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Home , Dieu et mon droit, Gules, Heraldic badge, Manticore

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APRIL ACTIVITY PACK WELCOME TO MUSEUM CLUB ...... AT HOME! Hello Everyone!

In this pack you can learn about which is the art and science of designing your own which began in the Middle Ages. There are also some art activities to try out and some longer projects you can work on. If you want to have a go and get your family involved please do! Send me pictures of what you've created any questions you have about the subject.

See you all soon!

Rachel

WHAT IS HERALDRY?

Heraldry is the way in which families and could be identified through the use of symbols and signs, either on banners, shields or seals. In it started in the later 1100s, when knights began to wear helmets which covered their faces, and they couldn't be recognised. So they began to paint unique combinations of colours, called their 'arms', on their shields and banners. Only one person was allowed to use these arms, so when people saw a wearing them in a battle or , they could tell who he was.

As time went by these coats of arms became more and more elaborate as families began to incorporate objects and animals into the design. By 1200 knights were travelling far across Europe and needed to develop an image that was a true personal statement conveying who they were and what they valued.

Above are two shield brasses from Norwich Castle. HOW IS IT MADE?

THE COLOURS OF HERALDRY When heraldry began, knights and their families spoke Norman French. People who study heraldry today still use this language to describe coat of arms. Early coat of arms needed to be bright and distinctive enough to be recognised across a battlefield. The five traditional colours and two metals are:

Red = Blue = Green = Black = Purple = Gold/yellow = Or Silver/white = HERALDIC ORDINARIES Ordinaries are the simple shapes used on heraldic shields, against a colour, metal or fur background. The patterns on the left are the main types of ordinaries.

COMPARTMENT Around the shield there is often further embellishment such as a mound on which the shield can stand, it usually fits in with the arms’ design such as a grassy hill or pebbly beach, sea waves or brickwork.

MOTTO Mottoes, probably deriving from battle cries, express hopes or sentiments important to the bearer and usually appear on a scroll beneath both the shield.

HERALDIC CHARGES Charges are added to the shield, on the background, the '', or both. There can be one big , or several smaller repeated ones. Here are some of the common charges you could use Crosses, Stars, Rings, Balls, Crescents, Diamonds, Flowers CREATE A COAT OF ARMS

CHALLENGE: Design a coat of arms that represents you. Start off by drawing the shield, you can either use the template below or come up with your own design. Add in the Ordinaries, the and the Heraldic Charges. Think about what different colours, shapes and images best represent you. You can use the traditional patterns and objects or create your own meanings. You might want to use objects from around your home as inspiration.

If you have time you can also add in ‘’ which are usually two animals either side of the shield and come up with your own . A motto should be a short, aspirational sentence and that reflects who you are and what you believe in. Bonus points if you translate it into Latin. OBJECT & ANIMAL CHARGES

As time went on Knights began to incorporate more and more complex imagery in to really show who they were, they used objects and animals that symbolised different qualities such as:

ANCHOR: The of hope, usually painted with a rope attached. BOOK: Denotes learning and a willingness to listen. Often painted with a motto on the page. CASTLE: The emblem of safety : Emblematic of fortitude and magnanimity of mind FOX: Emblematic of intelligence and a refusal to be captured HORSE SHOE: The age-old symbol of good luck OWL: No surprise, the symbol of prudence and wisdom PARCHMENT: Depicted in a roll, an emblem of wisdom RAINBOW: A symbol of hope and prosperity : The heraldic of TOWER: The symbol of strength and protection WHALE: Emblematic of patience and understanding YEW TREE: An ancient English symbol of hope

THE The only animal to be used in very early heraldry that was not indigenous to Western Europe was the king of beasts: the lion, symbolising strength and courage. Originally displayed ‘rampant’ standing on his hind legs, claws bared, he was soon represented by lots of different imposing postures which could fill a shield. One reason why are shown in so many different ways is because when heraldry developed, a lot of people wanted a lion on their coat of arms, but no two coats of arms can be the same. So they placed them a lot of different positions and in every colour used in heraldry. A famous modern example is are the three lions that appear on the England football team’s shirts. FANTASTIC BEASTS

Charges were not just limited to actual animals, they also included mythical beasts such as and . Some people believed these creatures really existed, maybe because they'd heard about them in stories made up by travelers to distant lands, like crusading knights or merchant adventurers. Pictures of them also appeared in '', a popular kind of illustrated medieval story-book on animals both real and mythical.

