Montjoie les Léopards

Montjoie les Léopards is the traditional battle cry used by the knights of the Duchy of Normandy. Originating in the Leopard Brothers Horik and Hyngwar Rognvaldsson, it is associated with the ceremonial banner Montjoie and forms the basis of Norman knightly identity. The cry is now used by the Normandokarum Fyrd.

History

The battle cry was named after the banner of the Leopard Brothers, two famous mercenary warlords of Valtian origin who entered the service of King Clovis VII of Franciana. Under the Treaty of Pont l'Évêque, the brothers were granted the island of Quercy and appointed Counts of Quercy, placing them under King Clovis's command. The Montjoie banner, in turn, was named after the rocky promontory at Quercy, where ceremonies took place, a source of great symbolic joy for all involved.

This action fulfilled the Leopard Brothers' long-cherished ambitions and strivings to acquire noble titles and lands they had been unable to attain in Valtia. In turn, King Clovis benefited greatly from their military support, particularly during the War of the Hands of Hallvarður. In this war, their intervention saved Franciana from impending collapse, leading to further concessions for the Leopard Brothers.

First usage in battle

The battle cry Montjoie les Léopards was first shouted during the Battle of Narresroux, where the Leopard Legion, reinforced by knights and men-at-arms provided by King Clovis, achieved a decisive victory over an army from the Kingdom of Vermandois. From that point forward, it became a rallying cry for Norman forces.

Decline and revival

Following the collapse of Stormark in 1685 AN, the knightly orders of Normandie dissolved, and the cry fell into disuse. However, it was ceremonially revived in 1744 AN by the Normandie Restoration Army (NRA), having been stripped of its Vanic religious elements in line with the restorationist movement’s Nazarene orientation.

In 1745 AN, Montjoie les Léopards was officially adopted by the Normandokarum Fyrd, the newly formalized military force responsible for the defense of Normandie and the Karum region, inheriting many functions previously held by knightly orders.

Contemporary use

Today, the battle cry is still in official use by the Normandokarum Fyrd, particularly during military parades and battlefield deployments. It has also been used—albeit rarely—by units of the East and North Normandie (EANN). The EANN, which focuses on preserving the ancestral Heartlander culture, generally refrains from invoking symbols seen as connected to feudalism or Vanic influence.

Nonetheless, Montjoie les Léopards remains a potent and enduring emblem of Norman martial heritage, signifying the union of nobility, chivalry, and national identity.