Oz (Series of novels)

The land of Oz is divided into four small countries: Munchkin Country to the east, Winkie Country to the west, Quadling Country to the south, and Gillikin Country to the north. The capital, the Emerald City, lies in the exact center of the country. These are all represented exactly on the flag.
Mason Kaye, 30 June 2004

Check the Seamonkey Oz Site for a "real" map of the Land of Oz.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 June 2004

Royal Flag (1908)
The Oz Spangled Banner

A flag is mentioned in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) Chapter. 17. The Nine Tiny Piglets (Gutenberg Project):

After breakfast Ozma announced that she had ordered a holiday to be observed throughout the Emerald City, in honor of her visitors. The people had learned that their old Wizard had returned to them and all were anxious to see him again, for he had always been a rare favorite. So first there was to be a grand procession through the streets, after which the little old man was requested to perform some of his wizardries in the great Throne Room of the palace. In the afternoon there were to be games and races.
The procession was very imposing. First came the Imperial Cornet Band of Oz, dressed in emerald velvet uniforms with slashes of pea-green satin and buttons of immense cut emeralds. They played the National air called "The Oz Spangled Banner," and behind them were the standard bearers with the Royal flag. This flag was divided into four quarters, one being colored sky-blue, another pink, a third lavender and a fourth white. In the center was a large emerald-green star, and all over the four quarters were sewn spangles that glittered beautifully in the sunshine. The colors represented the four countries of Oz, and the green star the Emerald City."

Sounds hideous, doesn't it? My question is: Does "divided into four quarters" mean dividing the flag horizontally and vertically, or diagonally from corner to corner? I tried my hand at crudely visualizing the Royal Banner of Oz, but since the description is vague, I don't know how accurate it is. This fits the description, but is quartered diagonally instead of horizontally and vertically, as that is what is usually portrayed.
"T. Mike", 22 & 23 February 2005

It looks hideous, too. But the image meets the quoted description, so it must be it. Note that this is referred to as the Oz Royal flag; the usual flag maybe the Oz "national" flag. I'd say "divided into four quarters" means dividing the flag diagonally, to match the other flag, which is a stylized map.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 February 2005

Banner of Ozma (1919)

The flag of the mythical land of OZ is described in Chapter 5, Paragraph Two of "The Magic of OZ" by L. Frank Baum, 1919.
James J. Ferrigan III, 6 December 1998

Here's the actual public domain text (from the gutenberg project website):

The Magic of Oz (1919); Chapter 5. A Happy Corner of Oz

In the center of the Emerald City of Oz, the capital city of Ozma's dominions, is a vast and beautiful garden, surrounded by a wall inlaid with shining emeralds, and in the center of this garden stands Ozma's Royal Palace, the most splendid building ever constructed. From a hundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, which included the Ozmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and the Quadlings. The banner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkies yellow; the Gillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner is red. The colors of the Emerald City are of course green. Ozma's own banner has a green center, and is divided into four quarters. These quarters are colored blue, purple, yellow and red, indicating that she rules over all the countries of the Land of Oz.

"T. Mike", 22 February 2005

Flag of Oz

This flag does not match the description of the banner of Ozma in the book. The book's text does not mention the "O" and "Z" device in the middle.
"T. Mike", 22 February 2005

The "Oz" monogram is not mentioned, indeed, but the description is vague enough to allow it, according to whoever designed the commercially available flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 February 2005

According to illustration from Glinda of Oz (1920)

In "The Annotated Wizard of Oz", there is a color illustration of the flag of Oz, taken from the book "Glinda of Oz." In this version, the upper quadrant is dark blue, the lower red, the right yellow, and the left light blue. In the center is an eight-sided emerald, longer sides on the right and left, "graded" (I don't know the technical term) up to the flat top, which bears a white (outlined in black) intertwined "OZ"- the left side of the Z above the O, the right side of the O above the Z.
Nathan Lamm, 13 March 2005

According to former member of the IWOC (1957-)

I have been a member of the In'tl Wizard of OZ Club for decades, and I can tell you the color scheme on the "OZ Flag": The blue triangle should be on the 'fly' quarter (Saltire) of the flag; the yellow triangle should be on the 'hoist' quarter; the 'upper' (top) triangle should be light purple; the bottom triangle should be red (crimson). The "OZ" logo should be 'gold or silver' (the "gold" differing from the 'yellow' of the hoist triangle, and it should have a thin circle of emerald green surrounding it as well as the 'between' letters spaces. There are a number of sources to confirm this.
J. Thomas Kidd, 11 October 2011

Real-world flags

Flag of Oz as contributed by James Ferrigan

The lavender and orange depicted should be purple and red. Also, the placement of the colors is wrong. The colors are supposed to match the 4 quadrants of the land of Oz. So the proper placement would be purple on top, red on bottom, yellow on the left, and blue on the right.
"T. Mike", 22 February 2005

Flag of Oz from Don Klett collection

image by Mason Kaye from the 4 X 6 flag collection of Don Klett, 30 June 2004

Flag of Oz as sold by Donna Stewart-Hardway Munchkin Made Wizard of Oz Flag Store

In that case, we have something worth keeping: the actual flag, as described in the book and a commercially available incorrect depiction that is likely to be found in real world.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 24 February 2005

Map on the flag

I don't know if the design of the Flag of Oz can be defined as a "map on flag", unless the borders are perfectly straight, as in the flag, and the central Emerald City is indeed round and resembles the central symbol on the flag.
David Kendall, 30 June 2004

According to A. Manguel and G. Guadalupi's excellent Dictionary of imaginary places they are very nearly as depicted on the flag. The borders wobble a bit, but they do fall very much on a saltire.
James Dignan, 1 July 2004

Subnational flags

The Magic of Oz (1919); Chapter 5. A Happy Corner of Oz (Gutenberg Project):

From a hundred towers and domes floated the banners of Oz, which included the Ozmies, the Munchkins, the Gillikins, the Winkies and the Quadlings. The banner of the Munchkins is blue, that of the Winkies yellow; the Gillikin banner is purple, and the Quadling's banner is red. The colors of the Emerald City are of course green.

"T. Mike", 22 February 2005

Could we assume that plain flags in the indicated colors were used as "subnational" flags?
António Martins-Tuválkin, 30 June 2004

L. Frank Baum

Royal Flag (1908) The Oz Spangled Banner

Banner of Ozma (1919)

According to illustration from Glinda of Oz (1920)

According to former member of the IWOC (1957-)

Royal Flag (1908)
The Oz Spangled Banner