Fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis (also spelled fleur-de-lys; plural fleurs-de-lis or -lys; an archaic spelling is fleur-de-luce) is used in heraldry, where it is particularly associated with the French (see King of France) and Spanish monarchy. The fleur-de-lis remains an unofficial symbol of France (along with the bees and the Napoleonic eagle), but has not been used as an official symbol by the various French republics; the fleur-de-lis is often called a French lily. It is also used by various Scout organizations worldwide as part of their logo. In Christianity it is, among other things the emblem of Blessed Virgin Mary.

Origins

The name translates into English as "lily flower", and the symbol is in fact a stylised Iris pseudacorus L. It was adopted by King Philip I of France in the 11th century. His grandson Louis VII was the first to adopt the Azure semé-de-lys Or (a blue shield with a tight pattern of small golden fleur-de-lis) as his badge, and this came to be so closely associated with his country that it is now known as "France Ancient". Three gold flowers on a blue background ("France Modern") dates to 1376 and Charles V of France. The French monarchy first adopted the fleur-de-lis as a baptismal symbol of purity on the conversion of the Frankish King Clovis I to the Christian religion in 493. Lewis, Philippa & Darley, Gillian (1986) Dictionary of Ornament, NY, Pantheon To further enhance its mystique, a legend eventually sprang up that a vial of oil descended from heaven to anoint and sanctify Clovis as King. The thus "anointed" Kings of France later maintained that their authority was directly from God, without the mediation of either the Emperor or the Pope. Other legends claim that the lily itself appeared at the baptismal ceremony as a gift of blessing from an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is often associated with the lily.

In English heraldry, the fleur-de-lis is always separated from lily, which represents a natural lily flower. On the other hand, heralds of many other countries do not differentiate between fleur-de-lis and natural lily flower. Some historians of heraldry have discussed whether the fleur-de-lis might have originated as a stylised bee, or a stylised frog (as the legend of Saint Remi states). Other explanations include the shape having developed from the image of a dove, an ornate spearhead or a sceptre.Oxford English Dictionary and others Whatever its origin, it is an ancient design which has been found in various cultures, usually as an emblem associated with royalty. Michel Pastoureau, Traité d'Héraldique (1979) (Treatise on Heraldry) On the other hand, the majority of heralds agree the fleur-de-lis originates from a stylized flower. As a curiosity, the Florentine fleur-de-lis always poses the stamens between the petals. This charge is often called as Florentine lily (see Florence) to separate it from the conventional fleur-de-lis.

Through this connection to Clovis, the fleur-de-lis symbolised the Merovingian dynasty and then became a symbol of the entire Christian Frankish Kingdoms. The fleur-de-lis was also the symbol of the house of Kotromanić, a ruling house in Christian Bosnia (13th century until mid 15th century). By the 13th and 14th centuries, the three petals of the lily of France were being described by writers as symbols of faith, wisdom and chivalry. As in Ireland, they also came to be seen as symbols of the Holy Trinity. By the 14th century, the fleur-de-lis had become so closely associated with the rule of France that the English king Edward III quartered his coat of arms with France Ancient in order to emphasise his claim on the French crown. This quartering was changed to France Modern in the early 1400s. The fleur-de-lis was not removed until 1801, when George III gave up his formal claim to the French throne.

Fleurs-de-lis feature prominently in the Crown Jewels of both Scotland and England, and have been heraldic devices of those monarchies for centuries, such as the Prince of Wales. The tressure flory-counterflory has been a prominent part of the design of the Scottish royal arms and flag since James I of Scotland.

The treasured fleur-de-luce he claims
To wreathe his shield, since royal James
–Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrelfrom The Complete Works of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 1 of 7, Canto Fourth, VIII, Conner and Cooke, New York, 1833

In English heraldry, the fleur-de-lis is the cadency mark of difference of the sixth son. Fleurs-de-lis are also used in the Papal Crowns and Coat of Arms.

In building and architecture, the fleur-de-lis is often placed on top of iron fence posts, as a pointed defence against intruders.

Modern usage

France Modern remained the French royal standard, and with a white background was the French national flag until the French Revolution, when it was replaced by the tri-colour flag of modern-day France. The fleur-de-lis was restored to the French flag in 1814, but replaced once again after the revolution against Charles X of France in 1830. In a very strange turn of events, where a flag actually influenced the course of history, after the end of the French Second Empire, Henri, Comte de Chambord, was offered the Throne as King of France, but he would agree only on condition that the French give up the Tricolor and restore the royal standard with the fleur-de-lis; however, his condition was rejected and France became a republic.

The "France modern" fleur-de-lis pattern was also on the coat of arms of the old French province of Île-de-France (as for instance as a badge on the uniforms of the local gendarmerie legion).

In 1948, a new flag of Quebec was introduced that incorporated the fleur-de-lis. Prior to this, the Union Jack had flown over Quebec's legislature.

