| Heraldry1 |
|
Heraldry as an art and science began in the 12th century at the height
of the feudal system in England, Scotland and Europe. As kings found
profit in waging war and as feudal lords required men to protect their
holdings, the need for professional fighting men evolved. This was the
origin of knighthood. When wars became large-scale confrontations, and
weapons increased in sophistication, more elaborate defensive armor was
also needed. In order to protect their entire bodies, knights were soon
clad from head to foot in heavy armor. Because the helmet concealed
their identity, knights began to paint symbols on their shields and
helmets, symbols that would be recognized by friends and foes alike in
battle. Thus, the art of heraldry was born. Coats of arm, employing very
specific symbols, were derived. These symbols, first only a means of
identification, soon became a source of pride to their bearers.
The era of
knights has long passed and the study of heraldry my strike some as an
outdated pursuit. But because of the strict rules governing the granting
of arms and the precise significance of each heraldic symbol, heraldry
emerges as a kind of coded history. |
Terms to
know:
- heraldry:
originated with the Anglo-Saxons. "Here" meant an army;
"wald" meant strength. Every powerful leader had his own
herald--a richly-clothed minstrel who, after a battle or tournament
told the deeds of the victor. He wore the coat of arms of his
leader, and his status was that of a non-combatant messenger.
- armory: the science of which the rules
add the laws govern the use, display, meaning and knowledge of the
pictured signs and emblems on a shield, helmet or banner.
- coat of arms: comes from a textile
coat worn over the armor and was a product of the Crusades. Europe's
climate was cool so armor was no problem. But when the Crusaders
went to the East, they needed to protect their metal armor from the
sun's rays and rust from rain. Therefore they painted the same
decoration on the coat that was on the shield.
- an achievement: the whole armorial
decoration one is entitled to bear (i.e., shield, helmet, banner).
- shield: the most
important part of the achievement; also called escutcheon. A
shield can be of any shape--banner, parallelogram, square,
circle, oval lozenge (diamond) used by women.
- crest: the top to a helmet; on a
coat of arms, it is a figure above the escutcheon in a coat of
arms
- motto: usually a Latin phrase
having some muting to the leader or family.
- field: the background of the shield;
the field has been divided into nine areas:
|
| *A.C. Fox-Davies
(1978) A Complete Guide to Heraldry. Crown Publishers. |
| |
|
