Flag of the Isle of Man

What the flag of the Isle of Man looks like

The flag of the Isle of Man is a plain red rectangle with a width-to-height ratio of 2:1. In the middle is a triskelion, the symbol of three legs. Each leg is shown in silver armor, bent at the knee, with a gold spur on the foot. The three legs are joined at the top of the thigh, and they run clockwise around the center, with the toes pointing in the same direction.

This symbol is known on the island as the Three Legs of Man, or simply the triskelion or the triskele. The same emblem is used on the island's coat of arms, on its coins and stamps, and on official documents. Since the Isle of Man is a self-governing Crown Dependency of the British Crown, it uses its own flag instead of the Union Jack for local purposes. You can see the small version on the Isle of Man flag emoji page.

Isle of Man flag meaning and symbolism

The three legs are the central symbol of Manx identity. They are usually taken to mean that the island stands firm whichever way it is thrown, which fits the Latin motto on the coat of arms, Quocunque Jeceris Stabit: "Whichever way you throw it, it will stand". Because a triskelion has no fixed top, it looks the same whichever way it is turned.

The red background is not given an official meaning. The meanings of the legs and of the color are traditional rather than defined in law.

History of the Isle of Man flag

The triskelion is an ancient symbol, used by the Mycenaeans and the Lycians. Until 1265 the Isle of Man was part of the Kingdom of the Isles, ruled by the Crovan dynasty, whose members are known to have used ships and lions on their seals, not the triskelion. In 1266 sovereignty of the island was formally transferred from the King of Norway to Alexander III of Scotland, and the three legs appeared on the island in the last third of the 13th century. After English domination of the island in 1346 the triskelion was retained, and it has endured as the symbol of the Isle of Man.

Where the symbol came from is not certain. One theory ties it to Sicily, a three-cornered island long associated with the symbol, and to the family links between the English and Scottish royal houses in the 13th century, which may have led to the symbol being adopted to reinforce the change of rule in 1265. A knotted device on 10th-century Viking coins from the island has also been mentioned, but it looks different and the gap of nearly 300 years suggests no connection. The flag of Italy's region of Sicily looks very similar, but it is not a national flag.

By the mid-19th century the Manx flag was appearing on merchant ships from the island. The Admiralty first did not allow this in favour of the Red Ensign, but reversed the decision on 4 March 1889 and permitted Manx merchant ships to fly it. The red flag with three legs has been the island's official flag since 1 December 1932, although sources differ on the exact date of adoption. In 1968 the design was standardised so that the feet face clockwise and one leg is planted at the bottom. A separate civil ensign, with the Union Jack in the canton, was approved in 1971. The Manx parliament, Tynwald, is often described as one of the oldest in the world, and Tynwald Day is held on 5 July.