A Protodynastic
warrior carrying a falcom standard
A solider
in battle would carry the standard (Fig. 43), not ast first
as a national or regimental emblem, but as a life-saving, i.e.
victory-bringing, device. Even to this day the king in person
presents the flag to his regiments with elaborate ceremonial;
but it is not recognized that he actually presents to his soldiers
a symbol of his own life-protecting powers. For the flag is
the lineal descendant of the coloured streamers of the earliest
standard (Fig. 42), which in turn was supposed to represent
the king’s umbilical cord. As the representative of the
king, the animated standard could also seize the king’s
enemies (Fig. 44). Originally all the symbols of the standard
represented the king, but as tow of them expressed his dual
nature, as king of Upper Egypt and king of Lower Egypt, the
standards acquired a secondary significance as territorial badges,
not merely of kingdoms but also of disctricts or nomes.
Animated
standard seizing the king’s enemy
From
Human History by G. Elliot Smith
