is the banner in your profile a flag or just colors? if it's a flag, what does it mean? :o
I didn't think anyone would notice it, but yes, it is a flag! It's the flag of Asam, a country from my worldbuilding project, located entirely in the arctic circle :)
I first chose these colours because I wanted to make a flag for the country when I was bored back in high school but the only markers i had were red (vermilion?), blue (dark teal??), black and gold. so..... that's why I chose them.
That's the original photo on which I based the flag's colours:
(i have no idea what the drawing was. it's just the first photo of these colours i found on my phone)
So the flag ended up looking like this:
Yeah I know, not the most original but I like it. I had to decide in what order the colours should be but this one looked the best to me and 2 other people whom I asked about their opinion.
Then I had to come up with the meaning which..... isn't the most unique or thought-out, but good enough for now.
red – Colour associated with:
1. Fire and warmth, which are necessary to survive in the arctic. Fire is extremely important and considered sacred, a gift from God that keeps people alive in such a harsh environment. So the colour is associated with survival and safety.
2. Blood and flesh, so the animals and food – very important and necessary to survive so far North where vegetation is scarce.
3. Independence. After over a hundred years of occupation and the war that ended with Asam gaining their independence back, it's commonly associated with the blood spilled by millions of people who lost their lives fighting for freedom.
blue – The arctic environment, the snow, the ice, the ocean, the sky. So the things that are not alive themselves, but still affect people's lives greatly.
black – The darkness of the polar night, which almost all of Asam experiences to some extent, since the entire country is located in the Arctic Circle (67°N-85°N). Spending up to months without significant daylight is a very significant aspect of the Asamic people's lives.
gold – The polar day/midnight sun. Also experienced pretty much in every part of Asam, but to a very varying degree.
The colours are Asam's national colours as well.