Mystical Animals
The Griffin is the most used imaginary creature used in British heraldry. It is a combination between a lion, as well as an eagle. When only the head of the griffin is used on a coat of arms, the ears are what distinguish it from an eagle. Dragons are the next imaginary creature used the most. They are seen on many crests, supporters, as well as the coat of arms itself. They can appear with or without wings. The origin of the dragon is a quite interesting tale. Many believe that the inspiration of the dragon is when travelers would go to the Holy Land, in which they might have seen crocodiles on the banks of the Nile (Gough 295). The unicorn is well known as being one of the supporters for the royal arms of Great Britain. The unicorn is rather similar to a horse, but it has a horn protruding from its forehead. Its tail is tufted like that of a lion (Gough 596).
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Supporters
A figure of whatsoever kind that stands by a Shield of arms, as if supporting it or guarding it. Single supporters occasionally appear, but the general usage is to have a pair of supporters—one on each side of the supported shield (Boutell 153). They came gradually into use in the course of the fourteenth century, but were not regularly established as accessories of shields until about 1425, or rather later. Supporters probably had their origin in the figures of animals introduced by engravers of seals into the vacant spots between the shield and its circular setting (Wollaston 581).At first they were generally alike, being then duplicate representations of the badge, but subsequently the more prevalent custom was that the two Supporters should differ, as in the case of the Royal Supporters, the lion and the unicorn, famous in history as in heraldry (Boutell 153).
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Mottoes
Mottoes are phrases that are beneath a coat of arms that originated in the fourteenth century, but was not readily used until the seventeenth century. Latin was used to be heavily used, but many people today use their common tongue. The placement of the mottoes can be different depending on the country. In England it is placed beneath the coat of arms, but in Scotland it is place above the coat of arms. The mottoes can be changed at will in England, but it has to be registered again in Scotland to be changed. A motto is an aphorism, the interpretation of which can be very obscure, but may allude to a name, to the crest or a significant event in the family’s history (Friar 162).
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Cadency/Illegitimacy
Cadency is a rather important part of the British armorial system, considering it is used to differentiate children from the head of the family (Blount 53). Cadency is primarily used for the male line of a family. The cadency marks of the sons were as follows: the mark of the second son was a crescent, the third son a millet, the fourth son a mantle (a bird without feet), the fifth son an annulet, the sixth son a fleur-de-lis, the seventh son a rose, the eighth son a cress mine, and the ninth son a double quatrefoil (Blount 54). There is no mark of cadency for the daughters in the family. Cadency is used to indicate the birth order of sons. Daughters were considered equal in whichever order they were born (Blount 54). Adopted children could use the arms of their adoptive parents after being issued a royal license. Illegitimate children are one of the most undefined aspects of heraldry. They usually can use the arms of their father, providing that the father acknowledges that they are his children. A royal license will be issued, and the child or children will get their father’s coat of arms, but with a mark to differentiate that they are illegitimate, which is usually a wavy border (Blount 55).
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Heraldic Funeral
People of wealth and station in society required a good send-off, depending on their rank. By the 14th century it had become the practice at funerals of royalty and nobility for a large display of heraldry to be included in the funeral. These funerals became elaborate statements of the deceased’s social status and wealth (Slater 44). The funeral of a high ranking member of society was not just attended by family, but mourners as well. Even the deceased’s warhorse would be at the event, decked out in the heraldic trappings of its master (Slater 44). The tomb of the Black Prince, in Canterbury Cathedral, England displays numerous heraldic items that represented the prince in life. His
helmet has a crest of a lion on it, the shield he used still exists. One of the
greatest items that is at Edward’s tomb is his jupon, which is a tight fitting
tunic. This is the only surviving example of a jupon of this era in England (Black Prince 1).
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Women and Heraldry
Between the 13th and 15th centuries it became customary for European noblewomen to use the arms of their fathers and husbands on shields alone (Slater 112). Women would not have a crest on their coat of arms, which is used by men. As the shield was represented by warfare, which was traditionally associated with men, and as such it was not deemed appropriate for women (Slater 112). It was eventually replaced by another shape for the identification of the noble alliances and lineage of women, the lozenge. There is no record of when this custom was adopted (Blount 50). This lozenge is a diamond-shaped-device that became the display of the single woman’s arms in Britain, France, and so it continues to this day (Slater 113). A large heraldic feat for women was when King Charles VII of France bestowed Joan of Arc, as well as her family a coat of arms. Charles is noted to have drawn the coat himself, in which the design displayed two fleurs-de-lis in a field azure. A sword stands between the two fleurs-de-lis supporting a crown (Charles VII).
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Similarities/Differences between European and Japanese heraldry
The origins of heraldry in European and Japanese society are quite similar. They were both used to identify allies and opponents. To distinguish one person from another was the original object of heraldry; it was even necessary that no two persons should bear the same arms, even if they were of the same family (Wollaston 579). Heraldry was also used as a function of glorifying an individual by making sure their achievements were recognized (Turnbull 3). This would later branch off, so that a warrior’s descendant could be associated with their respective ancestor.
