Commentary Par XXXI 127

This arresting oxymoron, 'peaceful oriflamme' (or 'battle flag of peace'), has a varied history in the commentaries.  Most trace its origin to the French royal battle standard.  Scott (Scot.2002.1), p. 488, points out that, whereas many contemporary commentators say that this banner of the French kings, maintained at St. Denis, was red, it was actually red and gold, as its Latin derivation makes plain (auri fiamma [golden flame]).  Earlier notice of this begins perhaps with Benvenuto (DDP Benvenuto.Par.XXXI.124-129): 'Maria flamma ignis aeterni et aurea' (Mary, a golden tongue of eternal fire).  Venturi (DDP Venturi.Par.XXXI.127) seems to have been the first to identify the French provenance of the banner and the view that whoever fought beneath it was unconquerable.  A French tradition claimed that the banner was first brought to the son of the Christian emperor Constantine by an angel.  Andreoli (DDP Andreoli.Par.XXXI.127) refines the source of the tale a bit, referring to a version indicating that Charlemagne fought under it.  The most complex discussion of the various possibilities is found in Scartazzini (DDP Scartazzini.Par.XXXI.127).  See Oelsner's brief exposition (DDP Oelsner.Par.XXXI.127), which, however, reverses the more usual relations between the red and the gold: 'The Oriflamme (aurea flamma) was the standard given by the Angel Gabriel to the ancient kings of France, representing a [red] flame on a golden ground.  No one who fought under it could be conquered.  The golden glow of heaven is the invincible ensign not of war but peace.' 

Most who write about this verse play up the opposed values of the two elements in this image, Mary's peaceful conquest as opposed to the French (or any) king's military exploits.  However, we should remember that this gathering, too, is an army, if now a triumphant one, with all but a final battle (that of the returning Christ against Antichrist at the end of days) behind it.  (For a view in absolute disagreement with this one, see Porena [DDP Porena.Par.XXXI.127].)  While there is some dispute about whether the oriafiamma is Mary alone, all the Rose (including her), or some portion of the blessed souls distinct from her, see Trucchi (DDP Trucchi.Par.XXXI.124-129) for an interesting solution.  The oriafiamma is the entire Rose, Mary is the golden flame, the rest of the blessed (the petals of the 'rose') the red background.  While this is not in accord with the minority explanation of what is figure, what background, it surely is worth serious consideration for its complete explanation of all the elements in the image.  However, it is clear that Mary is the light referred to as the Sun in both similes.  She is at the center (nel mezzo) of things as the protagonist now sees them.

For a study of the resonance of martial epic in the poem, particularly in Paradiso, see Hollander (Holl.1989.1), who, however, fails to consider this verse as part of that resonance.