It’s All About the Fleur-de-Lis Dawlin’
Posted in Art History, Frescoes and Wall Murals on February 11th, 2010 by Frescoes by Bogdanoff
Saint Drew Brees
Geaux Saints!
Last Sunday was a stunning moment in Super Bowl history. The New Orleans Saints won their first Super Bowl! Not only did they win, but coverage for Super Bowl XLIV broke a ratings record. Sunday’s big game set a new all-time ratings high, overthrowing the 27-year-old record held by the final episode of “M*A*S*H.”
The New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts showdown drew 106.5 million viewers, smashing Super Bowl records and edging out 1983’s “M*A*S*H” finale, which garnered 105.97 million viewers. Of those 106.5 million viewers, I trust that the majority of them (you) recognized the emblem on the Saint’s helmets as that of the fleur-de-lis.
The New Orleans Saints have had the fleur-de-lis emblem on their uniform since 1967. The black fleur-de-lis outlined in white was a symbol placed on the helmet at the inception of the franchise.
The Fleur-de-lis and Louisiana
The Fleur-de-Lis is the royal emblem of France–a country that influenced Louisiana profoundly, beginning in 1682 when French explorer Sieur de La Salle first descended the Mississippi to its mouth, took possession “of the country known as Louisiana,” and named it for the reigning monarch of France, Louis XIV.
Today the Fleur-de-Lis, which translates to Flower of the Lily, remains a symbol for Louisiana and the celebration of its first permanent settlement in 1714 by Louis Jachereau de St. Denis.
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Beyond its tie with France, the fleur-de-lis has appeared on countless European coats of arms and flags over the centuries, and continues to appear in the arms of the King of Spain and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. In North America, the fleur-de-lis is often associated with areas formerly settled by France, such as Quebec, St. Louis, Louisville and Louisiana (as noted), and with French-speaking people in other Canadian provinces.
14th century Syrian albarello
Earliest Usage
The use for ornamental or symbolic purposes of the fleur-de-lis is common to all eras and all civilizations. It is an essentially a graphic theme found on Mesopotamian cylinders, Egyptian bas-reliefs, Mycenaean pottery, Sassanid textiles, Mameluk coins, Indonesian clothes, Japanese emblems, and Dogon totems. It has consistently been used as a royal emblem, though different cultures have interpreted its meaning in varying ways.
Scythian Gold Forehead Ornament with Cheek Pieces, 4th c. B.C.
Medieval Book Mount Outlined in Beaded Wire
Coats of Arms from Around the World
Gaulish coins show the first Western designs which look similar to modern fleurs-de-lis. In the East it was found on the gold helmet of a Scythia king uncovered at the Ak-Burun kurgan and conserved in Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.
Seal of Philip II Augustus, king of France, 1180
Symbolism in Religion and Art
In the Middle Ages the symbols of lily and fleur-de-lis (lis is French for “lily”) overlapped considerably in religious art. Michel Pastoureau, the historian, says that until about 1300 they were found in depictions of Jesus, but gradually they took on Marian symbolism and were associated with the Song of Solomon’s “lily among thorns” (lilium inter spinas), understood as a reference to Mary. Other scripture and religious literature in which the lily symbolizes purity and chastity also helped establish the flower as an iconographic attribute of the Virgin.
In medieval England, from the mid-12th century, a noblewoman’s seal often showed the lady with a fleur-de-lis, drawing on the Marian connotations of “female virtue and spirituality”.
Virgin and Child, Notre Dame
Images of Mary holding the flower first appeared in the 11th century on coins issued by cathedrals dedicated to her, and next on the seals of cathedral chapters, starting with Notre Dame de Paris in 1146. A standard portrayal was of Mary carrying the flower in her right hand, just as she is shown in that church’s Virgin of Paris statue (with lily), and in the centre of the stained glass rose window (with fleur-de-lis sceptre) above its main entrance. The flowers may be “simple fleurons, sometimes garden lilies, sometimes genuine heraldic fleurs-de-lis”. As attributes of the Madonna, they are often seen in pictures of the Annunciation, notably in those of Sandro Botticelli and Filippo Lippi. Lippi also uses both flowers in other related contexts: for instance, in his Madonna in the Forest.
