Village of San Pawl il-Baħar (St Paul's Bay) (Malta)

Baia di San Paolo, San Paul à Mare, San Paul a Mare

Last modified: 2013-12-14 by rob raeside
Keywords: malta | san pawl il-baħar | st paul's bay | sword: pointing up | sword: snake entwisted | snake |
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3:5 image by Pascal Gross, 19 March 2006

• Description

See also:

• Subnational Flags (Malta)
• Clickable map of Malta Island
• Malta

Other sites:

• Coat-of-Arms of San Pawl il-Baħar at the Local Council website

Description

The flag shows the sword which was used to decapitate St. Paul. (...)
Ivan Sache, 14 November 2002

Blazon: Barry [wavy] of six Argent and Azure overall a snake Vert [entwisting] a sword erect Argent hilted and pommed Or.
Željko Heimer, 14 November 2002

According to the Bible, St Paul was bit by a snake but unharmed. The scene is shown for instance on a 12th century fresco in Canterbury Cathedral. Source: Heiligen van alle tijden, Clemens Jöckle, 1995. (...) In Acts 28, 3-6, Paul is gathering wood, and a viper stuck to his arm, and he didn't notice it. Some people noticed it and said that he was a criminal, whom the Fates didn't want to die. Paul just shook his arm and the snake fell into the fire. As this happened in Malta it wouldn't surprise me if it was very near to St Paul's Bay.
Jarig Bakker, 15-16 November 2002

Meaning:
The wavy lines are symbolizing the bay. Snake and sword are the attributes of St. Paul, who is said to be shipwrecked on a small island in the bay. The sword is cross-shaped and therefore represents the new religion. The snake refers to the story told in Acts 28, v. 3-6, where St. Paul is attacked by a snake but isn't injured. He throws the snake into the fire and the locals from that moment believe that he is a God.
Source: I spotted this flag in the town hall of San Pawl il-Baħar on 1 October 2008.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 October 2008