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Mon are known by their simplicity and would use images such as plants, heavenly bodies, geometric shapes, as well as animals on a rare occasion. Due to this simplicity, mon is much easier to identify than the European model of heraldry. The particular colors of a mon are never specified, which is large difference from European heraldry. A mon is depicted as black upon white or the opposite (Turnbull 5). The use of color would be introduced in the design of the flags that would be used on the battlefield. Another key difference would be that of the surcoats worn by knights and samurai. A knight had heraldic quartering on his surcoat, while the Japanese equivalent the jinbaori had it rarely appears at all. This garment would be heavily embroided with images that did not depict any heraldic significance (Turnbull 5).
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Origins of Heraldry
The exact origin of heraldry is a debated fact among most
scholars. The earliest evidence of the
passing down of a family’s coat of arms comes from the arms of William Longspee
who received his father’s shield in the 12th century.(Slater 13) This is the
first documented proof scholars have of a coat of arms being passed down
through a blood line.
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Usage of Heraldry
A jousting tournament depicted in the Royal Armory Manuscript c.1448
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The original usage for Heraldry comes from a military purpose. Because of the heavy armor
, it was often hard to distinguish
between enemies and allies on the battlefield.
It was so hard to distinguish one solider from another in full armor
that William the Conquer once had to remove his helmet in the battle of
Hastings in order to identify himself to his followers. The coat of arms was
used for identification.(Woodcock 155)
Heraldry was also used as a seal or personal mark distinguishing a particular family or person. Their own distinct coat of arms would become in a sense an extension of themselves. Their arms were used in decoration from tapestries to carvings which adorned their own holdings.(Slater 12) Even the staff of a noble man would dawn his arms in order to identify whom he worked for. In some cases, the coat of arms would act as a badge of diplomatic immunity for travelers among warring regions. The arms of benefactors were placed on buildings for which they funded, the most common being churches. This came from the belief that even if the family was not there, their arms would remind God to look favorable upon them during mass and grant them blessings.(Slater 14-15) The most widely known usage of heraldry is that of the tournament. The knight’s arms became their own personal symbol and mascot. Supporters of a particular knight would hold up the knight’s arms in support or would sit near his arms in the audience. Much like a modern day school mascot, the charges on the arms would serve as identification for the knight. For example if one of the charges shown for a particular knight was a deer, the deer would be his mascot, and spectators would reference the deer in costumes or in their cheering much like a modern day football game. (Slater 22-27) Back to Top |
The Shield
The shield is the central part, or heart off of a heraldic crest, Some of the earliest modification came in the form of reinforcement such as an extra panel across or a reinforced border. Wasn’t until the Renaissance that the elaborate detailing was added on to the shield. The shield was made to be easily distinguishable and recognizable. The shield is made up of three basic parts tinctures ,charges, and ordinances.(Allock 39)
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Pitsligo Castle Trust Crest
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Tinctures
Tincture is the term used to describe the different colors, metals, and furs on the shield. The colors used were Blue(Azure), Red(Gules), Black(Sable), Green(Vert), Orange(Tenne), Purple(Purpure), and Dark Red( Sanguine). The metals were gold/yellow(Or) and silver/white(argent). The furs consisted if Ermines, Pean, Vair, Ermine, Erminois, Potent, Counterpotent and Countervair. The main rule in regards to choosing colors and metals was that ,”no color should lay upon color, nor metal upon metal) This basically means that if the shields background color was blue(Azure) that it’s charges must be gold/yellow or silver/white. The charges cannot be another color. (Wagner 51)
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Charges
Lion Charge
Charge of an Eagle
The Tudor Rose Charge
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A charge is a figure or any kind of symbol found on a shield. Examples include animals, lowers, mythical beasts, and inanimate objects.
Animals One of the most common animals shown was the lion who was considered King of the Beasts .A lion was thought to symbolize bravery, ferocity and strength, which is why the English royal coat of arms consists of three lions. The stag was common symbol of the hunt and as such was a symbol of nobility and the king. After the stag, the boar was the next popular because of its exclusivity in the hunt and its ties to a noble way of life. The wolf, Hare, bull, bear and dog were the remaining popular animals used as charges. Usually the closer the animals ties to the noble way of life, the more likely their were to be used in as charges for nobility.(Milton 12) Birds Birds were the second most popular charges next to animals. The king of the birds the eagle was the most popular and gave an air of ruling order, while lesser birds like the pelican came to symbolize self sacrifice. Still birds like falcons’ associated with the noble hunt remained a popular charge.(Milton 38) Flowers Some of the most notorious rulers in history had flowers as there arms. From the York and Lancaster family’ all the way up to the Tudor Rose, the rose remained a popular charge in England. Often times flowers of a specific region or associated with a certain family would become charges as well. Take for example the fleur de lis which is the royal arms of France. (Slater 91) Inanimate Objects Objects such as boats, castles, or crowns were often used as charges. Most often these objects would have a direct meaning for the family, such as a property, a royal ancestor, or even a profession they were known for. (Slater 97) Back to Top |
Division of the Shield
Meanings
Heraldry at its origin was not made with much thought to the
symbolism. In fact, the earliest known descriptions
of symbolism came from Sir John Ferne’s The Glory of Generositite(1586).(Woodcock 127)
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Web Links
Modern Day Symbolism
http://www.familytreesandcrests.com/heraldry-symbols.htm
Make Your Own Crest
http://myblazon.com/
References
Allcock, Hubert. Heraldic Design: Its Orgins, Ancient Forms and Modern Usage. New York City: Tudor Publishing, 1962.
