 | |
| Other names | St Piran's Flag,Baner Peran,An Gwynn ha Du |
|---|---|
| Use | Civil flag |
| Proportion | 3:5 |
| Adopted | 19th century |
| Design | A white cross on a black background. (Sable, a cross argent) |
Saint Piran's Flag (Cornish:Baner Peran) is the flag ofCornwall. The earliest known description of the flag, referred to as theStandard of Cornwall, was written in 1838.[1] It is used by allCornish people as a symbol of their identity.[2]
The flag is attributed toSaint Piran, a 5th-century Cornishabbot. But the white cross and black background design is also the coat of arms of the Saint-Perran (or Saint-Pezran) family fromCornouaille in Brittany, recorded from the 15th century.[3]
The earliest known evidence of this flag was recorded byDavies Gilbert in his 1838 work:TheParochial History of Cornwall, in which he gives reference to
a white cross on a black ground [that] was formerly the banner ofSt Perran and the Standard of Cornwall; probably with some allusion to the black ore and the white metal of tin[1][2]
The fact that Gilbert identifies it as being "formerly" a standard of Cornwall implies that he believed it to have been used before 1838.[1] However, Gilbert did not leave a record of his background research, and referred only to his "recollection".[2]
One of the oldest depictions of the flag can be seen in astained glass window atWestminster Abbey. It was unveiled in 1888, in memory of the famous Cornish inventor and engineerRichard Trevithick. The window depictsSt Michael at the top and nine Cornish saints, Piran,Petroc,Pinnock,[4] Germanus, Julian,Cyriacus,Constantine,Nonna andGeraint in tiers below. The head of St Piran appears to be a portrait of Trevithick himself, and the figure carries the banner of Cornwall.[5]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(June 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Saint Piran's Flag has similarities to the oldBreton flag and theflag of Saint David. The cultural links betweenBrittany,Wales and Cornwall are well recorded. Saint Piran's Flag is the negative image of the old Breton flag, a black cross on a white field. The flag of Saint David shares a black background with Saint Piran's Flag, but is surmounted by a gold, rather than a white, cross.
It has also been suggested that it may have been based on the arms of theEarl of Cornwall, or the laterDuchy of Cornwall; based on the arms of other Cornish families; or be linked with the black and white livery of theKnights of St John.[2]
The arms of the Saint-Peran family in Brittany, show a whitecross pattée on a black field.
![Arms of Saint-Peran family (Brittany)[6]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBlason_famille_bzh_de_Saint-P%25C3%25A9ran.svg)
Several other French and Breton families also hadcoats of arms that bear a striking resemblance to the St Piran's flag:
There are a very large number of modern legends about the origins of the flag.[11][2]
An article in the oldEncyclopaedia Britannica on "Cornish Wrestling" stated that the flag was carried by theCornish contingent at theBattle of Agincourt (1415).[12][13] However, the reference given by theEncyclopaedia Britannica seems to have been confused with one that comes from a 1590 poem entitledPoly-Olbion byMichael Drayton. It states that the banner carried by the Cornish men at Agincourt depicted twoCornish wrestlers in a hitch.[14]
The flag is often displayed on bumper stickers, and flying from buildings, including those ofCornwall Council.[15] It is flown at most Cornish gatherings, such as theGorsedh Kernow,St Piran's Day (5 March),Camborne's Trevithick Day (April),Padstow's'Obby 'Oss festival (May),Helston'sFlora Day (May), and atCornish rugby matches. It is regularly seen around Cornwall on car stickers with the wordKernow (Cornish for Cornwall), and is used around the world as a symbol of theCornish diaspora or overseas Cornish associations. It has been adapted for use in the logos of a number of organisations, such as the Cornwall district of theMethodist Church, is used by a variety of Cornish businesses such asGinsters, and is seen on the design of theCornish All Blacks rugby shirts as well as theCornish Pirates rugby logo.[15][dead link]
At theThames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in June 2012, the flag was flown onthe Royal Rowing Barge alongside the flags representingEngland,Scotland,Northern Ireland,Wales and theCity of London. One of the largest flags in the pageant was also St Piran's Flag, flown by the St Ives mackerel luggerBarnabas.[16][17]
The flags ofSmith Island, Maryland andTangier, Virginia incorporate St. Piran's cross in the upper-leftcanton in recognition of the early settlers who came to the islands from Cornwall and Devon.
The flag can be seen inDoc Martin, which is set in the fictional Cornwall fishing village of Portwenn and filmed in the real-life one ofPort Isaac.
| Unitary authorities | |
|---|---|
| Major settlements (cities in italics) |
|
| Rivers | |
| Topics | |
Cornish:Gonisogeth Kernow | |||||
| Symbols |  | ||||
| Festivals | |||||
| Sports | |||||
| Cuisine | |||||
| Arts | |||||
| Music |
| ||||
| Language | |||||
| Mythology | |||||
| Organisations | |||||
|  | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
