My middle daughter has a request-
"As part of my university course I am doing a group presentation about the colour white. My section of the presentation is the associations of the colour white in war. I have already come up with the ideas of a white feather for cowardice, white flag for surrender and white bandages. I was wondering if anybody had any other thoughts?Thanks Anna"
Let's see what you can come up with chap
6 hours ago
11 comments:
Aren't hospital ships traditionally painted white to distinguish them from combat vessels?
There are also the white uniforms of nations like Austria.
And there were 'White' Russians as opposed to 'Red' Russians in the Russian Civil War.
* The white flag associated at first with the presence of the French King on the battlefield, then with the King's authority and its delegation (hence the white Drapeau Colonel of French infantry regiments) and eventually with the monarchy and the royalist conviction.
For some reason white was also often associated with the leibfahne / 'ruler's color' in several countries.
*Iirc the Samnites had a 'sacred Legion' dressed in white.
In many cultures white is associated with either the 'sacred' (1st, 'sacerdotal' function in Indo-European cultures) or death, and thus mark those volunteering for self-sacrifice.
So called "white harness" or full plate armour.
Several other associations:
1. The white, dense smoke of smoke grenades and smoke shells;
2 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's White Company;
3.The image of the white knight;
4.White sheets used to make camo smocks for winter use;
5.The two headed white eagle on the Polish flag.
Hope this helps.
Jerry
A/K/A The Celtic Curmudgeon
The white flag with white cross was for the Bourbon kings, I think? White knight, would be another association.
Japanese culture regards White as a funeral colour. Kamikaze pilot (WW2) wore a white bandana.
The White Flag of Truce or surrender.
White had a concoction Christianity the white shield with the Red Cross of the Templars and Crusaders in general. White uniforms were most prevalent in those countries with Catholic bent to their monarchy. Spain, Austria, and France (though French uniforms were often more a grayish white than a true white). Priestly vestments are often white as well.
How about Wars of the Roses? The white rose for the House of York and the red rose for the House of Lancashire. There's Medieval heraldic symbolism here (and rivalry), which carries through even to today in both those English counties.
I have also seen white being used to represent purity. I seem to recall reading the Huguenots used white and have also read that it represented the "purity" of the cause.
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