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Dictionary of Vexillology: F (Fracted - Fylfot)

Last modified: 2022-12-03 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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FRACTED
A heraldic term used when an ordinary, such as a bar, fess or chevron, is broken in one or more places (see also ‘ordinary’).

 Leuggelbach, Switzerland Markvartice, Czechia Markvartice, Czechia
Flag of Leuggelbach, Switzerland (fotw); Arms and Flag of Markvartice, Czechia (fotw)


FRAME
1) The wood or metal bar by which the top edge of a flag is held – but see ‘framed flag 1)’ below (also ‘cross bar’).
2) In largely (but increasingly obsolete) maritime usage, this term may also describe the rod (attached to a ship’s mast or yard by lines) that is inserted into the heading of a streamer or pennant in order to stiffen it at the hoist – but see ‘headstick’ (also ‘command pennant’ with following notes, ‘distinguishing vane’, ‘pennant 2)’, ‘streamer 2)’ and ‘vane 1)’).

frame example


FRAMED FLAG
1) A flag that is designed to be attached both along its hoist to the staff, and along its top to a side-mounted cross-bar sometimes (mistakenly) called a gonfalon - see ‘gonfalon 1)’ (also ‘cross bar’, ‘frame’ above and ‘staff 2)’.
2) See ‘outrigger flag’.

[framed flags] [framed flags] [framed flags]
Flag of Verhnya Bilka, Guta and Zhidachev, Ukraine (fotw)


FRAMED WIMPEL(S)
See ‘flüger’).

[framed wimpel]
Framed Wimpel/Flüger of the Hamburg Customs Flag (Klaus-Michael Schneider)


FRANKLIN FLAG
An early (unofficial but used and with a variation in the order of the stripe’s colours - quite widely reproduced) pattern of the stars and stripes  – the Serapis flag (see also ‘Betsy Ross flag’, ‘continental colours’, ‘eagle standard’, ‘great star flags’, ‘old glory’, ‘star-spangled banner’ and ‘stars and stripes’).

[Franklin flag] [Franklin flag]
The Franklin Pattern of Stars and Stripes and Variation, 1778 (fotw & Wikipedia)

Please note that this flag was first detailed by Benjamin Franklin whilst ambassador to Paris, flown in European waters by John Paul Jones and aboard the captured HMS Serapis, and was one of the first versions to gain international recognition

.
FRENCH SHIELD
The term, and a literal translation of Französischer Schild, sometimes used in German language vexillology to describe a rectangular shield – see ‘rectangular shield’.

[French shield]
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.


FRET
The heraldic term for a figure composed of two diagonal bendlets interlaced with a mascle (or voided lozenge), and meant to represent a section of fishing net (see also ‘bendlet’ and ‘mascle’).

[Fret] [Fret] [Fret]
Flag of Karmřy, Norway (fotw); Flag of Mont-de-l’Enclus, Belgium (fotw ); Flag of Koceljeva, Serbia (fotw)


FRETTED
An alternative heraldic term for interlaced - see ‘interlaced’.

[Sveta Nedelja, Croatia] [Sveta Nedelja, Croatia]
Flag and Arms of Sveta Nedelja, Croatia (fotw)


FRETTY (FRETE or FRETTÉ)
Alternative heraldic terms for a pattern of interlaced bars forming a diagonal trellis either overlapped or joined – but see ‘latticed’ (also ‘interlaced’).

Oulens-sous-Echallens, Switzerland Oulens-sous-Echallens, Switzerland fretty
Flag of Oulens-sous-Echallens, Switzerland (fotw); Arms and Flag of Săo Joăo do Campo, Portugal (fotw)


FRIENDSHIP FLAG
A term that is used when two or more flag designs are combined into a single entity – a cut-and-paste flag (see also ‘combined flag’, ‘marshalling’, ‘union flag 1)’ and ‘union mark’).

friendship flag  friendship flag  friendship flag
US-Canada Friendship Flag (fotw); US, Canada and Mexico Friendship Flag (fotw); US-UK Friendship Flag (fotw)


FRINGE
A decoration of twisted thread and/or metal often (but not invariably) attached to edges of a military colour, or of a flag intended for ceremonial and/or indoor use (see also ‘colour 2)’, ‘cravat’, ‘indoor flag’ and ‘parade flag’).

fringed flag  fringed flag  fringed flag
Presidential standard of Kyrgyzstan (fotw); Indoor/Parade Flag of the Secretary of the Army, US (fotw); Colour of the Royal Guard 1904 – 1908, Serbia (fotw)


FRUCTED
In traditional heraldry the term used when a plant or the branch of a tree or the tree itself is bearing fruit, and generally shown in another tincture - but see ‘fruited’ (also ‘leaved’ and ‘tincture’).

fructed fructed fructed
Flag of Ependes, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Pinheiro de Ázere, Portugal (fotw); Flag of Wileroltigen, Switzerland (fotw)


FRUITED
In modern heraldry and in vexillology, the term used when a plant or tree is bearing fruit - but see ‘fructed’.

fruited
Arms of Runovići, Croatia (fotw)


FULL ACHIEVEMENT OF ARMS
See 'achievement of arms' and 'armorial bearings’.

