French - one of the most proud and in love with their culture and history of nations.The state symbols they use, embedded deep meaning.How did one of the most important - the emblem of the country, and how to change its image?
Drinking French heraldry
Surprisingly, modern France did not have a traditional coat of arms of the state.Shields with his image adorn the walls of embassies, as is customary in all other countries.And if you ask a passer-Frenchman about the main national symbols, he will likely tell you about Marianne - woman, representing France since the days of the French Revolution.Her image is sometimes the official seal on official documents.But the arms of Marianne, of course, will not name.This situation is because the French rejected the heraldic insignia after each destruction of monarchical rule.Read this day republican freedom the citizens are not willing to use the state coat of arms, which belonged to the kings.Republican symbolism is a peculiar combination of characters of all French territories and provinces.This image is called a large coat of arms of France.
first French emblems
Despite the lack of interest in heraldry in modern citizens in ancient times existed in the territory of a variety of symbols of monarchs, so that the history of the coat of arms of France goes back centuries.The first images were subjected to significant impact of the Christian religion, has already begun to dominate the country.Thus, the founder of the state Clovis replaced a white banner with the three toads on blue, considered a symbol of the patron saint of France, Martin.This happened when making the monarch of Christianity in 496.Why blue?This question can answer a legend which says that Martin, Bishop of Tours, one day he met a beggar on the road and gave him half of his cloak, which was blue.Banner of the color attached to the cross a red cord, became a symbol of the Franks.
medieval coat of arms of France
Frankish empire was declared by Charlemagne in the year 800.His signs were trehhvostoe red flag, which depicts six blue-red-yellow roses.The government collapsed in the 843-m, and the kingdom back to the old blue symbolism.The first quarter of the XII century, during the reign of King Louis the Sixth Tolstoy appear on the arms of gold heraldic lilies.Picture starts officially called the "banner of France," and a shield with flowers and azure field becomes the first French coat of arms.Heraldic lily called stylized drawing of a yellow iris, which symbolizes the Holy Virgin.The history of the coat of arms of France notes that these colors are the emblem of the Capetian dynasty already in the X century.By the end of the XIV century.on a blue background only three lilies.Most likely, this is due to the triple essence of the Christian deity.During the Hundred Years' War, a large part of the French territory was captured by the British.A movement of patriots, headed by Joan of Arc, which has become the banner of white cloth, one side of which depicted the French coat of arms and on the other - the angels and God.White gained importance as a symbol of independence of the state.Description of the coat of arms of France in the post-war period resembles the original image - the French kings are back to blue and three gold lilies.
Board
Royal Bourbon Bourbon dynasty came to the throne in 1589-m.The national emblem of France, described above include blue shield and lilies, and now added a red shield with a chain of Navarre.Two boards placed on a mantle, crowned knight's helmet and a crown, and placed on the edges of the arms of the largest provinces: Brittany, Burgundy, Guienne, Dauphine, Ile-de-France, Languedoc, Lyon, Normandy, Orleans, Picardy, Provence, Champagne.Over time, too, it became a province of Navarra, and the center was only a shield with the lilies, surrounded by chains Orders of St. Michael and the Holy Spirit.On each side it was supported by two angels.The history of the coat of arms of France in this version was interrupted in 1789, when there was the French Revolution, and the monarchical symbols were canceled.On the banners used by the revolutionaries who later became the traditional flag, and the corners of panels are arranged sailing boats and an ax with a bunch of twigs.The last image is called "liktorsky beam" and is the first emblem of the French Republic.
Heraldry in the XIX century
history of the coat of arms of France to monarchical its manifestations resumed since 1804, when Emperor Napoleon proclaimed.The symbol became an icon on a blue background the golden eagle, holding in the paws of a beam of lightning.Around the circuit was depicted the Legion of Honor, and in the background - the bees and crossed scepters, a robe and a crown.In 1814, power was restored Bourbons, and with it the old coat of arms, which disappeared with the angels.In 1830 again there was a revolution, and then the dynasty came to power Orleans.State symbols became their family coat of arms.In 1832, a wave of uprisings that led to the revolution of 1848, which became a symbol of the people's image of the Gallic rooster.After some time, Napoleon returned to power, and in 1871 was declared the Paris Commune.The coat of arms of France that period is such an image: gold letters of the name of the state on the blue oval in a laurel wreath, surrounded by national flags, the Order of the Legion of Honor, liktorskim beam, as well as branches of oak and olive trees.Logo survived until the thirties of the next century.
State symbols in the XX century
During World War II, France was occupied by the Nazis.In the southern part of the state board of Pétain emerged with its capital in Vichy.The emblem has served as an ax with two blades and a handle in the form of a marshal's baton.The symbol of the Patriots was a shield in the colors of the French flag, which is placed in the middle of the Red Cross of Lorraine.After the liberation of the country was officially approved image used to war, which made some changes.So, adding the inscription "Freedom.Brotherhood.Equality "and around the profile of Marianne placed text" French Republic.1870 ".On this date due fall of the monarchy and the final transition to republican government.
