What does "Fleur De Lis" mean?

Question

I think it's French. Only serious answers will get the ten points.

Answer 1

Fleur-de-lis is literally translated from French as "flower of the lily." With the link provided you can check out what it looks like.

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 monarchy (see King of France). 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.

It is also used by Various Scout organizations, worldwide as part of their logo.

The variant fleur-de-luce has been interpreted as meaning "flower of light" since lux (oblique stem luc-) is Latin for "light".

Origins
The name translates into English as "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-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 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 legends, for instance that Clovis saw an angel.

The oldest legend tells that the lily sprung from the tears shed by Eve (Adam and Eve) as she left the Garden of Eden. (just as that unrelated flower, the lily of the valley, was said to have grown from the tears of the Virgin at the foot of the Cross). From early records (it was the flower of Hera, the Greek moon goddess) it has been the symbol of purity and was accordingly readily adopted by the Church to associate the Virgin Mary's sanctity with events of special significance. Some historians of heraldry have claimed that the fleur-de-lis actually originated as a stylized bee, or a stylized frog. Other explanations include the shape having been developed from the image of a dove descending, which is the symbol of the Holy Ghost.

It is not rare, until the end of the 12th century, to see Christ represented amidst more or less stylised lilies or fleurons, whose design also recall the Trinity of the Chrismon (Tree) (Christ's monogram).Then, slowly, on this Christic content is added a Marial symbolic, linked to the development of the Cult of Mary, and to which the next verse of the Song of Solomon is related (2:2): "sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter lilias" ("as the lily [stands out] among the thorns, thus my love [stands out] among the lilies"), as well as many parts of the Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church, where the lily is presented as symbol of purity, virginity and chastity. In iconography, the fleur-de-lis becomes the favorite attribute in the Assumption of Mary, the Black Madonna.

So contrary to popular belief, the fleur-de-lis did not originate in France. Its traces origins back to Ancient Egypt (or earlier) and the sacred lotus symbol for plant meaning Tree of Life explained. Here it is room for speculations about Moses ("son of Egypt") and his Egyptian cultural heritage in the writing of the book of Genesis). In ancient Egypt and in India (as in Christianity etc) the fleur-de-lis was used as symbol meaning life and resurrection. In Egypt it was also the attribute of the god Horus, and a symbol for circumcision.

The fleur-de-lis was later adopted by the ruling class of the Roman Empire, probably due to religious influences. After the fall of Empire it was inherited to symbolize the sacred origin of the Merovingian dynasty and then became a symbol of the entire Christian French Kingdom. This is however speculative, modern unconfirmed theories about the Holy Grail see in the fleur-de-lys a symbol of the mythical holy origin of the French nation in the union of legendary King Meroveus with Mary Magdalene descendancy given to her by Jesus.


Polish Scouting Cross featuring the symbol of the Scouting MovementBy 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 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.

The treasured fleur-de-luce he claims
To wreathe his shield, since royal James
Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Canto Fourth, VIII
from The Complete Works of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 1 of 7, Conner and Cooke, New York, 1833
Fleurs-de-lis feature prominently in the Crown Jewels of both Scotland and England etc, and have been heraldic devices of those monarchs since very early on. The tressure flory-counterflory is a prominent part of the design of the Scottish royal arms and flag since James I of Scotland. In English heraldry, the fleur-de-lis is the cadency mark of difference of the sixth son.

Modern usage

Fleurs-de-lis for the ruling Bourbons on the center of the current coat of the Kingdom of SpainFrance 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.


A black fleur-de-lis serves as the logo for the New Orleans Saints American football teamThe fleur-de-lis is a popular symbol of New Orleans, USA, used in much New Orleans art and architecture. 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' covergence 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 were founded by French people.

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 Lillicum Bosniacum); New Orleans, Louisiana; Detroit, Michigan; Louisville, Kentucky; Odense, Denmark; Wiesbaden, Germany; Lille, France and Saint Louis, Missouri.


