And again, in Chaucer:—
‘On every trump hanging a brode bannere
Of fine tartarine full richly bete;
Every trumpet his lordis armes bere.’
The flags carried by cavalry regiments, though usually called Standards, ought properly to be styled Banners. The flags of foot regiments are entitled Colours.
The Banner-roll, or Bandrol, and Guydhomme, or Guidon, were small banners, the latter rounded at the fly, on which were separately emblazoned the various quaterings of a knight; and were usually carried at funeral processions.
The Ancient
Was a small pennon, or banner. The bearer of it, who was called by the name of the flag, held a similar position in the army to that of the modern ensign. This explains that passage in Othello, where Cassio, in speaking to Iago, says, ‘The lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient.’
Fig. 195.
The Gonfannon
Was a pennon or guidon supported as shown in the illustration, Fig. 195.
The Standard and Ensign.
The Standard, on account of its size, was not carried in the hand like the pennon and banner, but the staff to which it was attached was fixed in the ground; hence its name.
