Standard

As often the terms vexillologic, the word "standard" covers with different realities. Because being made fabrics, the vexilles were prone to great variations of form, measurements and of color, but also of use according to the century and the place.

In XIVe Century, limits of the feudal army (absenteeism, great limits in the time of the mobilization of the ost, miss combativeness) will carry out the princes guerrriers to develop a formed complementary army salaried soldiers. It is the birth of the professional army. This army cannot be assembled and follow the banner of a feudal ost to which they do not belong. One thus will extend a new type of vexille - the standard - in front of them so that it recognize the form of it, reasons and colors. Whereas the feudal banners were almost always square or of a close form, the standard will be often with two points and will carry the personal marks of the lord - his badges or currencies - instead of his family emblems. The prince or the lord changed some at will, sometimes several times per annum, and they will not be taken again from one reign to another.

Two systems being used jointly on the battle fields, they will be also sometimes raised together on the emblématique one domesticates of the prince. The Mordelaises doors of Rennes for example (XVe century) carry on their stone prééminancière the armorial bearings of the dukes of Brittany framed of a square banner on a side and a standard of the other, thus insisting on the authority of the duke on all his troops.

There will be sometimes fusion of the two systems when one joins or mixes the family marks (reason for the banner) with the personal marks in long a standard-banner with two points. However this system will last little and in XVIe century already it étiole with the profit