Boutell, Charles, and Arthur Charles Davies. The Handbook to English Heraldry. 11th ed. London: Reeves & Turner, 1914.
Blount, LaWanna. "Women in the Age of Chivalry and Heraldry." Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, no. 3-4 (2010): 47-58.
Charles VII, King of France. Letter bestowing Joan of Arc and family armorial bearings. Chinon. 2 Jun. 1429. De Agostini Picture Library. http://www.maidofheaven.com/joanofarc_coat_of_arms.asp
Friar, Stephen, and John Ferguson. Basic Heraldry. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993.
“Grant of Arms to Sir Nicholas,” Parchment and Ink, 27 February 1568/9, British Museum. In English Heraldic Manuscripts in the British Museum, C.E. Wright,14. London:The British Library Board,1973.
Milton, Roger. Heralds and History. Newton Abbot ,England: David & Charles, 1978.
“Portcullis’ Book,” Parchment and Ink, c.1440, British Museum. In English Heraldic Manuscripts in the British Museum, C.E. Wright,6. London:The British Library Board,1973.
Slater, Stephen. The Illustrated Book of Heraldry: An International History of Heraldry and Its Contemporary Uses. Leicestershire, Eng.: Lorenz Books, 2013.
Tomb of Edward, the Black Prince. c. 1380. Marble. Canterbury Cathedral, England.
http://www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/#/bp-tomb/4567153894.
http://www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/#/bp-tomb/4567153894.
Turnbull, Stephen R., and Angus McBride. Samurai Heraldry. Oxford: Osprey, 2002.
Wagner, Anthony. Heralds and Ancestors. London: British Museum Publications, 1978.
Wollaston, Gerald Woods. "Heraldry." Journal of the Royal Society of Arts 81, no. 4198 (1933): 574-86.
Woodcock, Thomas, and John Martin Robinson. The Oxford
Guide to Heraldry. Oxford ,England: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Image References
The Bayeux Tapestry
http://www.medievalists.net/2009/06/11/the-bayeux-tapestry/
Griffin
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/504684701966619347/
Heraldic Crest
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Complete_Guide_to_Heraldry/Chapter_11
Royal Supporters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom
Motto of Clan Bruce
http://www.oldthingsforgotten.com/robertbruce.htm
Cadency System Illustration
http://talossa.proboards.com/thread/1997
The Black Prince Tomb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward,_the_Black_Prince
Griffin Surcoat
http://www.outfit4events.com/czk/product/6822-falworth-surcoat/
Japanese Jinbaori
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-black-leather-jinbaori-edo-period-1367220-details.aspx?intObjectID=1367220
Momument to John and Margaret Byron
http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/colwick-old-church/hmonumnt.php
Roll of Arms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_arms
Jousting Tournament
(http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/news/news_tournament_module.html)
Shield
www.pitsligo-castle.org.uk
Tinctures-Furs
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/vxt-h1a.html
Lion Charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_%28heraldry%29
Eagle Charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_%28heraldry%29
Tudor Rose
http://www.thetudorswiki.com/page/HERALDRY+of+the+Tudors
Division of Shield Diagram
http://www.internationalheraldry.com/
http://www.medievalists.net/2009/06/11/the-bayeux-tapestry/
Griffin
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/504684701966619347/
Heraldic Crest
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Complete_Guide_to_Heraldry/Chapter_11
Royal Supporters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom
Motto of Clan Bruce
http://www.oldthingsforgotten.com/robertbruce.htm
Cadency System Illustration
http://talossa.proboards.com/thread/1997
The Black Prince Tomb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward,_the_Black_Prince
Griffin Surcoat
http://www.outfit4events.com/czk/product/6822-falworth-surcoat/
Japanese Jinbaori
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-black-leather-jinbaori-edo-period-1367220-details.aspx?intObjectID=1367220
Momument to John and Margaret Byron
http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/colwick-old-church/hmonumnt.php
Roll of Arms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_arms
Jousting Tournament
(http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/news/news_tournament_module.html)
Shield
www.pitsligo-castle.org.uk
Tinctures-Furs
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/vxt-h1a.html
Lion Charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_%28heraldry%29
Eagle Charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_%28heraldry%29
Tudor Rose
http://www.thetudorswiki.com/page/HERALDRY+of+the+Tudors
Division of Shield Diagram
http://www.internationalheraldry.com/