[Churchill arms]  [Allerdale] [Bahamas arms]
The Achievement of Arms/Armorial Bearings of the Late Sir Winston Churchill, UK (Churchill Society); Flag of Allerdale, UK (fotw); Achievement of Arms/Armorial Bearings of Bahamas (fotw)


FULL DRESSING
1) See ‘dress ship, to 1)’ and ‘dress ship, to 4)’.
2) See ‘dressing overall 2)’ and ‘dressing overall 3)’.

[dressing ship example]
A Warship of the South African Navy Dressed Overall (Andries Burgers)


FULL MAST (or FULL STAFF) A FLAG
(v & adj) To fly a flag in its normal position right up to the truck, a term generally used after a flag has spent a mourning period at half mast (see also ‘flag pole’, ‘half mast’ and ‘truck’).

FULL MOON
See ‘disk’, ‘moon 2)’ with following note and ‘per complement’.

[Shan State, Myanmar]
Flag of Shan, Myanmar (fotw)


FUNERAL ACHIEVEMENT
See ‘achievement of arms 2)’.

[Churchill arms]
Funeral Achievement/Armorial Bearings of the Late Sir Winston Churchill, UK (Churchill Society)


FUNERAL FLAGS (or PENNANTS)
1) In US usage, those flags or pennants flown from the cars in a funeral cortege or procession, in order to facilitate keeping that cortege together and to help other drivers avoid breaking into it, not to be confused with a pall flag or with mourning flags (see also ‘car flag’, ‘mourning flag’ and ‘pall flag’, together with ‘badge banner’, ‘bannerole’, ‘great banner’, ‘grumphion’ and ‘livery banner’).
2) The term may also be used to describe those flags – often draped with a mourning ribbon – that are carried in a funeral cortege (see also ‘draping’, ‘cravat 2)’ and ‘mourning ribbon’).

[Funeral flag] [Funeral flag] [Funeral flag]
Some Funeral Flags, US (fotw)


FURL(ED)
1) (v) To wind (roll up) a colour or parade flag around its staff before it is cased – usually done with ceremony (see also ‘unfurl’(ed), ‘case’(d), ‘uncase’(d), ‘colour (2)’ and ‘parade flag’ 2)).
2) (adj) A flag is considered furled when hoisted in a rolled and/or folded condition prior to being broken out at the truck – see ‘break a flag’ (also ‘truck’).

FURS
In heraldry see ‘ermine’, ‘potent 1)’, and ‘vair’.

[fur example] [fur example] [fur example]
Ermine, Potent and Vair.


FUSELAGE MARKING
1) The term sometimes used to describe a non-circular emblem of nationality employed by some nations in the same way and for the same purpose as a roundel – but see the note below, ‘roundel 1)’ and ‘wing marking(s) 1)’ (also ‘balkenkreuz’, ‘fin flash’, ‘iron cross’ and ‘aircraft marking(s)’).
2) See ‘roundel 1)’.

Fuselage marking, BotswanaFuselage marking, PhilippinesFuselage marking, Chile 
Fuselage/Wing Marking of Botswana (fotw); Fuselage/Wing Marking of The Philippines (fotw); Fuselage/Wing Marking of Chile (fotw)

Notes
a) The term “fuselage” only refers to the body of an aircraft and to those markings that appear thereon, so when these same emblems appear on the wings of an aircraft they are properly called “wing markings”.
b) In some types of aircraft the description “ fuselage” can (technically speaking) include their tail plane/fin, but that the term given above should never be used to describe any markings shown thereon – see ‘
fin flash’.


FUSIL
The heraldic term for an elongated lozenge - see ‘lozenge 2)’ (also ‘square lozenge’).

fusil fusil
Arms and Flag of Boldecker Land, Germany (fotw)


FUSILLY
An alternative heraldic term for lozengy - see ‘lozengy 1)’.

fusilly fusilly
Shield and Flag of the South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands (fotw)


FUSILLY BENDY (or BENDY SINISTER)
In heraldry see ‘lozengy bendy’.

fusilly bendy
Flag of the State of Bavaria, Germany (fotw)


FYLFOT
The heraldic term for a swastika - see ‘swastika’.

fylfot
Flag of the Canadian Nazi Party 1933 – 1938 (fotw)


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