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Heraldry, History &
Inheritance
While the use of
distinguishing symbols have been adopted by the world\'s tribes and nations
stretching back into ancient history, heraldry as we now define it first became
established in Europe following the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066, rapidly
gaining in popularity during the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th
century. More properly referred to as armory, heraldry is a system of
identification that uses hereditary personal devices portrayed on shields and
later as crests, on surcoats (worn over armor), bardings (armor and trappings
for horses), and banners (personal flags used throughout the middle ages), to
assist in the identification of knights in battle and in tournaments. These
distinctive devices, marks, and colors, most commonly referred to as coats of
arms for the display of arms on surcoats, were first adopted by the greater
nobility. By the mid-13th century, however, coats of arms were also in extensive
use by lesser nobility, knights, and those who later came to be known as
gentlemen.
Inheritance of Coats of Arms
By custom
during the middle ages, and later by law through granting authorities, an
individual coat of arms belonged to one man only, being passed from him to his
male-line descendants. There is, therefore, no such thing as a coat of arms for
a surname. Basically, it is one man, one arms, a reminder of the origin of
heraldry as a means of instant recognition in the thick of battle. Because of
this descent of coats of arms through families, heraldry is very important to
genealogists, providing evidence of family relationships. Of special
significance:
Cadency -
The sons in each generation
inherit the paternal shield, but alter it slightly in a tradition known as
cadency with the addition of some mark which, in theory at least, is perpetuated
in their branch of the family. The eldest son also follows this tradition, but
reverts back to the paternal coat of arms upon the death of his father.
Marshalling -
When families were merged through
marriage it was common practice to also merge or combine their respective coat
of arms. This practice, known as marshalling, is the art of arranging several
coats of arms in one shield, for the purpose of denoting the alliances of a
family. Several common methods include impaling, placing the arms of the husband
and wife side by side on the sheild; escutcheon of pretense, placing the arms of
the wife\'s father on a small shield in the center of the husband\'s shield; and
quartering, commonly used by children to display the arms of their parents, with
the father\'s arms in the first and fourth quarters, and their mother\'s in the
second and third.
Bearing of Arms by Women -
Women
have always been able to inherit arms from their fathers and to receive grants
of coats of arms. They can only pass these inherited arms on to their children
if they have no brothers, however - making them heraldic heiresses. Since a
woman usually did not wear armor in the Middle Ages, it became convention to
display the coat of arms of her father in a lozenge (diamond) shaped field,
rather than a shield, if widowed or unmarried. When married, a woman could bear
the shield of her husband upon which her arms are marshalled.
Granting of Coats of Arms
Coats of arms are granted
by the Kings of Arms in England and the six counties of Northern Ireland, the
Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland, and the Chief Herald of Ireland
in the Republic of Ireland. The College of Arms holds the official register of
all coats of arms or heraldry in England and Wales. Other countries, including
the United States, Australia, and Sweden, also maintain records of or allow
people to register coats of arms, though no official restrictions or laws are
imposed on the bearing of arms. The
traditional method of displaying a coat of arms is called an achievement
of arms and consists of six basic parts:
The shield
The escutcheon
or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms is known as the
shield. This comes from the fact that in medieval times the shield borne on the
arm of a knight was ornamented with various devices in order to identify him to
his friends in the midst of battle. Also known as a heater, the shield
displays the unique colors and charges (lions, designs, etc. that appear on the
shield) that. Shield shapes may vary according to their geographical origin as
well as the time period.
The helm
The helm or helmet
is used to indicate the rank of the bearer of the arms from the gold full-faced
helm of royalty to the steel helmet with closed visor of a gentleman.
The crestBy the end of the 13th
century many nobles and knights had adopted a secondary hereditary device called
a crest. Most commonly made of feathers, leather, or wood, the crest was used to
help distinguish the helm, similar to the device on the shield.
The mantle
Originally
intended to shield the knight from the heat of the sun and to ward off rain, the
mantle was a piece of cloth placed over the helmet, draping down the back to the
base of the helm. The mantle, contoise, or lambrequin is often embellished on
the artistic coat of arms to give prominence to the arms and crest, and is
usually presented as ribbons over the helm.
The wreath
The wreath is a
twisted silken scarf used to cover the joint where the crest is attached to the
helmet. Modern heraldry depicts the wreath as if two colored scarves had been
braided together, the colors showing alternately. These colors are the same as
the first named metal and the first named color in the blazon, and are known as
\"the colors.\"
The motto
Not officially
granted with a coat of arms, mottos are a phrase which incorporates the basic
philosophy of the family or an ancient war cry. They may or may not be present
on an individual coat of arms, and are normally placed below the shield or
occasionally above the crest.
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