Country and Flag Origins - Part H

I've decided to make this one a short one, there are only three countries that start with an H, but they are no less important than any other. So, they will get their own blog edition. I could have added then to G or I but I thought that would make those blogs too long, so here we are. Whether the single letter countries (O, Q, and Y) will get their own blog is still under consideration.

I still sit at my desk wondering what to type, do I tell a joke, do I tell you about my day, or some nugget of information about some obscure theme or other. Are you interested ? Does anyone care? Does anyone read the blog? Well, I primarily write these meanderings for my own sanity and to keep my brain active. If I entertain someone, even for a short length of time, then that is a bonus. I appreciate all the comments I get, and even the constructive ones. Every day I learn something new.

What shall I write now? Well, how about the reason for the blog, the first entry...

Haiti occupies part of the island of Hispaniola, which incidentally was named by Columbus when he took over the island in 1492, he named it Insula Hispana in Latin and La Isla Española in Spanish, both have the same meaning, Spanish Island. It was then shortened to Española and eventually to Hispaniola. 

The first Haitian flag was made in 1803, and according to folklore the French flag was ripped up, the white removed and the red and blue sewn together. The blue was said to represent the Black Haitian citizens, and the red for the coloured free people that were not enslaved. The first president of Haiti, Alexander Petion, turned the flag horizontal. It wasn't until the Olympic Games of 1936, that Liechtenstein realised they had the same flag, so in the following year, that country added a gold crown to their flag.

The name of Haiti was the original name for the whole island of Hispaniola. It is an indigenous Taino word that is also spelled hayti. In Haitian Creole it is Ayiti. The name means "land of high mountains". Another theory is that the name comes from the Fon language of Africa, most Haitians born in Africa speak Fon, Ayiti-Tome translates to "From nowadays this land is our land.", but this is just a theory.

HAITI = LAND OF HIGH MOUNTAINS

Staying in Central America, but this time on the mainland, the flag of Honduras was adopted in 1866, although the blue colour was lightened in 2022 following a decree about the colour that was declared in 1949! The blue colour represents the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, but also the blue sky and brotherhood. The white stands for the land between the oceans, the prosperity, peace and purity of thoughts of it's people. The stars signify the five nations of the former Federal republic of Central America, and the hope that the countries may unite again.

There are two theories as to the origin of the name, Honduras, however, both have the same meaning. Honduras is Spanish for "depths" and originally only referred to the eastern part of the country. The name either refers to the Bay of Trujillo as a deep anchorage, or to a quote from, guess who? Yup, good old Christopher Columbus. He is thought to have said "Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas honduras" which translates to "Thank God we have departed from those depths"

HONDURAS = DEPTHS

The colours of the Hungarian flag date back to the Middle Ages, however in it's current form the flag was first used in 1957. The stripes are horizontal to prevent confusion with the Italian flag. Folklore suggests that the colours were originally said to represent red for strength, white for faithfulness and green for hope. However an alternative representation is that red is for the blood spilled for the fatherland, white is for freedom and green is for the land and the pastures of Hungary.

The "H" in the name of Hungary almost certainly comes from the Huns, who lived in the area in the 5th and 6th centuries as well as the Caucasus region of Asia. The rest of the word derives from the Byzantine Greek word, Oungroi (Οὔγγροι), which itself derived from the Oghur-Turkic word Onogur which means "Ten Ogurs", this refers to ten "tribes" of Ogurs. There is also a train of thought amongst scholars that the name originates from the Kazhar-Turkic word ongar meaning "to put things right"

HUNGARY = TEN TRIBES OF OGURS or TO PUT THINGS RIGHT

Has anyone noticed anything different? Well, it's all thanks to LuckyCat and the BLOG about dividers. I had been pondering adding flag colours to the dividers for ages, but couldn't figure out how to do it. It is so easy when you know how. I had a Homer moment when I found out. "D'oh why didn't I think of that". Just put dividers into a split-view. Anyway, you can read the blog for yourself, saves me having to explain it all to you. Thanks again LuckyCat, see, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Anyway, enough about my learning curve, that's all the H countries done now, the next blog, I countries, who'd have thought it, will be a little longer because there are nine in total beginning with I. All are in Eurasia apart from one, Ivory Coast, which as you all know is in Oceania Africa.

So, for now, in this short, but sweet, blog, I bid you farewell and leave you with another quote from Christopher Columbus...

"“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”