H e r a l d r y

           

A Medieval Knight wore a coat of arms to identify himself and his lord or king

A Coat of Arms consists of these

parts:•A shield (the shape of the coat of arms)

•A field (the surface, which could be solid or patterned)

•Tinctures (colors or metals, which are symbolic)

•Charges (symbols such as objects or animals)

Common tinctures• Yellow or Gold: Generosity• White, Silver: Peace• Sable or Black: Constancy or

grief• Azure or Blue: Loyalty or Truth• Red: Military Strength• Green: Hope• Purple: Royalty

C H A R G E S: Symbols

such as animals or objects

F o x One who uses wit and wisdom in his own defense

L I O NDeathless Courage

Tiger Great fierceness and valor

B e a r Ferocity and the protection of family

W o l f One who is dangerous to attack

Elephants Courage and Strength

H o r s e

ready for duty

grasshopper Wisdom and nobility

Swords Pursuit of honor and virtue

                      

Escallop Shell

One who has made long journeys to faraway countries

H e a r t•Love•Charity•Sincerity

skulls mortality

                    

  

           

Crests• Associated with family names• Can be a part of the coat of arms • Appears above shield• Used on engravings, rings,

bookplates, and other means of displaying one's heritage

Helmets:• Varies with the bearer's rank, the

century represented, or the herald's or artist's preference.

• They can be represented as either silver (argent) or gold (or).

• The names given each helmet are merely for identification purposes.

• Most helmet are shown facing the viewer's left.Helmets facing straight forward usually denote royal status.

Crowns:• Varies with the bearer's rank, the

century represented, the country, and the artist's preference.

• They can be represented as either silver (argent), gold (or), proper (natural), or any of several colors.