Fleur de Lys and Iris
The fleur de lys has been the official emblem of the kings of France since the 12th century. This iconic symbol is often mistaken for a lily, but it actually represents a stylised yellow water iris.
But why a yellow iris?
Legend traces the origin of the fleur de lys back to the end of the 5th century, when Clovis, King of the Franks and first king of the Kingdom of France, converted to Christianity.
While accounts vary, three legends attempt to explain the meaning of this symbol on the coat of arms of the French monarchy.
First legend
The Frankish king Clovis was, of course, a pagan, but his conversion to Christianity after the Battle of Tolbiac (near present-day Cologne) in 496 AD (or 506 AD according to some scholars!) marked a decisive turning point. The Franks were Germanic tribes comprised of two neighbouring and allied peoples: the Salian Franks, located in what is now Belgium, whose king was Clovis; and the Ripuarian Franks, whose kingdom was centred around the modern city of Cologne, and whose king was Sigebert the Lame.
The Ripuarian Franks had another Germanic tribe as neighbours, the Alamanni. These two tribes were constantly in territorial conflict, marked by pillaging and frequent raids. However, one of these Alamanni incursions was more aggressive than the previous ones, and Sigebert called on Clovis for help. Clovis raised an army and confronted the Alamanni troops on the banks of the Rhine at Tolbiac. But the Alamanni, being far more numerous, massacred Clovis’s warriors indiscriminately.
So much for the historical facts! And this is where legend comes in, telling us that Clovis then invoked the help of the God of his wife Clotilde, a Christian Burgundian princess. According to the legend, an angel appeared to him during the battle and promised him victory if he replaced the three toads adorning his coat of arms with three golden fleurs-de-lys. Clovis emerged victorious from the Alamanni and immediately adopted the fleur-de-lys as his emblem.
However, you might wonder why a king would have toads on his coat of arms. The territory of the Salian Franks, which included present-day Flanders in northern France, consisted of marshy plains where toads thrived. These amphibians were as comfortable in the water (The Kingdom-Below – The underworld) as on land (The Kingdom-Above – The upper world). According to Frankish beliefs, marshes and waterways served as portals connecting these two worlds, and the toad was seen as a shamanic creature capable of passing between them, thus symbolising its power and importance.
Second legend
In the spring of 507 AD, Clovis and his troops confronted King Alaric II and his Visigoths, who had previously conquered a vast territory stretching from the Loire River to the Pyrenees, and from the Atlantic Ocean to Provence. The battle took place in the Plain of Vouillé, south of the present-day city of Poitiers. The Visigoths forced Clovis’s troops to retreat to the marshes of the Vienne River, placing them in a desperate situation. The battle seemed to be slipping from Clovis’ grasp when he spotted a stag crossing the river amidst yellow water irises, indicating the presence of a ford. Clovis and his army crossed the river under cover of a moonless night and, taking advantage of the darkness, launched a surprise attack against the sleeping Visigoths. Alaric II was killed at dawn, and his troops withdrew. Following this decisive victory, Clovis immediately adopted the yellow iris as his emblem. The defeated Visigoths were forced to cede all their territories to the Franks, retaining only part of Provence and Septimania.
Third legend
Clovis and his wife Clotilde, a Christian princess of Burgundy, resided at the Château de Montjoie, located in the Forest of Cruye, now known as the Forest of Marly, west of Paris. Clotilde, renowned for her piety, often prayed with a hermit who lived near a spring not far from the castle. One day, an angel appeared to the hermit and delivered a divine message: Clovis was to replace the three toads, a pagan symbol, on his coat of arms with three golden fleurs de lys. Although the fleur de lys began to be used in later centuries, it did not officially appear on the royal coat of arms until the 12th century.
Emblem of the Kings of France
The use of the blue toga talar, adorned with stars and constellations, similar to the attire of the High Priest of Israel, was common in royal coats of arms before the fleur de lys became the predominant symbol. It was only in 1150, during the reign of Louis VII, that the fleur de lys officially became the emblem of the kings of France.
But why was the yellow iris called a fleur de lys if it wasn’t a lily? The name Louis, borne by many kings of France, originates from Clovis, initially known as Chlodowech in Frankish, meaning “illustrious warrior.” Over time, this name evolved into various forms: Chlodowichus, Lodovicus, Ludovicus, Ludovic, Lodoïs, Loys, and finally Louis.
The yellow iris, adopted by Clovis as a royal emblem, was initially called “Flor de Loys,” meaning “flower of Clovis.” This name gradually became synonymous with “Flor de Lys,” meaning “Flower of the Lys” and became associated with the Lys River. Indeed, it is said that the lord of Armentières in French Flanders incorporated yellow irises into his coat of arms because they grew abundantly on the banks of the Lys River, which flowed through his domain. In 1668, when France annexed the French Flanders, and the fiefdom of Armentières, he adopted the fleur de lys as his emblem.
Philip Augustus was the first king to use a blue banner adorned with fleurs-de-lys when he departed for the Third Crusade in 1191, and the corresponding royal coat of arms appeared in 1207. The number of fleurs de lys was officially fixed at three in 1376. Generally depicted as a stylised yellow iris on a blue background, the fleur-de-lys was the official emblem of the French monarchy from 1150 to 1830.
Iris – A few facts
Irises form a diverse group, encompassing approximately 300 botanical species, some with rhizomes and others with bulbs.
Among them, Iris germanica stands out for its vibrant blue-violet flowers, the origin of numerous hybrid varieties. Native to the Mediterranean basin, this magnificent iris was known to the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who adorned their surroundings with iris-shaped motifs.
The Greeks, fascinated by the iridescent sheen of its petals, observed how its texture seemed to shimmer and change with the light. They named the flower after Iris, the goddess who was the messenger of gods and mortals, and considered the rainbow to be her divine veil.
Later, Christians attributed a powerful symbolism to the iris, associating it with the purity and innocence of the Virgin Mary. However, this symbolism became intertwined with that of the white lily, leading to confusion between the two flowers.
The yellow water iris, or Iris pseudacorus, as you read above, is at the origin of our Fleur de Lys. Known in French by various names, including Iris faux acorus, Iris jaune, and Flamme d’eau, it thrives in marshy and even flooded areas, symbolising the gateway to the Kingdom-Below- Underworld.
Photo via Wikimedia commons: Coat of arms by Sodacan CC BY-SA 3.0
