Domanglia

Free County of Saint Germain, Brocéliande and Strasbourg Freigrafschaft Saint-Germain, Brocéliande und Straßburg Franche Comté de Saint-Germain, Brocéliande et Strasbourg
Flag Flag Coat of arms Coat of arms
Capital and largest city	Williamsburg
Official languages	German French Eastern European languages
Demonym(s)	Domanglian
Government	Absolute monarchy
• Count	Rievaulx
Establishment	2011

Domanglia was the micronation of British filmmaker and writer Rievaulx. It was founded by Rievaulx in 2011 when he was 13 years old as an early creative-artistic project, and went through numerous iterations before being abandoned in mid-2013 (with shortlived revivals in late 2013 and 2018).

In 2022 Rievaulx reimagined Domanglia as a long lost realm on a distant star called the Free County of Saint Germain, Brocéliande and Strasbourg, or the Domanglian Republic, over which he claimed to have once ruled as its Count. However, he was overthrown and Domanglia was destroyed in a tragic revolution, and Rievaulx was reincarnated on Earth in the early 21st century.

History

Domanglia began as the childhood hobby of its founder. On 24 May 2011 a 13-year old Rievaulx began working on creating a micronation he initially planned to be called Domanglica (or the Domanglican Empire). By 27 May he had finished creating his new micronation, the Domanglian Empire, initially consisting of only his childhood home (the region called "Domum") and let it loose into the world, as it made contact with other micronations via the internet and became a prominent player in the 2011 YouTube micronational community (or "YouTube Sector") from which also sprang the micronations Monovia (considered Domanglia's main rival and frenemy throughout its early history), Lurk, Flatland, Burkland, the Equaled States of Mons, Grunkia, Pashema (which would later become Domanglian territory), and New Jonesland. This community developed when YouTube had a more social, amateur environment (rather than its current commercial, businesslike environment) and micronationalists would establish diplomatic relations with one another through YouTube's private messaging system, and make creative content for their micronations in the form of videos. Domanglia was no stranger to this, as young Rievaulx made a large stream of creative videos promoting his micronation, many of which have since been lost. During this time, beginning with the annexation of another property, Fairfield, the Domanglian Empire gradually expanded its claimed territory far beyond Domum.

While Domanglia never stopped contributing to YouTube, this community faded as its micronationalists discovered MicroWiki, and moved there in late 2011 (where they remained). Domanglia did so as the Federal Republic of Domanglia, which was one of many fundamental changes in Domanglia's structure and culture. These are listed below:

• Domanglian Empire - 27 May - 3 August 2011 (parliamentary era)
• Domanglian Empire - 3 August - 30 October 2011 (absolutist era)
• Federal Republic of Domanglia - 31 October - 14 December 2011
• Domanglian Federation - 14 December 2011 - 27 January 2012
• Theodorist Kingdom of Domanglia - 27–29 January 2012 (brief coup government)
• Domanglian Federation - 29 January - 14 February 2012 (restored)
• Kingdom of Domanglia - 14 February - 6 October 2012 (incl. various internal changes in this era)
• Over-Lorrokha Kingdom - 6–18 October 2012 (18th - 20th October was anarchy of the Very Brief War)
• Over-Lorrokha Republic - 20 October - 21 November 2012
• Princely Union of Saint Edward and Domanglia - 21 November - 23 December 2012
• Doshevika - 23 December 2012 - 8 April 2013 (incl. various internal changes in this era)
• Saint Edward and Zealand - 8 April - 9:59pm, 27 May 2013
• Las Adevaa - 10pm 27 May 2013 - later that year (not a micronation; cultural-ethical order)
• Dazhódyy nation - 2013 - later that year (not a micronation; attempt at creating artificial ethnolinguistic group)
• Commonwealth of Theledira - 15 November 2013 - 3 February 2014 (micronation without land territory)
• Domanglia - 22 September 2018 (briefly a nation without a government)
• Principality of Domanglia - 22 September 2018 - 29 January 2019
• Domanglia - 29 January 2019 - 2022 (micronation without land territory; largely dormant)
• Free County of Saint Germain, Brocéliande and Strasbourg (current)

