What's the meaning of the Fleur-de-lis »

Fleur-de-lis

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Fleur-de-lis.

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The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys (plural: fleurs-de-lis) is a stylized lily (in French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily) or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in French heraldry. It is represented in Unicode at U+269C (⚜) in the Miscellaneous Symbols block.

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 and members of the House of Bourbon. It remains an enduring symbol of France that appears on French postage stamps, although it has never been adopted officially by any of the French republics. According to French historian Georges Duby, the three petals represent the medieval social classes: those who worked, those who fought, and those who prayed.

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Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Closed shape, Monochrome, Contains both straight and curved lines, Has no crossing lines.

Category: Miscellaneous.

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1 Comment
  • Greg Kramer
    Greg Kramer
    I have a fleur de lis cross. On the back is a round symbol. There are 8 weave circles around the outside. Inside there is a sword going through the center and above the center is a heart? Any idea of the meaning of the symbol? 
    LikeReply6 years ago

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"Fleur-de-lis." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Dec. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/fleur-de-lis>.

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