Fleur de Lys Meaning: Royal Symbol

The Fleur de Lys is the royal Christian symbol par excellence, although it is currently present in various fields. It is notably associated with the army, sports, education, scouting and literature. Of course, it has a special meaning for believers. To this day, the origin of the fleur de lys remains a subject of debate.

If you want to know several important elements and the basis of the fleur de lys , we invite you to read this article which explains in detail the meaning of this sacred symbol. Here you will discover all the essential points concerning the Fleur de Lys.

This article therefore explains:

• The meaning of the Fleur de Lys

• The history and origin of the Fleur de Lys

• Some interesting facts about the Fleur de Lys

• Fleur de Lys shaped jewelry

Without further ado, let’s start the article right now!

1) Fleur de Lys Meaning

The " fleur-de-lys ", in French: " flower of the lily ", is an ancient symbol that has long been associated with French royalty . Depicting a stylized lily or lotus flower, we encounter the emblem in many places on earth.

This symbol has represented: peace, war, religion, politics, royalty and many other things. The fleur-de-lis can be found in many places well before the heraldic era all the way back to Mesopotamia. It is essentially a stylized flower that served as a decorative element and over time became associated with royalty, especially in the Early Middle Ages.

A. Representation of the Fleur de Lys

Between the classical and modern periods, its design was modified by the limitations and taste of the artisans. The only recognized variation is the filled fleur-de-lis , in which the three petals are separated by two stamens, as in the arms of the city of Florence. Some modern artists give the fleur-de-lis a prominent three-dimensional effect, but this is a matter of license. If a lily is represented in a natural way in heraldry, it is called a garden lily to distinguish it from the stylized fleur-de-lis .

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B. The Fleur de Lys in Religion

THE FLEUR DE LYS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

This symbol has been considered a sign of purity since ancient times . The Roman Catholic milieu adopted it from the Fleur-de-lis to represent the Virgin Mary. When Pope Leo III in 800 adorned Charlemagne as emperor, he is said to have presented him with a blue banner covered (semé) with golden fleurs-de-lis. It was later adopted by many European noble families, notably the French monarchy, to establish an association with the Church.

The Fleur-de-lis has been the symbol of holiness and was readily adopted by the Roman Catholic Church to associate Mary's holiness with events of special significance. Thus, when Pope Leo III in 800 crowned Charlemagne as emperor, he is said to have presented him with a blue banner covered (semé) with golden fleurs-de-lis. Catholicism has used the fleur-de-lis emblem for many years. The fleur-de-lis was a symbol of the Holy Trinity .

An ancient legend tells that an angel or even the Virgin Mary offered a golden fleur-de-lis to Clovis, king of the Franks (466-511), at his baptism. The lily is said to have sprung from the tears shed by Eve as she left Eden. The fleur-de-lis was a symbol of her purification when she converted to Christianity. According to another legend, the leader adopted this model when the water lilies showed him how to cross a river safely and thus succeed in battle.

FLEUR DE LYS MIDDLE AGES

While retaining its value as a royal attribute, the fleur-de-lis acquired a strong Christ-like meaning in the early Middle Ages , derived (among other things) from the famous verse of the Song of Songs (2:1): "ego flos campi et lilium convallium" repeated and commented on many times from Saint Jerome to Saint Bernard. It was therefore not uncommon, until the end of the 12th century, to see Christ represented in the middle of lilies or more or less stylized fleurons, the design of which could also recall the Trinity of the Chrismon (monogram of Christ).

Then, slowly, on this Christic content is added a Marian symbolism, linked to the development of the Cult of Mary, and to which is linked the following verse of the Song of Songs (2,2): "sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter filias". As well as many parts of the Scriptures and the religious Fathers, where the lily is presented as a symbol of holiness, virginity and chastity . In iconography, the lily becomes a favorite attribute of the Virgin Mary and will remain so until the 16th century.

C. Representation in Drawing

The design of the fleur-de-lis has always been relatively stable, and since the 13th century, heraldic vocabulary has used adjectives or phrases to specify the design when it differs from the usual design.

The oldest variant is the fleur-de-lys "au pied nourri", that is to say without the lower part, everything below the horizontal bar being apparently cut off. Old French also calls this fleur-de-lys "en lonc" or "a pié coupé". Sometimes, the lower part is represented in a triangular shape: it is then called "au piedposé". These two variants appear in the north of France and in the Netherlands. Around the middle of the 13th century, some seals represent the fleur-de-lys in a more naturalistic way: it is resistant between the petals, and the petals end in arabesques, as if trying to evoke the last stage of flowering. Such a flower is called "épanouie" or "florencée".

