Who is the black man on the flags of Corsica and Sardinia?

rlaj

On the 12th of March 1736, a German baron who illegitimately assumed titles so prestigious as sham; disembarked in Aleria "[...]" Theodore de Neuhoff was accompanied everywhere, in his triumphant march through Corsica, by a portrait where he appeared in his ceremonial dress. At the bottom of this portrait, appeared a blazon which was made in this way: at the center, a square shield surmounted by a royal crown, itself surmounted by a globe. In the shield, a Moor's head turned towards the right of the one who looks at it, wearing a blindfold on the eyes, tied behind the head." " So, it is to this "sham king", to this adventurer who reigned during only six months that we owe the presence of the Moor's head on the official flag of Corsica. Thus, the popularity of Theodore was immense in Europe..."[...]"From now on,the Moor's head is known in the whole Europe as the official symbol of the armies of Corsica." http://www.corsica.net/corsica/uk/discov/hist/maure.htm Jun 28 05, 9:13 AM

author

As far as I know the "Black Moor" was first used as a coats- and banners-of-arms in Aragon and Catalonia. It symbols Moorish kings defeated and/or captured in combat. Sardinia's flag has four "Moors' heads" and is called the Four Moors. I suppose it refers to four Moorish Emirs who were defeated by a king of Aragon in the XIth century. Jun 28 05, 10:57 AM