The fleur-de-lis is a popular symbol of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, used in much New Orleans art and architecture, as well as the city's official flag. A black fleur-de-lis is also the logo of the New Orleans Saints football team.

The fleur-de-lis is also a symbol of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The flag of the city marks the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers' convergence with a fleur-de-lis, representing St. Louis. This shared iconography among Quebec, St. Louis, and New Orleans relates to the fact that all three share a history of French heritage and/or French colonialism.

Other notable places that use the symbol informally or as part of their heraldic arms are: Quebec; Canada; Spain (ruled by the Bourbons); Augsburg, Germany; Florence, Italy (whose lis-sporting currency fiorino influenced the Dutch gulden and Hungarian forint); Laško, Slovenia; the Fuggers medieval banking family; the House of Lancaster; Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina (who call it Lillium Bosniacum); New Orleans, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan; the city of Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire in England; Louisville, Kentucky; Odense, Denmark; Wiesbaden, Germany; Lille, France and St. Louis, Missouri.

The fleur-de-lis is the major element in the logo of most Scouting organizations. In that usage, it is considered to represent the outdoors, which is a major theme in Scouting.Walton, Mike The World Crest Badge...(and why do we *all* wear it?). 1999. The symbol is also often used on a compass rose to mark the north direction. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement, explained that the scouts adopted the fleur-de-lis symbol from its use in the compass rose because it "points in the right direction (and upwards) turning neither to the right nor left, since these lead backward again".

The fleur-de-lis is used in modern Israel as a religious and a scout symbol located in the middle or on top of the Star of David, in Christian/Islamic symbolism, the Star of Bethlehem. The fleur-de-lis is also used on top of the Crown and combined with the Menorah.

The fleur-de-lis is used in modern Israel as the insignia for the IDF Miltiary Intelligence.

In Finland, the fleur-de-lis forms a part of city arms of Turku (Azure, a Mary monogram Or surmounted with four fleurs-de-lis Argent). The arms of municipal community Liljendahl is per chevron Argent and Azure, a fleur-de-lis countercharged; an example of canting arms.

In Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, the fleur-de-lis makes an important message as the symbol for the Priory of Sion.

Royal Elastics (a US shoe company) uses the a graphic form of the fleur-de-lis as their logo

Symbolism in religion and art

Fleur-de-lis and lily symbolism are closely linked, with lis meaning lily in French. An ancient legend tells how the lily sprang from the tears shed by Eve as she left the Garden of Eden, just as the lily of the valley (a botanically unrelated flower) was said to have grown from the tears of Mary, the mother of Jesus at the foot of the Cross. As a symbol of purity it was accordingly readily adopted by the Church to associate the Virgin Mary's sanctity with events of special significance. The three petals of the fleur-de-lis "explain" its association with the Holy Trinity. As a Trinity symbol it symbolizes the Resurrection. It also became a favorite symbol in the Assumption of Mary. The lily is also used in the Annunciation. For example, in some of Fra Lippi's paintings Often it is depicted with a Madonna lily, which is traditionally associated with Purity.Purity symbolism in art

Michel Pastoureau, a French historian, says that until the end of the 12th century it was not rare to see Jesus Christ represented amidst more or less stylised lilies or fleurons.Michel Pastoureau, Traité d'Héraldique (1979) (Treatise on Heraldry) Gradually, such imagery came to include Marian symbolism, and became associated with the Song of Solomon's "lily among thorns" ("lilium inter spinas"), as well as with other scripture and religious literature in which the lily is presented as a symbol of purity, virginity and chastity. In iconography, the fleur-de-lis became an favorite attribute of the Virgin Mary: for example, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa shows the Madonna in fleur-de-lis robes.

The fleur-de-lis is also the symbol used in Rosicrucian literature to represent the Holy Trinity Graham, Lizzie (1919), The Symbols on Our Literature.

Other meanings

The United States Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team performs a signature maneuver they call the "fleur-de-lis." In this maneuver, six jet aircraft pull gracefully to a straight vertical direction while trailing white smoke; the aircraft then break formation and perform partial loops in six different compass directions to end the show.
Fleur-de-lys is used in (on top of) the compass rose in combination with flights and boats as a maneuver/measure symbol pointing up to the north.
Brazilian author Aluísio Azevedo wrote a play entitled Fleur-de-lis.
The Fleur-de-Lys is also a name of a character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.
In The Three Musketeers by Dumas, Athos recounts of the Fleur-de-Lis symbol used as an executioner's brand for prostitutes.
It also has a special meaning associated with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority

Trivia

The Fleur-de-Lys features as the name of a club in LA Confidential, a high class club, where celebrity look-alike prostitutes could be found.

New Orleans doom/sludge metal band Crowbar and southern metal band Down use the Fleur-de-lis as their logo and use the symbol on the covers of their albums.

Finnish power metal band Stratovarius use a burning Fleur-de-lis as their logo.

References

External links

Christian symbols | Heraldic charges | History of France | Ornaments | Visual motifs

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