D. Use of the Fleur de Lys

M. Rey traces the fleur-de-lis as an artistic ornament back to very ancient times, centuries before its adoption as a model for armour. It is curious that on a coin of Hadrian, Gaul is personified by a woman carrying a lily in her hand: the legend is restitutori Galliae. On a medal of Galba, the fleur-de-lis forms the head of a sceptre. Montfaucon gives an example taken from an ancient diptych in which the crown of the Empress Placidia (daughter of the Emperor Theodosius the Great), is adorned with a fleur-de-lis. These examples, as well as a multitude of other ancient examples, are given in the plates by M. Rey. In France, as in many other countries, the sceptre carried by the prince was very early adorned with a floral emblem . It could vary in details but presented a general resemblance to the fleurs-de-lis of later times.

E. Royal Lily Flower

OLD FLEUR DE LYS

The fleur-de-lis has symbolised the crown of France for nearly 1000 years. It is undeniable that the French crown princes have long used the fleur-de-lis as an emblem of their sovereignty. On his seal of 1060, before heraldry was formalised, Philip I sits on his throne holding a short staff that ends in a fleur-de-lis. A similar staff appears on the Great Seal of Louis VII (1120-1180), whose signet ring was charged with a single fleur-de-lis. Louis VII is thought to have been the first to use the azure semé de fleurs-de-lis on his shield, its use on a banner, and in particular, on the French royal standard, the Oriflamme. The reduction to three fleurs-de-lis, now referred to as Modern France, was commissioned by Charles V in 1376, apparently in honour of the Holy Trinity.

As a heraldic charge, it dates from the 12th century. It was first adopted as a half-sole on a field by the French ruler Philippe. In the 12th century, King Louis VI or became the first French monarch to use the fleur-de-lis on his shield. Another example is Joan of Arc who carried a white banner that showed God blessing the French royal emblem: the fleur-de-lis , when she led French troops to victory over the English.

FLEUR DE LYS SYMBOL

The true origin of the fleurs-de-lis adopted as heraldic emblems by the kings of France is a question that has given rise to much debate. As early as the middle of the 14th century, several works explain that the head of France bears arms with three fleurs-de-lis as a sign of the Holy Trinity , sent by God through his angel to the king telling him to erase the three crescents he bore on his arms and replace them with the fleur-de-lis.

It remains to be seen why the King of France adopted the fleur-de-lis as his emblem when all the other sovereigns of Europe chose animals. The reason seems twofold: on the one hand, this flower has always retained its role as an attribute of sovereignty. It is for this reason that it appears on several Carolingian and Ottonian royal attributes. And also on the scepter of the Capetian leaders since Robert (996-1031), on the reverse of the coins of Louis VI (early 12th century) and even on the coins of Lothair (954-986). On the other hand, the flower acquired a strong religious significance , either Christian or Marian. It was probably under the influence of Saint Bernard and Suger that Louis VII clergy worshipped this emblem which symbolized both the royal dignity and the Christian piety of his person and his lineage.

F. Several Meanings of the Fleur de Lys

Indonesian clothing, Japanese emblems and Dogon totems. The many authors who have addressed the subject agree that it has little to do graphically with the lily. But they disagree on the question of whether it comes from: the iris, the broom, the lotus or the fur. Or whether it represents a trident, an arrowhead, a double axe, or even a dove or pigeon. The essential point is that it is a highly stylized figure, probably a flower , which has been used as an ornament or emblem by almost all the civilizations of the old and new worlds.

2 ) Fleur de Lys Symbolism: Origin & History

The fleur-de-lis should not be confused with the Flower of Life, which is an ancient sacred geometric pattern and the blueprint of the universe. The fleur-de-lis symbol has been used sporadically in Babylonian, Indian, Egyptian, and Roman architecture, but is most associated with French royalty and the Church. The fleur-de-lis symbolism among French monarchs may have come from the baptismal lily used for the headdress.

A. The Fleur de Lys on Armor

In the 14th century, the fleur-de-lys was often incorporated into family badges sewn onto the knight 's overcoat, which was worn over their chain mail, hence the term: coat of arms. The original purpose of identification in battle developed into a system of designating social status after 1483, when King Edmund IV established the College of Heralds to oversee the awarding of badges of armour.

