ofCongo Free State (1885) |
 Myanmar | 2010 | 1 | 5 | ideal | "unity" |
Not bearing heraldic stars as such, the 1915Flag of Morocco and the 1996flag of Ethiopia have a pentagram each, and the 1948flag of Israel a hexagram or "star of David".The 1962Flag of Nepal has what would technically be described as a 12-pointed mullet, but is intended to depict the Sun.[citation needed]
Irrespective of the statements by Paul M. G. Levy and the recent reconstruction by Susan Hood, crediting Arsène Heitz with the original design still seems to me the soundest option. In particular, Arsène Heitz himself, in 1987, laid claim to his own role in designing the flag and to its religious inspiration when he said that 'the flag of Europe is the flag of Our Lady' [Magnificat magazine, 1987].
Secondly, it is worth noting the testimony of Father Pierre Caillon, who refers to a meeting with Arsène Heitz. Caillon tells of having met the former Council of Europe employee by chance in August 1987 at Lisieux in front of the Carmelite monastery. It was Heitz who stopped him and declared "I was the one who designed the European flag. I suddenly had the idea of putting the 12 stars of the Miraculous Medal of the Rue du Bac on a blue field. My proposal was adopted unanimously on 8 December 1955, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I am telling you this, Father, because you are wearing the little blue cross of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima".
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