GRIFFIN: (or ‘gryphon’) has the wings, head, claws and breast of an eagle, but its tail and hindquarters are those of a lion and it also has ears. The ‘male’ (a later invention) has no wings but has horns and often sports spikes on its tail. Symbolises watchfulness and courage and also guards treasure.

COCKATRICE: a cross between a cockerel and a , supposedly hatched from an egg by a snake or toad. It could kill by looking at you, and symbolised protection.

DRAGON: the earliest and most common fabulous beast, also used as a badge by Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. A brave and cunning defender of treasure with a forked tongue, horny head, four legs with talons as feet, -like wings, a pointed tail, and rolls of scales on its chest.

MANTICORE: or 'man-': a fearsome man-eating creature with a lion's body, man's face, tusks, horns and a deafening trumpet-like voice.

WYVERN: a close relation of the dragon, except it has only two legs. When its belly, chest and the inside of its wings are red and its legs, back and head are green it is said to be coloured proper (its natural colours) but since it doesn’t really exist nobody can know for sure.

CHALLENGE: Grab a pencil and paper! Can you create a page for your own mythical beast by combining two different animals? Think about what powers it might have, where it lives, what it eats and what it represents. HERALDRY TODAY

Although heraldry was originally associated with people, arms were soon granted to places such as towns and cities and even colleges and companies. Even today grants of arms are issued to families and services who use them as a powerful tool of identity. It is fascinating to see how heraldry changes with the times, incorporating new images and meanings.

CHALLENGE: Below are six coats of arms belonging to five different countries and one city. Can you use your detective skills to figure out the place that each coat of arms belongs to? (Answers on last page) LOOKING CLOSER...

Many of you know our fabulous Museum Club Volunteer / Artist extraordinaire Yasmin. She's been busy setting up an online art project to keep people busy and creative whilst they're at home. She has set up an Instagram account called @lookingcloserproject in which she's setting people art challenges and sharing their creations.

Here are some of her challenges and drawings. If you would like to join in email me your pictures and I'll share them with Yas! #LOOKINGCLOSERPROJECT

Draw an object, arrangement, or person about the house without looking down at them. This can be using any material or digital/pen and paper. Don't worry if lines overlap or don't join - sometimes the best drawings without precision! HERALDRY DETECTIVE ANSWERS:

USA - The bald eagle holds a bundle of 13 arrows in its left talon (referring to the 13 original states), and an olive branch in its right talon, together symbolizing that the United States has "a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war"

The UK- The shield is quartered, depicting the three lions of England, the rampant lion of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland. The shield is supported by an English lion and Scottish . According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained. In the greenery below, a thistle, Tudor and shamrock are depicted, representing Scotland, England and Ireland respectively. The motto 'Dieu et Droit' means ‘God and my Right’, which has descended to the present royal family.

Australia -The emblems in the shield represent the 6 states. The Red Kangaroo and Emu are Australian fauna (native only on that continent), They were chosen to symbolise a nation moving forward, based on the fact that neither animal can move backwards easily.

Botswana - The three waves symbolize water, and reminds the viewer of the motto of the nation: pula, which means simply "rain", but also good luck, and is also the name of the nation's currency. At the bottom of the shield is the head of a bull, which symbolises the importance of herding in Botswana. The two zebras also symbolise the importance of wildlife, through tourism, in the national economy. Also, zebra have black and white stripes which represent equality of people of all colours in Botswana.

The Bahamas - The shield is supported by a marlin and flamingo, the country's national animals. The on top of the helm is a conch shell, which represents the varied marine life of the island chain. Below the helm is the shield itself, whose main charge is a ship, reputed to represent the Santa María of Christopher Columbus.

Norwich City Council - The city council's arms consist of a red shield featuring a silver-domed castle above a royal lion.