However, until the end of the 19th century, writers continued to utter the most fanciful opinions on the subject. Today, the opinion of Sainte-Marthe can no longer be denied: it is known that there are no coats of arms before 1130-1140, and the ruler of France was not the first to adopt a coat of arms . H. Pinoteau, in the last thirty years, has shed definitive light on the subject: although we have no iconographic evidence of the azure coat of arms, sown with fleurs-de-lys , several contemporary chroniclers of Philip Augustus, report that he used a banner with these arms. And his seal shows that as early as 1180 he used a fleur-de-lys as an emblem.

B. Fleur de Lys Scepter

The fleur-de-lis , as an emblem, appears on coins and seals from about the 10th century. Typically, it forms the tip of a sceptre, or decorates the rim of a crown, or is held, oversized, by the king with a sceptre . There is thus, in the 11th and 12th centuries, a strong association with royal sovereignty. The coins of Emperor Frederick I show him holding such a sceptre.

In France, the germ of the armorial fleur-de-lis is linked to the fleurons that adorn the sceptres of Philip I and Louis VI (11th-12th centuries). A seal of Louis VII bears a fleur-de-lis, but the charge first takes on a precise heraldic form on the seals of Philip Augustus (d. 1223). The great seal depicts him with an open crown of fleurons and holding a fleur-de-lis in his right hand (several of his successors are depicted in the same way). With in his left hand a sceptre surmounted by a lozenge charged with the similar emblem.

The seals of Philip Augustus clearly bear a single fleur-de-lis on the reverse from 1180 onwards. Before this, from at least 1050 onwards, the seals of the rulers of France show them seated holding a sceptre in their left hand and what looks like a fleur-de-lis in their right hand. The head of the sceptre is a lozenge, but often the crown fleurons resemble fleurs-de-lis.

C. Piece with the Fleur de Lys

The oldest known examples of fleurs-de-lis similar to those used in the medieval and modern Western world are found on Assyrian bas-reliefs from the 3rd millennium BC. They are found on diadems, necklaces, scepters, and already seem to play the role of a royal attribute. Those found a little later in Crete, India and Egypt probably have a similar meaning. In numismatics, the fleur-de-lis is found on some Greek coins and on several Roman coins of the Republic (mark of the monetary magistrates) or of the Empire (attribute of Hope). And also especially on Gallic coins . A Mamluk coin (1390) and a coin of Louis VI of France (1110-30). All presenting a characteristic fleur-de-lis (at least the upper half of a coin, and a sort of triangle in the lower half).

While in Greek and Roman coins it is a fleuron of variable shape, in the Celtic case it is a true heraldic fleur-de-lis as it reappears in the 13th century.

D. The legend of King Clovis

On his way to fight the ruler of Aquitania Alaric and defeat him at Vouille near Poitiers (in 507), he was looking in vain for a ford to cross a river. When suddenly a doe, frightened by the soldiers, jumped across the river along a ford she knew only too well. The whole army then followed. On the banks, wild yellow irises grew in abundance: the leader dismounted from his horse, took one and put it on his helmet as a symbol of his future victory . Later, the rulers of France used the fleur-de-lis as their emblem . The story is of course fanciful , but it is beautiful.

E. Fleur de Lys Definition

The most probable explanation of the origin of the fleur-de-lys as a device of the kings of France, is that advanced by M. Rey, which has received the approval of M. Planche: that the fleur-de-lys, or fleur-de-luce was only a rebus signifying flower of Louis . Until the time of Louis VII, the chiefs of this name (identical with that of the king) were called and signed Loi or Loys. Even after the name had become stabilized in its present form, Loys was still the signature of the rulers of France until the time of Louis XIII (1610-43). Loys, or Louis VII received from his father the surname Florus.

The coins of Louis VI and Louis VII are the oldest on which the fleur-de-lys appears. But it also appears at this time on the coins of Florence, a city which served as currency for many European sovereigns, hence the name Florin.

F. Lis and Iris in French

The first use of the word " iris " in French is found in a 13th century manuscript. The Book of Simple Medicines, where it is said: "iris bears roge flor and ireos blanches". The word already existed before to designate a prism or a rock through which light diffracts into a rainbow (here the etymology is clear: Iris, messenger of the Gods).

