The Oriflamme (from Latin aurea flamma, "golden flame") was the battle standard of the King of France.
It was originally the sacred banner of the Abbey of St. Denis,[1] a monastery near Paris. The banner was red or orange-red and flown from a lance. It was suggested that the lance was originally the important object, with the banner a decoration - but that this changed over time.[2] Its colour stems from the legend of it being dipped in the blood of the recently-beheaded St. Denis. Although the azure ground (blue background of St. Martin of Tours) strewn with gold fleur-de-lis remained the symbol of royalty until the fourteenth century, the Oriflamme became the royal battle standard of the King of France, and it was carried at the head of the king's forces when they met another army in battle. The surviving descriptions of the Oriflamme are in Guillaume le Breton (thirteenth century), in the "Chronicle of Flanders" (fourteenth century), in the "Registra Delphinalia" (1456) and in the inventory of the treasury of St. Denis (1536). They show that the primitive Oriflamme was succeeded in the course of the centuries by newer Oriflammes which bore little resemblance to one another.[3]
The bearer of the standard, the porte-oriflamme, became an office (like that of Marshal or Constable) and a great honour, as it was an important and very dangerous job to take charge of such a visible symbol in battle. At the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the English captured the Oriflamme.[3]
The Oriflamme was mentioned in the eleventh century ballad the Chanson de Roland[4] as a royal banner, first called Romaine and then Montjoie.[3] It is mentioned as the banner of Charlemagne in Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott[5].
Froissart vividly describes French Knight Geoffroi de Charny's bravery, dedication to King and Country and dedication to the Oriflamme at the Battle of Poitiers, September 19, 1356 in this passage: “There Sir Geoffroi de Charny fought gallantly near the king (note: and his fourteen year old son). The whole press and cry of battle were upon him because he was carrying the king’s sovereign banner [the Oriflamme]. He also had before him his own banner, gules, three escutcheons argent. So many English and Gascons came around him from all sides that they cracked open the king’s battle formation and smashed it; there were so many English and Gascons that at least five of these men at arms attacked one [French] gentleman. Sir Geoffroi de Charny was killed with the banner of France in his hand, as other French banners fell to earth.”[6]
The Oriflamme was first used by Louis VI in 1124 and was last flown in battle at Agincourt in 1415.[7] When the Oriflamme was displayed on the battlefield it indicated that no quarter was to be given, and hence it was called "the oriflamme of death".[8] In the fifteenth century, the fleur-de-lis on the white flag of Joan of Arc became the new royal standard replacing both the symbol of royalty and the Oriflamme on the battle field.[3]
| “ |
|
” |
|
—Robert Southey Joan of Arc. Book VIII '[9] |
||
Notable Bearers of the Oriflamme: