On June 19, 1269, King Louis IX of France decreed that all Jews in his kingdom must wear an identifying yellow badge in public, or face a fine of ten livres of silver. This legislation was part of a broader trend of anti-Semitic measures across Europe, designed to segregate and stigmatize the Jewish population. Louis IX, who was later canonized as a saint, was a devout Christian king who sought to enforce religious purity within his realm.

Louis IX's decree was a significant event in the history of Jewish persecution, and it was noted in both Christian and Jewish chronicles. The yellow badge became a symbol of discrimination and marginalization, appearing in numerous literary works as a marker of otherness. This period also saw the emergence of anti-Semitic themes in vernacular literature, such as in the poems of Rutebeuf, which vilified Jews and contributed to a hostile cultural climate.