Throughout all these various forms of the Domanglian project, except for the Theodorist Kingdom of Domanglia (a shortlived coup government against Rievaulx), Domanglia was by and large controlled by Rievaulx as his personal hobby. At various points in its early history Domanglia also surrendered its sovereignty or parts of its sovereignty to various other micronations. For example, Domanglia was, in this order: an Austenasian protectorate, a Juclandian associated state, a constituent state of Rievaulx's Ossavak Federation, a constituent state of the Saxon Empire, a member-state of the Holy Utopian Confederacy (a personal union), and a constituent state of the Confederation of Amager (itself a St.Charlian Permanent Territory). Early Domanglia was also a member-state of various intermicronational organisations and alliances, such as the Domanglian Commonwealth, the Vanguard Powers, the United Micronational Council (the body, co-founded by Domanglia, which united the aforementioned YouTube Sector), the UCETL (which Rievaulx founded), the Antarctic Micronational Union, the Inter-Micronational Treaty Organisation, the Grand Unified Micronational, and the Amagerian Union (which Rievaulx also founded).

Rievaulx represented Domanglia at three historic micronational events: the Seats of East Anglia Summit (the largest, if not the only, summit of micronations since the 2011 Intermicronational Summit), PoliNation: 2nd International Conference on Micronations (the largest gathering of micronationalists and micropatrologists of all time) and Draega Multinational (the largest gathering of micronational representatives since the said PoliNation conference).

Domanglian territorial claims have always shifted throughout the years - in some eras Domanglia had claims as bombastic as Pluto and Northeast Greenland, and in others it was a landless micronation. Today, Domanglia has been reimagined as a long lost civilisation situated on a distant star which was tragically destroyed in a revolution. Therefore, Domanglia now only exists in past tense, as little more than a fantastical backstory for its founder.

Rievaulx created several micronations apart from Domanglia (including the aforementioned Ossavak Federation), but none had Domanglia's longevity. He was also a member of micronations founded by others, such as Austenasia. He donated large portions of formerly Domanglian territory to Austenasia, established the first micronational tabloid (the Austenasian (Daily) Star) and established the largest micronational museum in Austenasia, the Imperial Museum.

Politics

Domanglia is governed by its founder, Dominic C., as the Cacique of Domanglia. Cacique was originally the title of Taíno chiefs. Later it was used by the colonial Spanish to refer to the leaders of practically all the indigenous peoples they encountered in the Western Hemisphere. 19th-century British confidence trickster Gregor MacGregor claimed to be the "Cazique of Poyais", and by this he meant monarchical ruler. In post-independence Mexico local and regional non-indigenous leaders became known as caciques, and today in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds the term can refer to political bosses.

In the Domanglian context, however, the Cacique of Domanglia is described in constitutional terms as the "First Citizen" (Princeps civitatis) or "Sovereign Citizen" of Domanglia. This refers to his holding of sovereignty or dominion over Domanglia - over himself, and over the rest of the Domanglian citizenry. In this sense the Cacique can be described as a monarch or ethnarch. Dominic C. is additionally known as the Pater patriae, but this represents his role as national founder rather than his leadership position.

Domanglia has almost always been the de facto if not also de jure personal creative project of Dominic C., and in the past he has claimed different titles to reflect this, of which "Cacique" (adopted on 29 January 2019) is just the last in a long line. These include "Emperor", "Federal Chancellor", "King", "Prince-Elector", "Popular Premier", "Premier", "Head of State and Government", and "Prince".

It is worth mentioning others who have claimed monarchical sovereignty over Domanglia through the years. An asterisk indicates that the below were Dominic C. (in different reigns with different regnal names). Each "monarch" had varying levels of power.

1. Emperor Dominic* - 24/27 May - 30 October 2011
2. King Ciprian - 14 December 2011 - 29 January 2012
3. King Declan - 29 January - 14 February 2012
4. King Dominic (later reigning as King Urokah)* - 14 February - 9 October 2012
5. King Oshav - 9–18 October 2012
6. Prince Darkomere - 21 November - 12 December 2012
7. Prince Urokah* - 12 December 2012
8. Prince Vladimir I - 12–23 December 2012
9. Prince Vladimir II* - 23 December 2012 - 27 May 2013
10. Prince Dominic* - 22 September 2018 - 29 January 2019
11. (Cacique) Dominic C.* - 29 January 2019 - present

Culture

Cthulhu

The veneration of the Great Old One Cthulhu was jokingly introduced into Domanglian culture by Dominic C. on 7 January 2019 after a few days of planning. Dominic C. had been playing the Call of Cthulhu RPG and reading "The Call of Cthulhu" (having listened to audiobook forms of other stories by H.P. Lovecraft a year before). Cthulhu is Domanglia's patron demon (rather than patron saint), and many national symbols of Domanglia make reference to the Great Dreamer. "Cthulhu fhtagn" is a traditional greeting in Domanglia.