The first instance of the word " lis ", plural of an untested "lil" from Latin lilium, is around 1150 for the flower. This word is often used as a metonymy for the fleur-de-lis and in many metaphors for whiteness, etc. The word fleur-de-lis is also used as a metaphor for the Virgin Mary (1223). The first clear use of the word "fleur-de-lis" in its heraldic meaning, is in 1225 in Durmart le Gallois. Although Victor Gay (Glossaire Archéologique du Moyen-Âge, vol. 1, Paris, 1887) claims that the word is used in an ordinance of Louis VII (1137-1180), without giving any reference. What is really strange is that the lily was such a constant metaphor for whiteness, that it would later become a charge of gold ... ? 🤔

G. Interpretations of the Fleur de Lys

In his dictionary (sv fleur de lys), Furetière mentions a hypothesis put forward by Godefridus Henschenius, a Flemish Jesuit priest (1601-81). He claims that the fleur de lys represents the yellow flag (Iris Pseudacorus) and mentions that the name of this flower in German is " Lieskblume ". This is how Furetière writes it. It takes a while to understand that he meant Lieschblume. It turns out that, according to the Brockhaus encyclopedia, the word Liesch (also found under the name Leesch and Lees) designates a number of plants of the reed family. As well as reed-shaped plants, such as, among others, the gelbe Schwertlilie.

Today, Lilie is the lily, Schwertlilie is the iris, and gelbe Schwertlilie (literally yellow iris) is the Iris Pseudacorus the wild iris native to Europe. In Grimm's Deutsches Wörterbuch (Leipzig, 1885, vol. 7), liech is said to have appeared in many forms in the Middle Ages and in many dialects: lisch, lüsch, lies, liesz, liesze, lieyes, leys. Furthermore, Grimm translates Lieschblume as " flos iridis " and " flos gladioli ".

Lieschblume is therefore the iris flower , and Liesch is one of the names of the yellow flag, I. pseudacorus. Furthermore, Liesch has been written in different ways: Lees, Lies, Liesz, Leys, Lieyes. This is enough to believe that in the pre-heraldic era (around the 10th and 11th centuries), confusion may have arisen in the North of France between Lieschblume, translated as fleur-de-lis and the iris flower. In English, the iris was often called fleur-de-lys or flower-de-luce, since the 16th century.

3) Interesting facts about the "Fleur de Lys"

A. Fleur de Lys: Lieschblume

A hypothesis put forward in the 17th century seems very plausible. A type of wild iris, the Iris pseudacorus is yellow in colour and grows in marshes. Its name in German is Lieschblume (also gelbe Schwertlilie), but Liesch was also spelled Lies and Leys in the Middle Ages. It is easy to imagine that in northern France, the Lieschblume would have been called " fleur de lis ". This would explain the name and the formal provenance of the design, as a stylised yellow flag. There is (as stated a little earlier) a fanciful legend of the king who explicitly associates the yellow flag with the French coat of arms. This theory is that the yellow flag is also called flambe or flamme in Old French, which links it very well to the oriflamme.

B. Fleur de Lys: Confusion of another Flower

What it is, or was originally, is hotly debated. It is a stylized flower, but what flower? It looks more like an iris than a lily . Also, lilies are never yellow in the wild, while some irises are. Could there have been confusion between the two flowers ? The word "lis" appears in French in 1150, while the word "iris" refers to the flower in the 13th century. The term "fleur de lys" in the heraldic sense is attested in 1225. A confusion seems unlikely.

C. Fleur de Lys: Lotus Flower

The fleur-de-lis is sometimes compared to the lotus flower. However, the lotus flower symbol has its own meaning and it is not appropriate to compare the two designs, even though they look very similar.

D. Fleur de Lys: Scouting

The reason the fleur-de-lis image was incorporated by the scouts is because traditionally the fleur-de-lis indicated north on maps. And so Baden-Powell chose it as his emblem in scouting.

In addition to the fleur-de-lis, we also invite you to discover the symbol of the Templar cross.

4) Wear the Fleur de Lys: a protective religious symbol

As you may have noticed through this article, the fleur -de -lis is an ancient symbol often associated with French royalty. But in the eyes of Catholicism, it has represented purity since Antiquity. This is why it was used to represent the Virgin Mary. Until today, the fleur-de-lis is considered a religious model . There is even Christian jewelry made in its image.

If you liked this article, we are sure that you will also like our article on the meaning of the Templar cross .