The three petals of the heraldic design reflect a widespread association with the Holy Trinity, with the band on the bottom symbolizing Mary. The tradition says that without Mary one can not understand the Trinity because it was she who bore The Son. a tradition going back to 14th century France, added onto the earlier belief that they also represented faith, wisdom and chivalry.
Floor at Saint Denis Basilica
Architecture
In building and architecture, the fleur-de-lis is often placed on top of iron fence posts, as a pointed defense against intruders. It may ornament any tip, point or post with a decorative flourish, for instance, on finials, the arms of a cross, or the point of a gable. The fleur-de-lis can be incorporated in friezes or cornices, although the distinctions between fleur-de-lis, fleuron, and other stylized flowers are not always clear, or be used as a motif in an all-over tiled pattern, perhaps on a floor.
Buckingham Palace
It may appear in a building for heraldic reasons, as in some English churches where the design paid a compliment to a local lord who used the flower on his coat of arms. Elsewhere the effect seems purely visual, like the crenellations on the 14th century Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan.
Modern Usage
Some modern usage of the fleur-de-lis reflects “the continuing presence of heraldry in everyday life”, often intentionally, but also when users are not aware that they are “prolonging the life of centuries-old insignia and emblems”.
Israeli Intelligence Corp Badge
Fleurs-de-lis feature on military badges like those of the Israeli Intelligence Corps, the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Corps of Cadets at Louisiana State University. They may be chosen for sports teams, especially when it echoes a local flag, as with the former Quebec Nordiques National Hockey League team and the former Montreal Expos Major League Baseball team, the Fiorentina association football team, the New Orleans Saints American football team and the New Orleans Hornets basketball team, and in coats of arms and logos for universities (like the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana; and Saint Louis University and Washington University in Missouri), schools (in St. Peter, Minnesota) and companies (like the Royal Elastics shoe company).
Canadian Navy HMCS Victoria (SSK 876), submarine badge
The Canadian Navy has incorporated the fleur-de-lis symbol into two of their submarine badges (HMCS Chicoutimi and HMCS Victoria). The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps have a fleur-de-lis as their official logo, with members and past members sporting signature fleur-de-lis tattoos. The Lady Knights of the University of Arkansas at Monticello have also adopted the fleur-de-lis as one of the symbols associated with their coat of arms. The flag of Lincolnshire, adopted in 2005, has a fleur-de-lis for the city of Lincoln.
Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity
The fleur-de-lis is one of the symbols of the American women’s fraternity Kappa Kappa Gamma, the American men’s fraternities Alpha Epsilon Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon as well as the international co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.
It is also used by the high school and college fraternity Scouts Royale Brotherhood of the Philippines. Marc-André Fleury, a Canadian ice hockey goaltender, has a fleur-de-lis logo on his mask.
Fleur-de-Lis Tattoo
The symbol may be used in less traditional ways. After Hurricane Katrina many New Orleanians of varying ages and backgrounds were tattooed with “one of its cultural emblems” as a “memorial” of the storm, according to a researcher at Tulane University. The US Navy Blue Angels have named a looping flight demonstration maneuver after the flower as well, and there are even two surgical procedures called “after the fleur.”
The emblem of the Chevrolet Corvette also includes the fleur-de-lis.
The emblem of the Chevrolet Corvette also includes the fleur-de-lis.
2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The current UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St. Pierre, has a tattoo of the fleur-de-lis on his right calf.
In the “Warhammer 40,000″ universe, the fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the “Sisters of Battle”, often tattood on their cheeks or present on their helmets and the shoulders of their armor. In the video games “Saints Row” and “Saints Row 2″ the fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the Third Street Saints street gang.
And, of course the fleur-de-lis symbol is showcased in artwork…
"Fleur-de-Lis No. 23" Fresco by Bogdanoff
For those of you reveling down in New Orleans between now and Fat Tuesday, have a happy, fun and safe Mardi Gras!
