History Of The Checker Flag

[jhmatrix]

Does anyone out there know the history of the checker flag? I just found out that it was used in 1914- first year. What is the rest of the history? Why black and white checker? Why checker vs. say- dots, etc. I'd love to get an answer.

Thanks,
JHMATRIX

[Vitesse]

The chequered flag goes back further than 1914: I think that's the first use at Indianapolis. It was certainly used at the finish of the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup race and I've seen references to it being used in cycle racing in the nineteenth century.

[paulzinho]

Interesting to hear some replies to this. Wonder just why it got chosen, surely must symbolise something?

[jhmatrix]

I've often thought it should have something to do with battle shields or something like that. Thanks for the posts, guys. We'll get to the bottom of this.

BTW- What a cool Web Site this is!

[Peter Mallett]

Off the wall a bit but I think its in one of my books at home (long way away unfortunately) possibly Ivan Rendell's Power and Glory. However I believe the story goes that it started in France when to signify the end of a race, somebody grabbed a table cloth, which as we all know are black and white checks in France.

[275 GTB-4]

I like this story!! It is obvious - when the Chequered Flag drops it is Beer Time!!

http://www.fosters.com.au/beer/histo...ry_of_beer.asp

History of Beer

Earliest references to beer

The Egyptian era
The Greek and Roman era
The Christian era
Medieval times
1400 onwards


Earliest references to beer
The Chinese brewed beer called ‘Kui' some 5,000 years ago. In Mesopotamia, a 4,000 year-old clay tablet indicates that brewing was a highly respected profession - and the master brewers were women.

In ancient Babylon, the women brewers were also priestesses. The goddesses Siris and Nimkasi were patronesses of beer, and certain types of beer were reserved exclusively for temple ceremonies.

In 2,100 BC Hammuabi, the 6th King of Babylonia, included provisions regulating the business of tavern keepers in his great law code. These provisions covered the sale of beer and were designed to protect the consumer. The punishment of short measure by an innkeeper was drowning, which was an effective way to prevent any repetition of the offence!

An ancient tablet now in New York's Metropolitan Museum lists Babylonian beers as: dark beer, pale beer, red beer, three fold beer, beer with a head, without a head etc. It also records that beer was sipped through a straw - in the case of royalty a golden straw, long enough to reach from the throne to a large container of beer kept nearby.

3,000 year old beer mugs were uncovered in Israel in the 1960s. Archaeologists said that their find at Tel Isdar indicated that beer drinking in Israel went back to the days of King Saul and King David. An Assyrian tablet of 2,000 BC lists beer among the foods that Noah used to provision the ark.



The Egyptian era
Some 5,000 years ago in the Imperial Egypt of the Pharaohs, beer was already an important food item in the daily diet. It was made from lightly baked barley bread, and also was used as a sacrament.

People gathered in the evening to drink at a ‘house of beer'. Beer was the natural drink of the country, a basic in the diet of the nobility and of the fellah (the peasant). As well as being a drink, beer was also used as medicine. A medical document which was written in about 1,600 BC lists about 700 prescriptions of which about 100 contained the word ‘beer'.

The Egyptians also provided their dead with food and beer. An old Egyptian tomb bears the inscription: "....satisfy his spirit with beef and fowl, bread and beer". In the taverns or houses of beer in Egypt, the favourite toast was "Here's to your ghost".

Beer also had status - a keg of beer was considered the only proper gift to be offered to the Pharaoh by a suitor seeking the hand of a royal princess. 30,000 gallons a year was also offered as a fitting gift to the Gods by Pharaoh Rameses II (1,200 BC). It is recorded that a similar amount was also offered to appease the gods when they became angry.

Isis, the nature goddess, was Egypt's patroness of beer brewing and an important civic official was charged with the task of maintaining the quality of beer, an integral part of everyday life and religion.

Other references to beer from Egyptian times include mention of beer brewed from barley in the Egyptian's Book of the Dead, and many ancient Egyptian wall hangings also depict the brewing of beer.



The Greek and Roman era
It was the Egyptians who reputedly taught the Greeks how to brew beer.

In fact it has been suggested by historians that Dionysus, the wine-god of Greek mythology, was actually a superimposition of Dionysis, the beer-god from pre-historic times.

The famous Greek writer Sophocles (450 BC) stressed moderation, and suggested a diet of "bread, meat, green vegetables and zythos (beer)". Other early Greek writers, Xenophon and Herodotus, also mention beer.

