In the reign of Louis VII. (1137-1180) the national standard
was thickly charged with flowers. In 1365 the number was reduced by
Charles VI. to three (the mystical church number). Guillim, in
his Display of Heraldrie, 1611, says the device is “Three toads
erect, saltant;” in allusion to which Nostradamus, in the sixteenth
century, calls Frenchmen crapauds (toads). Recently it has been
thought that the device is really a “bee flying,” because certain
ornaments resembling bees were found in the tomb of Childeric, father
of Clovis, when it was opened in 1653. These bees are now generally
believed to be the fleurons of horse-trappings, and quite independent
of the emblem.
More on Fleurs-de-Lys from Infoplease:
- Fleurs-de-Lys - Fleurs-de-Lys In the reign of Louis VII. (1137-1180) the national standard was thickly charged with ...
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- Luce - Luce Flower de Luce. A corruption of fleur-de-lis (q.v.), more anciently written “floure ...
- Flowers and Trees - Flowers and Trees (1) Dedicated to heathen gods: The Cornel cherry-tree to Apollo The Cypress to ...
- Lily - Lily (The). There is a tradition that the lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went ...
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