Medieval Heraldry

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Heraldry is a system of signs and symbols, which originated in the Middle Ages as means of recognizing warriors on the battlefield. Since armor or coat of mail was worn, it was not difficult to distinguish friend from enemies even at some distance, for each man wore a uniquely designed shield. Medieval Heraldry originated early in the 12th century in Europe. Back in the earlier centuries when they battled, the knights could not distinguish between the opponents or their own kind, because the armors were very similar. So the knights began to decorate their shields with different colors and shapes so they can know who to kill and who is on their side. Also it helped see them from a distance. The design wasn?t the only thing. The knights wore …show more content…

The shield also has fur, and that suggest a mark of dignity. The mantle represented the cloth that hang from the wreath, and it was also used to protect the head, back, and neck. The helmet varies with the bearer's rank and the century represented. The wreath is usually a primary color and is metal. The crest is whatever appears above the helmet, and there is always a crest on a coat of arms.
Blazon is a formal description of, most often, a coat of arms or flag, which enables a person to construct or reconstruct the appropriate image. The officers of arms developed the system of blazoning arms that is used today since the dawn of the art. This includes a description of the shield, the crest, and, mottoes. An understanding of these rules is one of the keys to sound practice of heraldry. The rules do differ from country to country, but there are some aspects that carry over in each jurisdiction.
The science of heraldry is not well known and underestimated in its importance in the Middle Ages. Today heraldry has been stopped in most places, but in Great Britain and Africa they still use coats of arms to show their ancestry. In England, the colleges chooses who has the right to have a coat of arms, like in the Medieval Times. Though heraldry is nearly 900 years old, it is still very much in use. Personal heraldry,

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