Banners A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also ...

are a significant part of the

Culture of Northern Ireland The culture of Northern Ireland relates to the traditions of Northern Ireland. Elements of the Culture of Ulster and the Culture of the United Kingdom are to be found. Heritage Since 1998, the Ulster Museum, Armagh Museum, Ulster Folk and Tra ...

, particularly for the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

/ unionist community, and one of the region's most prominent types of

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative. The makers of folk art are typically tr ...

. They are typically carried in

parades A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of ...

such as those held on the

Twelfth of July The Twelfth (also called Orangemen's Day) is an Ulster Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It began in the late 18th century in Ulster. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution (1688) and victory of Protestant King William of Orange over C ...

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...

and other times throughout the year. Generally these are organised by societies such as the Orange Order, the

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in N ...

, the

Royal Black Institution The Royal Black Institution, the Imperial Grand Black Chapter Of The British Commonwealth, or simply the Black Institution,wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Unsupported%20attributions">who?''/sup> argue is an Ulster syncretism of ri ...

and the

Apprentice Boys of Derry The Apprentice Boys of Derry is a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership of over 10,000, founded in 1814 and based in the city of Derry, Northern Ireland. There are branches in Ulster and elsewhere in Ireland, Scotland, Engla ...

, and the banners are typically commissioned by, and represent, a

lodge Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one. Lodge or The Lodge may refer to: Buildings and structures Specific * The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...

within one of these societies. Banners are also carried by trade unions and church groups, and by

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

s. Most banners are painted by professionals and executed on silk, although canvas was a more popular material in the past. Most have a painting on each side, usually depicting different subjects, and the name and number of the lodge. Most banners have one subject per side, surrounded by flourishes, scrolls, and other decoration. Despite being in many ways a sectarian art form,

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and Protestant banners are usually very similar in terms of style and composition. Apart from subject matter, the main difference is colour: Orange Order banners make heavy use of the colour orange and to a lesser extent red, white, blue and purple, while Catholic banners tend to feature a lot of green. Possibly because of the significance of banners in Northern Irish culture, the operational name of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

campaign in Northern Ireland during

the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

was

Operation Banner Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...

Loyal Orange Institution

The banners of the Institution (better known as the Orange Order) depict a range of subjects, which can best be grouped into: historical, religious, memorial, local, and British. Some banners fit into more than one category.

Historical

By far the most common subject of Orange banner art is

William III of England William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic f ...

, whose victory in the

Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...

is celebrated on the Twelfth of July, the biggest Orange celebration. William is shown on at least one side of most Orange banners, usually crossing the Boyne River but sometimes in battle, arriving in England or Ireland, or in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, or in head and shoulders portrait form. On Junior Orange Lodge banners he is sometimes shown as a child. Banner paintings of William crossing the Boyne are often based directly or indirectly on a painting by

Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

. Other scenes from the

Williamite War The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...

and Glorious Revolution may also be depicted. These include the

Siege of Derry The siege of Derry in 1689 was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland. The siege was preceded by a first attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates ...

, particularly the shutting of the gates and the relief of the city, or portraits of Williamite commanders such as the

Duke of Schomberg Duke of Schomberg in the Peerage of England was created in 1689. The title derives from the surname of its holder (originally Schönberg). The Duke of Schomberg was part of King William of Orange's army and camped in the Holywood hills area of ...

. Some banners relate to the history of the Order. Subjects include Dan Winter's cottage, where the Order was founded, and

William Johnston of Ballykilbeg William Johnston (22 February 1829 – 17 July 1902) was a nineteenth-century Irish politician and member of the Orange Order. He is noted for his opposition to the Party Emblems Act and Party Processions Act, which banned Orange marches. Lif ...

, who in the nineteenth century defied a law against Orange marches. Others relate to the

Home Rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...

crisis and depict scenes such as the signing of the

Ulster Covenant Ulster's Solemn League and Covenant, commonly known as the Ulster Covenant, was signed by nearly 500,000 people on and before 28 September 1912, in protest against the Third Home Rule Bill introduced by the British Government in the same year. ...

or have portraits of Unionist leaders such as

Edward Carson Edward Henry Carson, 1st Baron Carson, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire) (9 February 1854 – 22 October 1935), from 1900 to 1921 known as Sir Edward Carson, was an Unionism in Ireland, Irish u ...

