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{{About|the battle standard of the King of France||Oriflamme (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Battle of Poitiers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Battle of Poitiers]] 1356. The oriflamme can be seen on the top left.]]
The '''Oriflamme''' (from Latin ''aurea flamma'', "golden flame"), a pointed, blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance, was the sacred [[battle standard]] of the [[King of France]] and a symbol of [[
In French, the term ''oriflamme'' has come to mean any banner with pointed ends by association with the form of the original.
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== History ==
The Oriflamme was first used in 1124 by [[Louis VI of France
Louis VI replaced the earlier banner of [[Martin of Tours|Saint Martin]] with the oriflamme of the Abbey of St. Denis, which floated about the tomb of St. Denis and was said to have been given to the abbey by
Until the 12th century, the standard-bearer was the [[Comte de Vexin]], who, as vowed to [[Saint Denis of Paris|St. Denis]], was the temporal defender of the abbey. Louis VI, having acquired Vexin, became standard-bearer. As soon as war began, he received Communion at St. Denis and took the standard from the tomb of the saint to carry it into combat.
Although the azure ground (from the blue cope of [[Martin of Tours|St. Martin of Tours]]) strewn with gold [[fleur-de-lis]] remained the symbol of royalty until the 15th 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. It is recorded as having been carried at the following battles/campaigns:{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
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The Oriflamme was lost at least four times during its medieval history: Mons-en-Pévèle,<ref> Kelly DeVries (2006) : ''Infantry Warfare in the Early Fourteenth Century''. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell Press. p. 40.</ref> Crécy, <ref>{{cite book |title=Trial by Battle |author= Jonathon Sumption |year=1990|publisher= Faber & Faber|location=London |isbn=0-571-20095-8 |page=530}}</ref> Poitiers,<ref name=Green>{{cite book |author=David Green | title=The Battle of Poitiers 1356 | year=2004 | isbn=0-7524-2557-9|page=56}}</ref> and during the campaigns of the [[Seventh Crusade]] under [[King Louis IX]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5ry8BQAAQBAJ&dq=oriflamme+lost+at+crecy&pg=PT47 Edward Cowan (2012) '' The Wallace Book'', Birlinn]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.baronage.co.uk/bphtm-02/moa-15a.html|title= The Oriflamme|date=2000|publisher=The Baronage Press}}</ref>
Although the ''Oriflamme'' has often been depicted as present at the battle of Agincourt, modern historians have disputed that. The banner was given to Guillaume de Martel by [[Charles VI of France
In the 15th 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.<ref name=CathEncy/>
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was to be given: its red colour being symbolic of cruelty and ferocity.<ref>{{cite book |title=The laws of War in the late Middle Ages |author=Maurice Keen |author-link=Maurice Keen |year=1965 |publisher=Routledge and Kegan Paul |location= London|page= 105-106}}</ref>
The bearer of the standard, the ''porte-oriflamme'', became an [[Great Officers of the Crown of France|office]],
Froissart vividly describes ''porte-oriflamme'' [[Geoffroi de Charny]]'s fall at the side of his king at the [[Battle of Poitiers (1356)|Battle of Poitiers]] in this passage:
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