Oriflamme

The Oriflamme, a pointed, blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance, was the sacred battle standard of the King of France and a symbol of divine intervention on the battlefield from God and Saint Denis in the Middle Ages. The oriflamme originated as the sacred banner of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, a monastery near Paris. When the oriflamme was raised in battle by the French royalty during the Middle Ages, most notably during the Hundred Years' War, no prisoners were to be taken until it was lowered.

Through that tactic, they hoped to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy, especially the nobles, who otherwise could usually expect to be taken alive for ransom during such military encounters.

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Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain