The Fleur de Lis

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

The fleur de lis is an ancient symbol. Some say it represents the Holy Trinity. But a more likely explanation is that it represents the three theological virtues of faith hope and charity. (This would also explain why there are three on the old royal standard of France for the Trinity, which otherwise would be redundant.) Just like the heart represents love, the fleur de lis represents virtue. As I said, it was on the old royal standard of France, representing the House of Bourbon. And as such, it is a de facto symbol of the French and French culture too.

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:slight_smile:

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What are you like ?!

3

Thank you again :slight_smile: . BTW, anyone else ever wonder about the fleur de lis? I’ll bet you anything you were aware of the symbol, you just didn’t know its name :wink: :slight_smile: .

4

You’d lose that bet fairly often.

5

Why do you think the symbol of France and of international Scouting would be obscure?

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Not to mention Quebec!

7

During my visit to New Orleans when I was in high school, I wondered why the Saints had plastered their logo all over the city.

8

Don’t offer that bet in Montreal.

9

It was originally a frog, but Clovis the Great claimed to have a dream where it was changed into a lily. (Or perhaps wanted something nicer than frogs).

And that’s why France has the rooster as it’s national animal symbol, and the word “frog” is never heard. :frog:

10

I know the symbol, the name, and the fact that is is modeled on the iris, a wildflower found across much of France.

And I guess I am corrected, oh grandmother told me a misunderstanding. It is arguably a lily but many take it for an iris. They word Lys (lis) is lily.

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But frogs’ legs are very popular in France.

12

This is the Dope, not Facebook. While we are frequently ignorant here, we are ignorant at a MUCH higher level than most other websites.

;-%> (me winking, rolling my tongue, and having grown a goatee which fits under my N95 mask nicely)

13

Clovis allegedly took the fleur de lys ( lily flower) as symbol after the victory of Tolbiac, where he outflanked an Alaman army by finding a ford, where lily where since th water was shallow there.

14

There is a lot of folklore about Clovis I (AD 466-511), but according to Wiki the earliest Frankish king to use the symbol was Louis VI (AD 1108-1137).

Supposedly, the pagan king Childric used a toad (symbol of the Devil) but when Clovis converted to Christianity, he changed it to the Fleur de Lis. However, Clovis lived long before the development of heraldry, so the lore should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

15

Heh. We like visiting New Orleans, so of course we are familiar with the Fleur de Lis. My gf has no tattoos (I have many) but she has considered getting a Fleur de Lis somewhere on her body.

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I trust you are aware that it was traditionally a symbol of virginity?

17

Three years of high school French, plus attending a Catholic grade school named for Joan of Arc, and knowing enough about the New Orleans Saints to know what their symbol is, and why it’s relevant. So, yes, I know the name “fleur de lis.”

18

I never said she wasn’t.

19

Lillibullero is an Irish tune (written by English composer Henry Purcell) that may mean “The Lily (our French allies’ flag) is in sight,” or that the prophecy of Catholic astronomer William Lilly will come true.

20

Nitpick: Not an Irish tune, and while the lyric refer to Ireland they were written by an Englishman and are an anti-Irish screed invoking racist stereotypes about the Irish.