National symbols

The Domanglian tricolour being flown out a window of Monte Solana Catorce.

The flag of Domanglia is a tricolour of one white band below one red band below one black band. These three colours - the national colours of Domanglia - were first adopted on 3 August 2011 with the new "Liberty Keys" symbolism of the newly absolutist Domanglian Empire (which included the old white/red/black "Liberty Keys Flag" and Liberty Keys coat of arms). Prior to this, Domanglian symbolism had been primarily blue and yellow. However, Dominic C. was inspired to adopt the new colour scheme (and possibly to adopt absolutism) by the Dictatorship of Dorzhabad, a micronation Dominic C. much admired (one of the first, if not the first, micronations Domanglia established "mutual recognition" and "diplomatic relations" with) and one of his inspirations in founding Domanglia. He was possibly also inspired with the colour change by the German Empire, from which the Dictatorship of Dorzhabad also drew inspiration. In any case, the Liberty Keys symbolism lasted until the establishment of the Federal Republic of Domanglia on 31 October 2011, when Dominic C. came up with new national symbols for the micronation. One of these was the modern Domanglian tricolour, which he came up with while travelling either to or from a Drama lesson at school. It is believed he was inspired by the flag of the German Empire (although perhaps Dorzhabad played a part, but this is pure speculation). Ever since then, except for the brief Theodorist Kingdom of Domanglia (which was a communist coup government against Dominic C.) which had its own Soviet-inspired flag, the Domanglian tricolour has remained the micronation's chief national symbol. For Christmas 2011, Dominic C. was given a physical (as opposed to virtual, the chief medium for micronational flags), sewn Domanglian tricolour flag (as well as a desk-sized flag featuring the Domanglian emblem; see paragraph below). Prior to this, the only physical copies of Domanglian flags had been printed on paper. After Domanglia's disestablishment in 2013/14, the Domanglian tricolour was reused by Dominic C. as the flag of the former Domanglian territory of Monte Solana Catorce (as the Austenasian Crown Dependency Heischierland, 17 July 2014 - 23 September 2016).

A small flag on which appears the Domanglian coat of arms.

Another national symbol adopted with the transition into the Federal Republic of Domanglia on 31 October 2011 was the current Domanglian "coat of arms", if it can be loosely called that. It was created by a 13-year old Dominic C. who did not have the understanding of heraldry or ability with design skills which he would later have. As it obeys no heraldic rules perhaps it should properly be called a national emblem. The German symbolism which can be seen in Domanglian flags can also be seen in this emblem. It is unclear when it fell out of use - sometime in the Kingdom of Domanglia era perhaps. Then other, more professional, coats of arms were designed by Dominic C. and adopted, but when the Domanglian realm was re-established in 2018, Dominic C. opted to return to the old Federal coat of arms, as he wanted to stay authentic to his childhood project, and because he (as mentioned above) has a sewn flag with the Federal coat of arms on it. Prior to the adoption of this Federal emblem, there had been two consecutive Domanglian Imperial coats of arms before it.

The modern national anthem of Domanglia is the Cthulhu carol "Death to the World". The original national anthem was Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, the second (to suit the newly absolutist Domanglian Empire, August - October 2011) was the first part of Paul Mottram's March Imperial, and the third was "Domanglia the Great" (a version of "Azərbaycan marşı" with Domanglocentric lyrics). After this Domanglian records are scatty, although it is believed an adaption of "Marche Henri IV" with Domanglian lyrics was another.

Domanglia has had various national mottos in the past but the present one is the Cthulhu cultist chant Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn (roughly translated as "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming").

Various regional/provincial/specialised Domanglian flags, coats of arms, anthems, etc. were also used in Domanglia's past.