The Greeks in turn taught the Romans to brew, and Julius Caesar, following the fateful crossing in 49 BC of the River Rubicon, toasted his officers with beer.

The Romans then showed the savage tribes in Britain the art of brewing.

Pliny and Tacitus are among the classical writers who record the development of the brewing art among the Celtic and Teutonic peoples of Britain and Central Europe.



The Christian era
Beer really came into its own with the advent of the Christian era, largely through the influence of the monasteries which brewed and improved the beer. Monks often built the first breweries as pioneers of the hotel business, providing shelter, food and drink to pilgrims and other travellers.

Three Christian saints are listed as patrons of brewing, all distinguished members of the Christian faith: Saint Augustine of Hippo, author of the confessions; Saint Luke the Evangelist; and Saint Nicholas of Myra, better known as Santa Claus.

Other saints also had links with brewing. Saint Columban, doing missionary work in Germany, found people preparing to consume a cask of beer in a ceremony to a pagan god. He blew upon the case, which fell apart, and when the crowd became penitent he miraculously increased the small amount of beer left. Saint Bright is credited with changing water into beer to feed lepers. She personally brewed ale each Easter time to supply all of the churches in the neighbourhood.

Saint Mungo, the patron saint of Scotland's oldest city, Glasgow, established a religious brotherhood there in 540 AD, and one of the brothers started brewing to supply the others. Brewing is still regarded as the oldest industry in Glasgow. Saint Patrick, according to Senchus Mor, the book of the ancient laws of Ireland (438-441 AD), numbered among his household a brewer - a priest called Mescan.



Medieval times
The Emperor Charlemagne (AD 742-814), the great Christian ruler, considered beer as essential for moderate living, and personally trained the realm's brewmasters. King Arthur served his Knights of the Round Table with beer called bragget.

Even in medieval times, beer was generally brewed by women. Being the cooks, they had responsibility for beer which was regarded as ‘food-drink'. After the monasteries had established the best methods of brewing, the ‘ale-wives' took the responsibility for further brewing.

In England at this time a chequered flag indicated a place where ale and beer could be purchased.

[paulzinho]

Or indeed champagne time on the podium then!

[Aysedasi]

I'm amazed - Ten Tenths very own beer expert!

[jhmatrix]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
Off the wall a bit but I think its in one of my books at home (long way away unfortunately) possibly Ivan Rendell's Power and Glory. However I believe the story goes that it started in France when to signify the end of a race, somebody grabbed a table cloth, which as we all know are black and white checks in France.

When you get back home, please take a moment to look up the reference. I'd love to know. This subject has bugged me for some time now. If dates are available, please include.

Thanks,
Jack Holth "JHMATRIX"

[Peter Mallett]

At the moment I won't be home until Christmas eve. Perhaps Tim D or one of the others could assist?

[175MPH]

I seem to have started somthing here, lets keep going and get to the bottom of this, or should i say to the end of it.

[jhmatrix]

Thanks, 175MPH! The table cloth seems to be the leading answer to my original question. If you have more, please post.

Regars,
Jack Holth
Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA

[ss_collins]

I'm amazed - Ten Tenths very own beer expert!

I'd be suprised if there were not hundreds more

[D-Type]

Kep your eye on Motor Sport, Boddy asked the same question in the August edition. Mind you, if WB doesn't know I don't think anyone will.

[Corktree]

From the Web site of the International Motor Racing Research Center: "Origin of the Checker Flag: A Search for Racing's Holy Grail" by Fred R. Egloff traces the story of the first use of this internationally-known symbol in competition.

Mr. Egloff traces the use of the checkered flag to the 1906 Glidden Tour.

[D-Type]

Don please enlighten this ignoramus and explain what the Glidden Tour was?

[Corktree]

The first Glidden Reliability Tour, named for Charles J. Glidden wjo donated the silver trophy given to the winner, began in 1905 under the sanction of the American Automobile Association. It was a reliability run in the form of a tour of various regions of the USA. It was, in mamy ways, the prototype of the early rally in that points were deducted for not making a set time between designated points, points being factored for such things as hill climbs, but there was also a means to deduct points for mechanical and technical problems encountered during the Tour. Until 1909, the Tour was contested by club entries, in that year became an individual contest. The last Glidden Tour was in, I think, 1913.

There is a picture of a checkered flag being used during the 1906 Glidden Tour here: http://forix.autosport.com/8w/rvm-vol8-no1.html