Fleur de Lis
Transcript: Fleur de Lis Bethany Forbus Significance My maiden name is Robidart, which is obviously French. My great great grandfather became a US citizen while he lived in France by becoming an American soldier during WWI. When the war was over, he moved to California to start his life as an American citizen. French customs and symbols are very important to me for this reason. The Fleur de Lis is one of them. Hey everybody! "Fleur de lis" by hurricanemaine is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Where did the Fleur de Lis come from? Origin Can you take a guess? "Eiffel Tower" by jon_coyne is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Did you say France? Origin If you said France, good job! The Fleur de Lis was used to represent French royalty and Catholic saints. (Wikipedia, n.d.) The Fleur de Lis is known as the baptismal flower of French royalty. (Wikipedia, n.d.) "100_2718" by Cassiopée2010 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Fleur de Lis Meaning Fleur de Lis means "Lily Flower" in French. It is said that the three main petals originally represented the commoners, the nobles and the clergy of France. (Wikipedia, n.d.) It has also been known to represent the Holy Trinity. "100_2718" by Cassiopée2010 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons In the "ancien regime" (old realm), the Fleur de Lis was part of the French flag. (Smith, 2018) You can also find the Fleur de Lis on France's coat of arms. Importance Wikimedia Commons The arms of the Kingdom of France Clothing and Royal Novalties French Royalty The French Royals were known to have Fleur de Lis embellishments within their clothing, furniture and decorations! Portrait of Louis XIV Golden fleurs-de-lis aplenty on this portrait of Louis XIV after Hyacinthe Rigaud. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 70.PA.1 This table belonged to Louis XIV's son, Louis of France. Tripod table, about 1680, attributed to Pierre Golle. The J. Paul Getty Musuem, 82.DA.34 Tapestry belonging to Louis XIV's great grandson, Louis XV. Tapestry: Portière aux Armes de France, designed 1727, woven about 1730–40, The J. Paul Getty Museum, 85.DD.100 Welcome to the New World! Exploration The French started exploring the world just like so many other Europeans. In the 1500s, King Francis I sent French explorers out to find new routes to Asia and to find gold and riches. This quest was led by Jacques Cartier. Cartier found a river from the Pacific Ocean that led into the interior of North America. This river became known as the Lawrence River and this land is now what is known as Quebec, Canada. These settlers, of course, carried their nations flag with them on the journey and staked it high to claim the territory for the French. (Wikipedia, n.d.) Wikipedia Image: St. Lawrence River Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle La Salle was born in Normandy, France. He was sent to the Americas by King Louis XVI. In America, La Salle became a fur trader to make money. He sailed down the Illinois River and the Mississippi River claiming territory for France. Because of La Salle, the French were able to acquire land in North America that is now Louisiana. Once that land was claimed, he placed a French flag on it with the iconic Fleur de Lis. (Wikipedia, n.d.) "French Flag" by Akron Soccer Fan is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Because of LaSalle and other French settlers, the spoken language was then French. They also brought with them their many symbols and customs, including the Fleur de Lis. "Fleur de Lis" by DBduo Photography is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Present Day The Fleur de Lis has not changed much over the past 5 centuries. Some countries have added stems and other decorations to make it their own. In America, it looks almost exactly as it did when it came over from France. You can find the Fleur de Lis almost everywhere you look! On gates! "Fence fleur de lis" by goranhas is licensed under CC BY 2.0 In gardens! "downsized_0407011108.jpg" by scottobear is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 On jewelry! "Blue earring" by SuperFreaka is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 In churches! "Sauvelade: l'église, le portail" by fredpanassac is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 On Sunday Football! "Drew Brees New Orleans Saints Signed Autograph Black Custom FRAMED Jersey Tristar Authentic Certified" by shop8447 is licensed under CC0 1.0 References Fleur-de-lis. (2020, July 25). Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis Smith, W. (2018, July 11). Flag of France. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-France References