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Dictionary of Vexillology: H (Hooch flag  Hussar Cut)
Last modified: 2025-11-01 by martin karner
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  HOOCH FLAG
  In US military usage (particularly during the Vietnam War) the colloquial term for 
  a small, entirely unofficial, company or unit flag.
  
  
  HOOKED-CROSS
  See swastika.  
  
  
  
Flag of the National Socialist Front, Sweden
  
  HOOVED (or HOOFED)
  Terms used in Continental European heraldry to describe the hoofs of beasts instead of its English 
  heraldic equivalent unguled.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Flag of the Mettembert, Switzerland;
  Flag of Orońsko rural district, Poland;
  Flag of Rebévelier, Switzerland
  
  
  
  HORIZONTAL BICOLOUR
  See bicolour 1) 
  and bicolour 2) (also
  over).
  
  
  

  Civil Flag of Niederösterreich, Austria; Naval Jack of 
  Ukraine
  
  HORIZONTAL BICOLOUR WITH A VERTICAL STRIPE AT THE HOIST
  A flag of three colours, having one vertical stripe at the hoist and two horizontal in the fly – 
  see tricolour 1) and 
  bicolour 2) (also stripe).
  
  
  

  National Flag of Benin, Austria; National Flag of 
  Guinea Bissau
  
  HORIZONTAL LATIN CROSS
  See off-centred cross2) and 
  Scandinavian cross 
  (also Latin cross).  
  
  
  
  
  
  Flag of Domingos Martins, Brazil; Flag of the
  Aland Islands 
  
  HORIZONTAL MERIDIAN (or MEDIAN) 
  See meridian. 
    
  
  
  
  
  HORIZONTAL MULTI-STRIPE
  See multi-stripe.
  
  
  
  
  
  Flag of  Aragon, Spain; Flag of 
  Minorca, Spain 
  
  
  HORIZONTAL STRIPES IN HERALDRY
  See bar, barrulet and fess.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  National Flag of Argentina; 
  Arms of Simferopol, Ukraine; 
  Flag of Chicago, US 
  
  HORIZONTAL TRIANGLE
  See triangle 1)
  
  
  
  
 National Flag of Djibouti;
Flag of Cercs, Spain
  
  HORIZONTAL TRIBAND
  See triband 1) and 
  triband 2).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  National and Civil Flags of Nicaragua 
  
  
  
  HORIZONTAL TRICOLOUR
  See tricolour 1) and tricolour 2).
  
  
  
  
  
  National Flag of Croatia; National Flag of the Netherlands 
  
  
  
  HORN(S)
  1) Concerning a musical instrument in heraldry see bugle horn.
  2) Concerning an animal in heraldry see attire(s).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  Flag of Beeskow County, Oder-Spree, Germany;
  Flag of Troubky, Czechia; 
  Post Flag, Denmark
  
  
  
  HORNED
  In heraldry see attired.
  
  
  ![[Mettembert]](../images/v/vxt-d1383.gif)
  Flag of Mettembert, Switzerland
  
    
  
  HORN OF PLENTY
  See cornucopia.
  
  
  
  
  
  Flag Arms and Jack, Peru 
  
     
  
  HORSE-HEAD SHIELD
  The term sometimes used to describe a shield of the decorative, 
  post-medieval type most often seen in Italian personal and civic heraldry but 
 an Italian shield
  (see also renaissance shield).
  
  
  The Arms of Messina, Italy (ita24)
  
  
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.
  
  
  HORSESHOE(S)
  1) In heraldry a charge that, unless blazoned otherwise should always be shown with its open ends 
  downward – a fer-de-cheval see also blazon).
  2) In vexillology a charge, sometimes undetailed, that has no specific orientation.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Flag of Hasbergen, Germany;  
  Flag of Kyslivka, Ukraine; 
  Flag of Lemberg, Germany  
  
  
  HORSETAIL 
  A decoration for military flags, especially in China where it is usually red; 
  made of real or simulated horsehair and is almost certainly descended from a 
  Mongolian vexilloid (see also tugh 1)Please note that the standards of some former French 
  cavalry units (notably the Spahis originally raised in North Africa) were also 
  decorated by horsetails  see toug.
  
  
  
  HORSETAIL STANDARD
  See tugh 1) and 
  toug.
  
  
  
  
Turkish Horsetail Standards 
  (worldimages)
  
  
  HOUSE FLAG (or HOUSE PENNANT)
  1) The distinguishing flag or pennant of a merchant marine company flown at sea by ships 
  owned or managed by that company, and from their headquarters on shore – a 
  shipping or shipping company house flag or pennant (see also 
  flags and funnels, 
  logo, 
  pennant 2)) and
  whaling flags.
  2) See corporate flag. 
  3) The personal flag of the owner of a pleasure vessel or home – a private 
  signal (see also personal flag 2)). 
  4) See battle flag 2).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1140.gif)
  Black Diamond Co, Canada;  
  Green and Co., US; 
  Alaska Steamship Co., US 
  
  
  HOUSE MARK (or HOUSE BRAND)
  In Continental usage those terms, and translations of the German hausmarken or 
  housmarke, that may be used to describe the symbol or symbols used by non-armigerous 
  tradesmen in place of a coat of arms – a house brand – but see 
  merchant mark (see also 
  armigerous, 
  coat of arms 2) and 
  mark 2)) 
  
  
  ![[house mark example]](../images/v/vxt-d2043.gif)
  Flag of Hiddensee Island, Germany
	
  
  
  HOUSEWIMPEL
  See house flag 1).
  
  
  ![[house pennant example]](../images/v/vxt-d1421.gif)
  Housewimpel/House Pennant of The Blue Star Line, UK
  
Please note that the correct term in English language vexillology 
  is house pennant  see wimpel 
  and following note.
  
  
  
  HUNTING HORN
  In heraldry see bugle horn.
  
  
  
  
  ![[hunting horn example]](../images/v/vxt-d3203.gif)
  Arms and Flag of Bilje, Croatia 
  
  
  HURT
  The heraldic term for a blue disc – a roundel azure (see also 
bezant, 
plates, 
roundel 3) and 
torteau).
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  ![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d3833.gif)
  Flag of Alfena, Portugal; 
  Flag of Lenzburg, Switzerland; 
  Flag of Bodenfelde, Germany 
  
  Please note that in strict English heraldic usage this term should only be applied when the charge described in blue (“azure”) – see ‘tinctures’.
  
  
  
  HUSBAND PENNANT (or WIMPEL) 
  In Scandinavian (particularly Finnish) usage the colloquial term, and a direct translation 
  of the Finnish “isännänviiri” or Swedish “husbondsvimpel”, used for a 
  provincial wimpel – see 
  provincial wimpel
  (also wimpel).
  
  
  ![[husband flag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1096.gif)
  Husband Pennant/Provincial Wimpel of Kainuu, Finland
  
  
  HUSSAR CUT 
  A variation of the swallow-tail in which the cut in the fly of the flag is 
  shaped by several curves, and was formerly typical of the flags used by 
  Prussian later German 
  cavalry regiments (see also 
 descate,
  palm, 
guidon 2), 
indentation(s), 
rounded swallow-tail and 
swallow-tail(ed)).
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  ![[Hussar cut example]](../images/v/vxt-d2693.gif)
  2nd Hussar Regiment, Prussia c1740; 
  Cavalry Guidons, Hamburg 1709 
  
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