Belgium o' Belgium: Are you a lion or are you a chicken?

Or are you a licken? Well, that's not possible because the lion in you speaks Dutch and the chicken speaks French. Plus, the language a licken would speak would probably be called Duench and that probably wouldn't sound too nice. So, decide Belgium, a lion or a chicken?

I've read a couple of cycling blogs lately that ask the reader to pick between flags of Flanders. You know the flags that are flying at every cyclocross event around the world. Bright yellow beacons adorned front and center with a pouncing black lion. Both of these blogs said the same thing, that if you get caught flying one flag over the other you would be in for a heated political debate. Well, that may be the case if you were flying the Lion in the Wallonie region of Belgium which is the home of the chicken flag or if you were waving a chicken flag in Flanders. I honestly think they said this for the dramatic effect on the reader.

A bit of history on Belgium...........they've rarely seen eye to eye and in the north(Flanders) they speak Dutch and in the south(Wallonie) they speak French. So, basically, they rarely communicate with each other and are so politically polarized they make the former Czechoslovakia seem like a candy store. Then you have Brussels in the middle. As the constitutional capital of Belgium, the seat of both French and Flemish communities of Belgium and bi-lingual, they, more so than the country of Belgium, never see eye to eye. This is where the separatist come in. Their desire for separation has less to do with removing itself from the Belgian government than it does with removing itself with French speaking Wallonie. Flanders is tired of holding Wallonie's hand and some feel that a separate Flemish state would be best. Enter the confusion as presented by the other blogs regarding the lion of Flanders flag.

Here is the official Lion of Flanders.

Here is the Lion of Flanders that is most typically seen among the Flemish separatists. Contrary to belief this flag is not the all encompassing flag of the right-wing extremist. It is a flag symbolic of separation regardless of right or left. In fact one of the most active groups in support of a separate Flanders is a left wing group that is advocating for a Socialist Flanders. This flag is sometimes used in conjunction with the red highlighted flag shown above and has been in use before becoming a symbol of separation. This flag won't get you beaten up at a cyclocross race in Flanders, however, if you are an American waving this thing around like a madman or woman you may find yourself questioned as to whether or not you know what it means, but in all honesty Belgium is so polarized that most people spectating a 'cross race in Flanders probably wouldn't give a care. Again, this flag is representative of the desire to separate Flanders from Wallonie and have an independent Flanders and that would include separation from Belgian government.

That being said it wouldn't be recommended to fly that black Lion flag in the Wallonie region. Instead you should choose one of these flags........the Wallonie rooster.

You may be wanting to know more about why there are even separatists in Flanders anyway. At least I hope you are. Basically the Flanders region is tired of assuming all of the Wallonie debt and supporting the massive Wallonie unemployment, which has been published as being between 15-20%. At least that is a small part of the recent debate. I say recent debate because in all honesty Belgium, again, has rarely ever seen eye to eye. How could they possibly? Neither part can understand each other. Since 2007 Belgium hasn't had a government that has been able to agree on anything and some say they haven't had a government at all.

There is so much more to the discussion regarding Belgium. Because this isn't a class in European History or a Political Science experiment, I'll leave you the responsibility of doing your own research regarding the polarization, differences and complication that is Belgium.

So now that you have a little bit of background on the flags of both Flanders and Wallonie, all I can say is this........pick your flag, fly it proudly. Just remember what region of Belgium you're in and choose wisely between a lion or the chicken and wave it happily.........and watch more cyclocross....