Fleur-de-lis
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| Fleurs-de-lys on the flag of Quebec |
The
fleur-de-lis (also spelled
fleur-de-lys; plural
fleurs-de-lis or
-lys) is used in
heraldry, where it is particularly associated with
France.
The name, anglicized, means "
lily flower", and the symbol is in fact a stylized
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-lis 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 fleur-de-lis' origins with French monarchs stems from the baptismal lily used in the crowning of
King Clovis I. 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 even the lily itself appeared at the baptismal ceremony as a gift of blessing in an apparition of the
Blessed Virgin Mary. The
Catholic Church later endorsed the legend by associating Mary with the symbol. There are many other legends, that state for instance that Clovis saw an angel, etc.
By the
14th century it 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 emphasize 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.
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. It is retained on the flag of Quebec to the present day.
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.
Other notable places or institutions that use the symbol informally or as part of their heraldic arms are:
Quebec;
Canada;
Augsburg,
Germany;
Florence, Italy; Laško,
Slovenia; the
Fuggers medieval banking family; the
House of Lancaster;
Bosniaks in
Bosnia and Herzegovina; the
Boy Scouts;
New Orleans, Louisiana, and
Louisville, Kentucky.
Category:French history