. Another popular period is

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and in particular the Battle of the Somme in which many Ulster men lost their lives. Miscellaneous historical topics depicted on Orange banners include

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

B Specials The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military reserve special constable police force in what would later become Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the par ...

and

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

Religious

Religious topics are much less common on Orange banners than those of many other societies. The most common religious banner type, and the second most common type overall, is the Crown and Bible. This expresses the commitment of the Order to the British monarch with the strict condition that the monarch is Protestant, or more exactly, not Catholic. Under British law the monarch cannot be Catholic or married to a Catholic; this is the result of the ' Glorious Revolution' in which William III took over the Crown from the Catholic James II. Orangemen tend to see their patriotism and their commitment to Protestantism as inextricably interlinked. Biblical stories are sometimes depicted on Orange banners, as is a figure clinging to a large cross, often on a tiny island in a raging sea. Some historical banners are also religious, and depict Protestant

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s such as the Scottish

Solway Firth The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven ...

martyrs or key figures in the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

such as

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

and John Calvin.

Memorial

Banners are sometimes used to commemorate deceased lodge members, often men who were little known outside lodge circles, and particularly those killed in the '

Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

'. If a member was particularly well regarded the name of the lodge may be changed to commemorate them. The member will typically be shown in their marching gear; the banner thus provides a way for him to continue marching with his lodge. A number of historical banners also act as memorials, for example to Carson,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

, important figures in Orange or Ulster history, or figures from the Williamite War. Occasionally recently deceased non-members are depicted, such as

Earl Mountbatten of Burma Earl Mountbatten of Burma is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 28 October 1947 for Rear Admiral Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma. The letters patent creating the title specified the following r ...

, who was killed by the

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reu ...

in 1979. A number of banners depicting the Battle of the Somme act as memorials, especially those banners belonging to war memorial lodges. Others show war memorials in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. The laws of the Order forbid the depiction of any living person other than the British monarch on lodge banners.

Local

A less common banner theme is the purely local subject, such as a map of Northern Ireland, a local landmark or scene from local industry, or a symbol of Northern Ireland, such as the

Red Hand of Ulster The Red Hand of Ulster ( gle, Lámh Dhearg Uladh), also known as the Red Hand Uí Néill, is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster and the Northern Uí Néill in particular. However, it has also been used by other I ...

. Landmarks depicted often have religious or historical connotations, for example a church or the site of a historical event. Industrial scenes often seem not to mean anything other than a connection with members of the lodge, although they may be symbolic of the

Protestant work ethic The Protestant work ethic, also known as the Calvinist work ethic or the Puritan work ethic, is a work ethic concept in theology, sociology, economics and history which emphasizes that diligence, discipline, and frugality are a result of a per ...

. Ulster symbols such as flags are more commonly found on bannerettes or in the decoration around the main subject than as banner subjects in their own right.

British

A small number of banners show British or imperial subjects. The two most popular of these are probably

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

(an

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...

figure representing Britain) and Queen Victoria handing a Bible to a non-white (usually Indian) prince or chieftain. The second scene is sometimes captioned 'the Secret of Britain's Greatness' or 'The Secret of Britain's Might' and the image is intended to convey that the might of the British Empire was based on its Protestant faith. British scenes are much less common now than in the past, due partly to the decline of the British Empire but mostly because of a widespread sense of betrayal over recent British government policies on Northern Ireland. However

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

s are still commonly found in the decoration around the main subject, and crowns are a common motif.

Royal Black Institution

The majority of the Institution's banners depict Biblical stories, although a significant minority show deceased members of the lodge, with the banner acting as a memorial. 'Craft' symbols with little meaning to those outside the Institution are occasionally the subject of Black banners, as are local landmarks, historical figures, and more accessible symbols such as the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

and

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

. According to Anthony D. Buckley, the majority of Bible stories shown on Black banners are from the Old Testament and most have one or both of the following themes: a Godly person or people living amongst strangers or sinners, or in a foreign land; and the rewards of faithfulness. The stories act as an analogy for the history and position of Protestants in Ireland. New Testament themes such as loving one's enemies are rarely expressed. Bible stories shown on the banners include:

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

Elijah Elijah ( ; he, אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾĒlīyyāhū, meaning "My El (deity), God is Yahweh/YHWH"; Greek form: Elias, ''Elías''; syr, ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ, ''Elyāe''; Arabic language, Arabic: إلياس or إليا, ''Ilyās'' or ''Ilyā''. ) w ...

