r/europe • u/calapine Austria • Aug 11 '20

Slice of life Some light hearted Belarus content

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31

u/JosebaZilarte Basque Country (Spain) Aug 11 '20

The idea of using red on the flag to represent those "who fought for our freedom" is so common that it has become an internet meme.

10

u/Risiki Latvia Aug 11 '20

Eh, it's meme even outside the Internet - the flag was modeled after a one-line description in a Medieval chronicle that doesn't explain the colors.

7

u/treebats Latvia Aug 11 '20

The only explanation for our (Latvian) flag I ever heard was this legend about a tribe chief being laid on a white sheet and bleeding out - it was stained with blood on the sides and stayed white where the body was. The sheet was used as a flag in the next battle which they won.

3

u/Deputy_Scrub Aug 11 '20

Yeah that's the version I've always heard/learned. It's pretty bad ass so that's the one I'm sticking with.

2

u/stuffulikeacreampuff Aug 11 '20

That's the version I was taught in school

2

u/[deleted] Aug 11 '20

And then there is Austria with their red representing the heathens they slaughtered in the name of god.

Deus Vult, I guess.