Fleur de Lis Ceramic Tableware Collection
Legend of the Fleur-de-Lis
The English translation of "fleur-de-lis"
(sometimes spelled "fleur-de-lys") is "flower of the lily." This symbol,
depicting a stylized lily or lotus flower, has many meanings. Traditionally, it
has been used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to
signify perfection, light, and life. Legend has it that an angel presented
Clovis, the Merovingian king of the Franks, with a golden lily as a symbol of
his purification upon his conversion to Christianity.
In the twelfth century, either King Louis VI
or King Louis VII (sources disagree) became the first French monarch to use the
fleur-de-lis on his shield. English kings later used the symbol on their coats
of arms to emphasize their claims to the throne of France. In the 14th century,
the fleur-de-lis was often incorporated into the family insignia that was sewn
on the knight's surcoat, which was worn over their coat of mail, thus the term,
"coat of arms."