Ruth and Naomi The Book of Ruth ( he, מגילת רות, ''Megilath Ruth'', "the Scroll of Ruth", one of the Five Megillot) is included in the third division, or the Writings (Ketuvim), of the Hebrew Bible. In most Christian canons it is treated as one of the ...

, and scenes from the life of Jesus.

Apprentice Boys of Derry

The Apprentice Boys organisation exists to remember the

, and consequently most of its banners show scenes from the Siege, or portraits of its heroes. However some of the topics shown on Orange banners also appear on Apprentice banners, particularly memorial portraits of deceased members.

Ancient Order of Hibernians

The

are a conservative

and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

organisation. Most of their banners feature religious images of saints (especially Saint Patrick and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

) and popes (especially

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, the first Pope to visit Ireland). Other banners feature symbols of Irish nationalism (such as

Hibernia ''Hibernia'' () is the Classical Latin name for Ireland. The name ''Hibernia'' was taken from Greek geographical accounts. During his exploration of northwest Europe (c. 320 BC), Pytheas of Massalia called the island ''Iérnē'' (written ). ...

Irish round tower Irish round towers ( ga, Cloigtheach (singular), (plural); literally 'bell house') are early mediaeval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with two in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man. As their name indicates, they were origin ...

s and the

Cláirseach The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as in Irish, in Scottish Gaelic, in Breton and in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring grea ...

) or historical advocates of constitutional nationalism (such as

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

Irish National Foresters

The Irish National Foresters are a constitutional nationalist organisation open to Irish people of any denomination. Forester banners typically depict various Irish symbols and famous nationalists.

Meaning

Banners do not exist merely to add colour to parades, but rather have several levels of meaning. At the most basic level, the topics show the allegiance of the person carrying them. A banner depicting Daniel O'Connell expresses a belief in Irish nationalism, while one of Queen Victoria or Edward Carson shows a desire to remain part of the United Kingdom. Likewise, banners of the Virgin Mary and Martin Luther signify Catholicism and Protestantism. Many banners relate to the division in Northern Irish society between Protestants/ Ulster Scots/ Unionists/ Loyalists on one side and Catholics/Irish/

Nationalists Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

and Republicans on the other. For example, William III's victory over James II in the Williamite wars led to two centuries of Protestant ascendency in Ireland; depictions of William, the Siege of Derry and so forth thus express the belief that this was a good thing. While many banners are ostensibly pro one group rather than anti the other, they are generally taken to mean – and often do mean – opposition to the other side. For example, a Bible on a Protestant banner is usually not simply an assertion that the Bible is a good thing, but also an attack on Catholicism, which is seen as overly dependent on priests and ignorant of the word of God. Many banners are also

. Several members of the Orange Order have argued that their historical banners are actually metaphors for religious principles. Former Grand Master W. Martin Smyth has said that the Siege of Derry can be seen as symbolising the eternal conflict between good and evil. In the same way that the apprentices of Derry shut the gates of the city against James' army despite the possible dire consequences, so righteous people should do God's bidding even if this is dangerous, and trust that God will save them. The relief of Derry is seen as symbolic of God's mercy and willingness to save all sinners if they trust in Him. Likewise, depictions of Britannia are not merely assertions of Britishness but also a statement that Britain was great because of its strong Protestantism, and has fallen in recent decades because of its godlessness.Alan Campbell, ''Let the Orange Banners Speak'', 3rd edn, np, 2001.

Similar banners in other countries

Banners of the type carried in Northern Irish parades were once much more common in other parts of the United Kingdom. In particular, trade union banners were very similar. Due perhaps to the decline of British heavy industry and the general fading of many working class traditions, such banners are commonly seen only at events such as the Durham Miner's Gala.