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I draw attention to the Carnaval in Rio, where can be seen in all
their splendour the samba schools' flags, usually gyronny of many.
Other cities in Brazil (and even abroad) also follow this tradition.
António Martins, 11 July 1999
Unfortunately, all these flags include symbols in the center of
their gyronny fields and are constantly in movement, so it's pretty impossible
to get their composition straight only from TV.
Jorge Candeias, 3 March 2001
All the samba schools' names begin with GRES, which stands for
Grêmio Recreativo Escola da Samba (Recreational Society and Samba
School). The samba schools are the organizations that put on the big
parades. By tradition, each school has a
young woman called a porta-bandeira or flag-carrier carrying its
flag in the parade. As António points out, the flags are generally
gyronny in the colors of the school, an obvious Portuguese influence,
I assume. The source of information on the clubs is an excellent book by Alma
Guillermo-Prieto entitled Samba.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
I don't know whather the gyronny design of these flags was influenced by
Portuguese civic vexillology. Current Portuguese municipal flags have
octo-gyronny backgrounds when the seat of the municipality has the status of a city,
but it should be noted that untill the 1930s only Lisbon had
a gyronny flag, providing one of the bases for the current Portuguese
civic vexillology laws. If these samba school flags are older than the 1930s, then the evidence is
shallow. I'd say that most of these flags influenced each other. The older
might have been influenced by Portugese city flags, but then again, maybe
not.
António Martins, 4 March 2001
I believe the oldest of the samba schools date to the late 1920s/early
1930s. Most of them seem to have been formed in the 1940s-50s. I
expect that António's hypothesis that they influenced each other is
correct, but it seems to me that somewhere in the genealogy of the
earliest ones is a saudade (nostalgia) tinged memory of Lisbon.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
Apparently a new flag is made for each school for each carnival. The obverse, which the
images below show, seems to stay the same,
with the school emblem on the center, but the reverse bears a device reflecting the theme
of that year's parade. This would account for variations in the
details of these flags, so these should be taken as general patterns.
Joseph McMillan, 14 March 2001
![[Beija Flor]](../images/b/br_cvlbf.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
A nouveau school (1950s, I believe) and seen by the more traditional favelas as a bit
of an upstart, but an enormously well-financed and successful one. A
beija-flor (literally flower-kisser) is a hummingbird, so the badge
on the center of the blue and white flag shows flowers and two little
beija-flores.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
![[Caprichoses de Pilares]](../images/b/br_cvlcp.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
![[Imperatriz Leopoldinense]](../images/b/br_cvlil.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
Named for Empress Leopoldina (wife of Emperor Dom Pedro I). This is the only one I've found that is
not gyronny of some number.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
Source: School website.
Joseph McMillan, 5 March 2001
![[Império Serrano]](../images/b/br_cvlis.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
The name means "Mountain Empire." Another very old-line school.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
![[Mangueira]](../images/b/br_cvlmg.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
An old line school dating back
to the 1930s and one of the most successful in winning the samba
competitions. Colors pink and green. Mangueira is one of the oldest
favelas (slums) in Rio; the name refers to it being the first stop on
a suburban rail line after leaving the city proper.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
![[Mocidade Independente]](../images/b/br_cvlmi.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
The name means "Independent Youth of Father Miguel."
Joseph McMillan,4 March 2001
![[Portela]](../images/b/br_cvlpt.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
The flag of the old-line Rio samba school, GRES Portela. The device on the center is the school's mascot, an eagle.
Joseph McMillan, 14 March 2001
![[Salgueiro]](../images/b/br_cvlsg.gif)
by Joseph McMillan
An old school--actually an
amalgamation of several old schools--known for the innovation, in the
1960s, of first hiring a professional parade designer.
Joseph McMillan, 4 March 2001
G.R.E.S. Acadêmicos do Grande Rio (gyronny of 6: red, white and green)
G.R.E.S. São Clemente (gyronny of 16: white and dark blue)
G.R.E.S. Unidos do
Viradouro (gyronny of 16: red and white)
G.R.E.S. Porto da Pedra (gyronny of
16: red and white)
G.R.E.S. Unidos da Tijuca (gyronny of 16: blue and golden
yellow)
G.R.E.S. Unidos de Vila Isabel (gyronny of 16: white and light blue,
off set; golden star at the upper fly)
António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 January 2007
A.C.S.E.S.M. Camisa Verde e Branco (white with green logo)
Acadêmicos do
Tucuruvi (gyronny of 16: dark blue and white)
G.R.C.E.S. Mancha Verde (white
with green logo)
G.R.E.S. Pérola Negra (gyronny of 8 (salt.): dark blue and
red)
Grêmio Gaviões da Fiel Torcida (gyronny of 16 (assym): dark blue and
white)
Império de Casa Verde (gyronny of 24 (assym): light blue and white)
Mocidade Alegre (white with red logo)
Nenê de Vila Matilde (white with dark
blue cross and saltire)
Rosas de Ouro (gyronny of 16 (assym): pink and white)
Tom Maior (red with yellow logo)
Vila Maria (gyronny of 8: green and white)
Vai-Vai (white with black logo)
X-9 Paulistana (gyronny of 16: red, green and
white)
Águia de Ouro (gyronny of 20: blue and white)
António
Martins-Tuválkin, 22 January 2007