Rupert recognizes and describes "'...the flag of Tunis.'" (p. 119):
Argent
a lion rampant azure
between
four crosses potent or
- which differs from the current flag of Tunisia and:
Until the mid-18th century, the design and significance of maritime flags flying on ships in Tunis are unknown.
Poul Anderson, especially when linked to the world wide web, which used to be science fiction, is like an Encyclopedia.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
One of the differences between our timeline and that of A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST is that in the latter Don John of Austria did not spend his last years as governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Rather, he was allowed by his half brother Philip II of Spain to conquer Tunis and found his own kingdom there. The Tunis of MIDSUMMER was ruled by Don John's descendants.
I have a vague recollection of how there had been suggestions in our world that, after the victory at the Battle of Lepanto, should take advantage of the momentum gained by that battle to seize places like Tunis from the Ottoman Empire. We see Anderson using that idea in MIDSUMMER.
Ad astra! Sean
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