![]() Fleur-de-Lis in Mayan, Aztec, and Other Cultures She supported the Dauphin, Charles VII, in his campaign for the throne and led the army to victory against English troops.īecause of the design’s three petals, it's linked to the Holy Trinity, signifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as recognized in 1376 by Charles V. The emblem is additionally linked to Joan of Arc, who was known to carry into battle a white banner showing God blessing the French royal insignia bearing the fleur-de-lis. The lily, and by association the fleur-de-lis, is used to symbolize purity and chastity, establishing it as a visual attribute of the Virgin Mary. ![]() Leo Reynolds, Flickr Fleur de Lis in CatholicismĪccording to Michel Pastoureau, a French expert on medieval history and Western symbology, the fleur-de-lis was used in depictions of Jesus until 1300 AD but eventually became more associated with Marian imagery via the lily flower. Later, the symbol was used by English kings who intended to stake their claim on the French throne. The fleur-de-lis was typically incorporated into a family’s emblem and sewn on the knight’s surcoat, which was worn over their coat of mail, thus the term "coat of arms." The initial objective was to make it easier to identify soldiers in battle. ![]() In 1483, King Edmund IV had established the Heralds’ College to supervise the issuance of armor insignia. King Louis VII is believed to be the first to use the pattern on his shield. It continued to be prominent ornamentation amongst French royalty, appearing in the seal of King Philip I in 1060 AD, which showed him on his thrown holding a short staff ending in a fleur-de-lis, and in the Great Seal of King Louis VII in the 12 th Century via a signet ring with a fleur-de-lis. The symbol was prominent at the coronation of Charlemagne, who was presented by Pope Leo III a blue banner with a golden fleur-de-lis pattern in 800 AD. Other theories are less religious, stating that it was adopted by Clovis, inspired by the waterlilies that allowed him to safely cross a river and eventually succeed in battle. Some sources claim it was given to him by the Virgin Mary, and that the flower came from the tears of Eve when she left Eden. ![]() According to legend, upon his conversion to Christianity, he was presented a golden lily (or iris) by an angel to symbolize his purification. The strong linkage of the fleur-de-lis to the French royalty dates to the reign of Clovis, the Merovingian King of the Franks. The symbol is commonly associated with French royalty and French Catholicism, but there is evidence of the fleur-de-lis in other cultures predating the time of European exploration and conquest. Just as the originating flower is debated upon, the exact origin of the fleur-de-lis is unverified. Others still connected it to a type of wild iris called “ iris pseudacorus.” Some say that it was from a German word in the Middle Ages, “liesch,” which meant yellow iris. One historian from the 18 th century theorized that it was derived from the yellow iris flowers that grew near the River Leie where the Franks once lived. However, the exact origins of the fleur-de-lis are unknown, to the point that even the flower it's based on is unclear. This flower-inspired emblem is popularly theorized to be a stylized depiction of a lily. It can also be called “fleur-de-lys” or “flower-de-luce.” This iconic symbol takes its name from the French word “fleur,” meaning flower and “lis,” meaning lily, which translates to flower of lily in English. So, there is a tremendous spectrum for the meaning and beauty of the fleur-de-lis, and it's loved iconically and timelessly. In New Orleans, the fleur-de-lis represents all your heart's desires. In ancient Mayan pottery, the fleur-de-lis reflects a beautiful perfumed lily. ![]() The fleur-de-Lis is a timeless iconic image that not only transcends millennia but also transcends continents, as seen in ancient Mayan pottery, and in very familiar imagery from New Orleans, Montreal, and Quebec, as well as European royalty. ![]()
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