Heraldry

Quick Facts: Who was Heraldry?

Subject:

Heraldry

Known for:

The discipline studying the design, display, and transmission of coats of arms.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Heraldry (also known as armory) is a discipline relating to the design, display, study and transmission of armorial bearings. A full heraldic achievement may include a coat of arms on a shield, helmet and crest, together with accompanying devices, such as supporters, badges, banners, and mottoes. Heraldic achievements are formally described in a blazon. Although the use of various devices to signify individuals and groups goes back to antiquity, both the form and use of such devices varied widely, as the concept of regular, hereditary designs, constituting the distinguishing feature of heraldry, did not develop until the High Middle Ages. It is often claimed that the use of helmets with face guards during this period made it difficult to recognise one's commanders in the field when large armies gathered together for extended periods, necessitating the development of heraldry as a symbolic language, but there is little support for this view.

Career & Major Achievements

The perceived beauty and pageantry of heraldic designs allowed them to survive the gradual abandonment of armour on the battlefield during the seventeenth century. Heraldry has been described poetically as "the handmaid of history", "the shorthand of history", and "the floral border in the garden of history". In modern times, individuals, public and private organisations, corporations, cities, towns, regions, and other entities use heraldry and its conventions to symbolise their heritage, achievements, and aspirations. Related disciplines include vexillology (the study of flags), genealogy, and the studies of ceremony and rank. Various symbols have been used to represent individuals or groups for thousands of years.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The earliest representations of distinct persons and regions in Egyptian art show the use of standards topped with the images or symbols of various gods, and the names of kings appear upon emblems known as serekhs, representing the king's palace, and usually topped with a falcon representing the god Horus, of whom the king was regarded as the earthly incarnation. Similar emblems and devices are found in ancient Mesopotamian art of the same period, and the precursors of heraldic beasts such as the griffin can also be found. In the Bible, the Book of Numbers refers to the standards and ensigns of the children of Israel, who were commanded to gather beneath these emblems and declare their pedigrees. The Greek and Latin writers frequently describe the shields and symbols of various heroes, and units of the Roman army were sometimes identified by distinctive markings on their shields. At least one pre-historic European object, the Nebra sky disc, is also thought to serve as a heraldic precursor.

Notable Quotes by Heraldry

“Heraldry has been described poetically as "the handmaid of history", "the shorthand of history", and "the floral border in the garden of history".”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Heraldry

True or False: “The concept of regular, hereditary designs constituting heraldry did not develop until the High Middle Ages.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While symbols existed in antiquity, the formalized system of hereditary armorial bearings developed significantly during the High Middle Ages.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Heraldry