Last modified: 2019-01-27 by ivan sache
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Flag of Compagnie d'Arc de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés - Image by Ivan Sache, 18 December 2006
The town of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (75,700 inhabitants; 1,125 ha; municipal website) is
located in the south-eastern outskirts of Paris.
In the Middle Ages, the abbey of Saint-Maur was one of the most famous
in France. The abbey was founded in 639 by Regent Queen Nathilde, and
was then known as Saint-Pierre-du-Fossé abbey, a fossé being a
ditch. The abbey church was rebuilt two times in the 9th century and
around the year one thousand. In 1137, the region was hit by a severe
drought and the relics of St. Maur, kept in the abbey since 868, were
carried during a procession. It rained and the cult of St. Maur
flourished; the abbey was officially renamed Saint-Maur-des-Fossés
abbey in 1281. In the late 15th century, the saint's relics were
invoked against epilepsy and gout during pilgrimages.
Saint Maur (aka Amaury, Maura, Morane, Mauro; c. 512-584) was the
closest disciple of St. Benedict and studied with him in Monte Cassino
abbey; he was sent to Gaul were he became the first Abbot of Glanfeuil,
an abbey located near Angers. In France, the Congrégation de
Saint-Maur grouped up to 191 Benedictine abbeys in the period
1614-1791. Saint Maur is the patron saint of the coalmen, of the
coppersmiths and of the gravediggers.
The archery brotherhood Compagnie d'Arc de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, today a sports club (website), was in the past closely linked to the Saint-Maur abbey. A document kept in the National Archives says that the brotherhood was granted new Statutes in 1734 but already had a flag, since permission was given on 27 April 1734 by the Canons of the abbey to charge the flag with the Chapter's coat of arms, a "T" surrounded by two fleurs-de-lis and surmounted by the letters "S.M.". The archery brotherhood was at that time in charge of maintaining good order during the pilgrimages in the abbey. The same system was used by the Saint-Médard abbey in Soissons, the archery brotherhood being there the St. Sebastian Brotherhood.
The modern, ceremonial flag of Compagnie d'Arc de
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés is blue with a yellow diagonal stripe and the
lettering "COMPAGNIE D'ARC / DE / SAINT-MAUR / DES FOSSÉS" in upper right
corner and "FONDÉE / EN / 1734" in lower left corner, all in yellow (or
maybe white, the source image is not very clear).
This flag is derived from the municipal coat of arms of
Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, shown on the municipal website as "Azure a bend gules an eel twisted azure in chief three fleurs-de-lis or a bendlet couped gules per bend in base a crown of thorns enclosing the word 'PAX' ensigned with a fleur-de-lis and supported by
three nails all argent."
The eel recalls river Marne whereas the chief recalls the Princes of
Condé, once lords of the Bailiwick of Saint-Maur. The base of the shield
shows the arms of the abbey of Saint-Maur and their motto, "PAX" (Latin, "Peace").
Ivan Sache, 18 December 2006