HIST: SPEC: Clovis is Louis?

Greetings.
 
I ran into something thought provoking the other day when I followed a  link 
in a Wikipedia article I was reading.
 
Many may well be sick unto death of the hoary question of the  origin of the 
Fleur-de-Lis and whether it is or is not an Iris.  Clarence reminded us 
several years ago in Roots of Mrs. Peckham's  discovery of the use of a similar 
motif in Roman iconography--a  "Sprout"--associated with the demi-goddess 
Spes--Hope-- and he has expanded that  research along other useful and interesting 
lines as well. I myself think  it is an even older motif, albeit one associated 
with a crop god,  Triptolemus. Crop gods always tend to involve notions of Hope.
 
Much ink has been devoted to the legend of King Clovis and the origin  of the 
phrase Fleur de Lis-- Lys-- Luce-- with some versions of the name as  Fleur 
de Louis and so on and so forth forever with variations right up to  the 
display of the golden motif on the banner of the Bourbon kings of  France. The iris 
generally thought to be the Iris of Clovis, if  he actually had one, is Iris 
pseudacorus, the magnificent golden flag,  now in some juridictions deemed a 
noxious weed.  
 
Anyway, what the article in Wiki suggests is that the evolution of  language 
may play a highly meaningful role in the story. In other  words, the Fleur de 
Louis may be the Fleur de Clovis. I  don't have enough background in this area 
to do other than toss  out the link for the amusement of any who may be 
intrigued. This may  actually be old news to many. Possibly even I  once knew it 
and forgot  it, which happens from time to time as my memory becomes more and 
more like  a pack rat's nest. 
 
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_I_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_I) 
 
Cordially,
 
Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index