Featuring 56 illustrations, this definitive work on the arms of France delves into the mythology of kingship, probes the mystique of kings. Hinkle's comprehensive, chronological study of the origin, evolution, and function of the fleurs de lis covers the 200-year period beginning near the end of the 13th century with the emergence of France as a European power and ending at the close of hostilities between England and France in the late 15th century. His interdisciplinary study focuses on literature, history, and art history but also includes numismatics and sigillography. Hinkle first investigates the precursor to the fleurs de lis, the stylized lily of the early Capetian rulers. The initial literary reference to the later heraldic lily appeared shortly after 1285, with subsequent years witnessing further poetic glorification of the symbol. By 1316, the poetry of the period and of Geoffroy de Paris began to celebrate the three lilies on the royal escutcheon as a symbol of the Trinity. Concurrently, the death of a Capetian monarch without a male heir led to both the proclamation that no woman could succeed to the French throne and the appointment of the dead king's brother as Philip V. A second succession problem occurred in 1328 when the nearest male relative was Edward III of England. The French estates selected Philip VI, founder of the Valois line. To resolve the problem of succession, the pope proposed a crusade led by both Edward III and Philip VI. Preparations for this crusade led to Philippe de Vitri's poem of the 1330s: Le chapel des trois fleurs de lis. Although the crusade was later canceled, the poem signaled the beginnings of French nationalism symbolized by the three heraldic flowers. Two later poems from the 1330s celebrate the divine creation of the fleurs de lis. Hinkle tells a complex story lucidly. Examining the significance of the visual image of the fleurs de lis, he shows how the lilies evolved into emblems of God's favor, directed not only to the kings of France. The English also eagerly adopted the symbolism of the fleurs de lis for their young king, Henry VI, and that, too, is a fascinating part of the story.

Joan of Arc: The Mystic Legacy provides an intimate portrait of the enigmatic young woman whose heroic life story has provoked ongoing controversy for nearly six centuries. Fresh insights, gleaned from the author's full decade of research and three field trips to France, shed new light on the essential nature of the girl whose faith-based acts of courage altered the outcome of the Hundred Years War. Thirty-nine exclusive full color photographs of historic sites breathe life into the text, and allow time to collapse. January 6, 1412, the six hundredth anniversary of Joan's birth, will be celebrated around the world throughout 2012.Examining the external and internal forces that shaped Joan's well documented life, a discussion of esoteric elements found on nearly each page of the historic records is carefully framed in evidence that has not been plumbed to these depths, until now. Joan's own words speak with clarity from her trial testimony as the most trustworthy resource for understanding her perceptions, motivations and behavior. The visions and voices she identified as the three spiritual guides who were with her constantly, from the age of thirteen until her death, are traced into the roots of Judeo Christian antiquity; Her interaction with them is examined through the inclusive lens of contemporary cross-cultural mysticism.In his essay on the universality of her story, The Joan in All of Us, John Steinbeck said that everyone who studies the trial testimonies comes to find a "corroboration of his convictions, no matter what they may be." He identified the source of our fascination with her as "....the miracle, the worrisome nagging fact. Joan is a fairy tale so improbable that, without the most complete historical record and evidence, it could not be believed. If a writer were to make up the story it would be howled down as an insult to credulity."In Joan of Arc: The Mystic Legacy, each stage of Joan's transformation is traced, from her childhood in the rural marshlands of Lorraine to the halls of power where she claimed her right to command the French army and lead her troops to victory in Orleans and beyond. This unique exploration of Joan of Arc's mortality and transcendence documents the rise and fall of the military leader whose prophecies were ultimately fulfilled.

Deals with two unusual French ¿ordines¿ in which relevance took precedence over tradition. In both the pregnant phrase ¿Franks, Burgundians, & Aquitanians¿ appeared in the prayer following the king¿s unction in the place traditionally occupied by the alien triad ¿Saxons, Mercians, & Northumbrians.¿ The ceremonials were thus transformed & made fully appropriate for the ruler of France. Contents of this study: (1) ¿Franks, Burgundians, & Aquitanians¿ in the 12th Century: The ¿Ordo¿ of Lat. 14192; (2) The Reappearance of ¿Franks, Burgundians, & Aquitanians¿ in Early Modern France: Jean du Tillet; Du Tillet¿s Version of the ¿Ordo Maior¿ of ¿Croix¿; Theodore Godefroy & Du Tillet¿s ¿Ordo¿; (3) Conclusion. Appendix: The ¿Ordo Maior¿ of ¿Croix.¿ Bibliography.

M. Cecilia Gaposchkin reconstructs and analyzes the process that led to King Louis IX of France's canonization in 1297 and the consolidation and spread of his cult.

The bibliographic holdings of family histories at the Library of Congress. Entries are arranged alphabetically of the works of those involved in Genealogy and also items available through the Library of Congress.

This exquisite volume beautifully reproduces and insightfully examines the most important illuminations found in French history manuscripts.

This volume offers unparalleled coverage of all aspects of art and architecture from medieval Western Europe, from the 6th century to the early 16th century. Drawing upon the expansive scholarship in the celebrated 'Grove Dictionary of Art' and adding hundreds of new entries, it offers students, researchers and the general public a reliable, up-to-date, and convenient resource covering this field of major importance in the development of Western history and international art and architecture.