Logo of the World Organization of the Scout MovementThe 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.[1] 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". In addition, The Madison Scouts (which has distant relations with the Boy Scouts of America) is a Drum and Bugle Corps group which parades its symbol; the fleur-de-lis.

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 (Candle).

In religious symbolism the fleur-de-lis is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. It is also a symbol of Assumption and Ressurection. The fleur-de-lis represent the Tree of Life/Garden of Eden. The Angel Gabriel is often pictured with the lily in his hand in the announcement of Christ's birth.

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.


Fleurs-de-lis of Tvrtko Kotromanić who ruled medival Bosnia, used as Bosnia and Herzegovina flag 1992–1998Brazilian author Aluísio Azevedo wrote a play entitled Fleur-de-lis.

Other meanings
Fleur-de-Lys is also a name of a character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.

Answer 2

Fleur De Lis Meaning

Answer 3

The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys; plural: fleurs-de-lis) is a stylised design of an iris flower which is used both decoratively and symbolically. It may be purely ornamental or it may be "at one and the same time political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic and symbolic",especially in heraldry. It is an enduring symbol of France, but, being regarded most notably as the emblem of the monarchy. In North America the fleur-de-lis is often associated with areas formerly settled by France, such as Louisiana and Quebec.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What does "Fleur De Lis" mean?
I think it's French. Only serious answers will get the ten points.

Answer 5

The Fleur-de-lis. A symbol most Louisianans are familiar with as a decorative device on porches, wall hangings or clothing. But have you ever heard the story of how the Fleur-de-lis came to be, and why it made its mark in Louisiana?

In French, fleur-de-lis literally means "lily flower". It may come as no surprise that an emblem found all over the state of Louisiana has its roots in a flower from French culture, stemming from the French colonization of the Americas, namely present day Louisiana.

After an on again, off again relationship to the French flag over a period of several revolutions, the Fleur-de-lis eventually made its way to America with Europeans going to the “New World,” mostly from France. For these French settlers it became a reminder of the home country for their new lives in Louisiana, found on coats of arms and early North American flags to designate areas settled by the French.

The fleur-de-lis appears on the flag of New Orleans, though other regions in Louisiana such as Acadiana, Lafayette and Baton Rouge use the symbol elsewhere. To set things in stone, governor Bobby Jindal signed a bill in 2008, which would make the fleur-de-lis an official symbol of Louisiana. Additionally, ever since the devastating events of Hurricane Katrina, the fleur-de-lis can be seen all over New Orleans, not just on the flag, as a symbol of community support for and solidarity with citizens of New Orleans' to aid in their eventual recovery.

The three petals of the fleur-de-lis symbol can also signify the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and appears more prominently among original cities settled along the Mississippi, like St. Louis, Mo. or Louisville, Ky.

Some interesting facts about the fleur-de-lis: It has appeared in several literary works such as the American bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code and the French classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Now that you know a little bit about how the fleur-de-lis came to be ingrained in Louisianan culture, see where you spot them in your neighborhood or about town!


SOURCE: http://www.frenchquartermarket.com/fleur-de-lis-history.aspx

Answer 6

It's Fleur de Lys or flower of the Lily, it's still today the symbol of the French monarchy. It's the symbol of Royalty in France.

Answer 7

fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys means lily.
A three-petaled iris flower, was used as the emblem of the kings of France.

Answer 8

flower of the lily in french...it is the symbol used to represent France....and is usually not translated into english...just called a fleur de lis....it is associated with the french monarchy and is used in many coats of arms..

Answer 9

The fleur de lis is french for lily. It is also the stylezed lily that is the symbol of the former french royals, boy scouts, priory of scion (fictional), etc

Answer 10

Lilly flower - although the symbol itself is usually the petels of an iris. I one point I heard how the two became transposed but its long forgotten.
They represent the divinity of nobility,in mind body and spirit and the nobility of serving all.....at least in theory it did. A few kings didnt seem to do so well

Answer 11

It's like a symbol, but yes, it's kind of french.
You can search on any page, and you will find the recognizable icon.