Meaning of the Fleur de Lis

Using the Fleur de Lis as a symbol or logo for our store has prompted many questions from our customers, most of whom are Texans. Although, in Humble we do have our fair share of Katrina transplants (ourselves included). Since we have had so many requests to list the meaning of the beautiful symbol we did our homework and this is what we found:

The Fleur de Lis

The Fleur de Lis or Fleur de Lys means "flowers of the lily." This stylized lily has traditionally been used to represent French royalty. It signifies perfection, light and life. Legends differ on the origin of the fleur; some stories say that Clovis, the Metovingian king of the Franks was presented with a lily by an Angel, to represent purification, on his conversion to Christianity. Other tales tell that he adopted the symbol when waterlillies showed him how to safely cross a river, leading to a battle victory. The lily is also the emblem of the Virgin Mary, and some say the three petals of the fleur-de-lis represent the holy Trinity. While it has appeared on many city and state flags for years, it has become a symbol of rebirth and renewal in Louisiana since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.

That was the most comprehensive description of the Fleur de Lis or Fleur de Lys we found. However another description stated, "Although the word "Fleur de Lis or Fleur de Lys" actually means "flowers of the lily", this symbol is actually an artist's rendition of an iris in full bloom. If you look at the bloom of an iris it makes the shape of the Fleur de Lis.