Note 75 — Chapter XV · : A Great Feudal Battle—Bouvines.

This famous battle cry of French royalty probably meant "Follow the banner of St. Denis!" Its exact origin, however is obscure.

In feudal battles, armies often used merely the names of their leaders, "Burgundy!" "Coucy!" "Bourbon!" etc. But many regions had a special war cry. Thus the Normans cried "Dex ais!" the Bretons, "Malo! Malo!" the Angevins "Valée!" Imperialists were likely to cry "Rome!" and Crusaders "Holy Sepulcher!" To "cry one's ensign" was a great object in all mediæval battles.