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The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys, plural: fleurs-de-lis; pronounced [flœʀ də lis] is a stylized design of either an iris or a lily that is now used decoratively as well as symbolically, or it may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic and symbolic" especially in heraldry & jewelry such as pendants, earrings, brooches & rings.
While the fleur-de-lis has appeared on countless European coats of arms and flags over the centuries, it is particularly associated with the French monarchy in a historical context, and continues to appear in the arms of the King of Spain and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, members of the House of Bourbon.
It is an enduring symbol of France that appears on French postage stamps, though it has never been adopted officially by any of the French republics. In North America the fleur-de-lis is often associated with areas formerly settled by France, such as Quebec and New Orleans jewelers in Louisiana and with French-speaking people in other Canadian provinces.
It is also the emblem of the city of Florence and of the Swiss municipality of Schlieren.
In Bosnia and Heregovina the flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992 to 1998 contained six fleurs-de-lis and is used as a national symbol of Bosniaks.
In the United Kingdom a fleur-de-lis has appeared in the official arms of the Norroy King of Arms for hundreds of years.
The Welsh poet Hedd Wyn used Fleur de Lys as his pen name when he won his chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales (Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru), the national poetry contest.
Fleurs-de-lis appear on military insignia and the logos of many different organizations. During the 20th century the symbol was adopted by various Scouting organizations worldwide for their badges. Architects and designers use it alone and as a repeated motif in a wide range of contexts from ironwork to bookbinding, especially where a French context is being implied. As a religious symbol it may represent the Trinity or be an iconographic attribute of the archangel Gabriel, notably in representations of the Annunciation. In such contexts, the fleur-de-lis is associated with the Virgin Mary.
The symbol is also often used on a compass rose to mark the north direction, a tradition started by Flavio Gioja, a Neapolitan mariner of the fourteenth century.
It is represented in Unicode at U+269C (⚜) on the Miscellaneous Symbols table.
Earliest Usage
In French, fleur de lis literally means "lily flower". It is widely thought to be a stylized version of the species Iris pseudacorus. Decorative ornaments that resemble the fleur-de-lis have appeared in artwork from the earliest human civilizations.
"The use for ornamental or symbolic purposes of the stylised flower usually called fleur de lis is common to all eras and all civilizations. It is an essentially graphic theme found on Mesopotamian cylinders, Egyptian bas-reliefs, Mycenean pottery, Sassanid textiles, Gaulish and Mameluk coins, Indonesian clothes, Japanese emblems and Dogon totems. The many writers who have discussed the topic agree that it has little resemblance to the lily, but they disagree as to whether it derives from the iris, the broom, the lotus or the furze; others believe it represents a trident, an arrowhead, a double axe or even a dove or a pigeon. It is in our opinion a problem of little importance. The essential point is that it is a very stylised figure, probably a flower, that has been used as an ornament or an emblem by almost all civilizations of the old and new worlds."
It has consistently been used as a royal emblem, though different cultures have interpreted its meaning in varying ways. 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 Scythian king uncovered at the Ak-Burun kurgan and conserved in Saint Petersburg's Hermitage Museum.
Fleur-De-Lis is also the name of a small village in the South Wales Valleys. There, Fleur-De-Lis is known as "The Flower of the Valley".
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