Heraldic Symbolism and Convention Information extracted from an article by Eddie Geoghegan Flood Coat of Arms requisitioned by and the property of floodancestry.ca Flood Ancestry .ca 2 Heraldic Symbolism and Convention Extracted from Coats of Arms from Ireland and Around the World By Eddie Geoghegan The precise origins of heraldry are cloudy at best. What is almost certain is that painting patterns on shields and / or armour has a military origin, born out of the need for a leader to be recognisable. It is said that the crusaders painted crosses on their shields and it is also said that the Romans did something similar. In Ireland there are many references to the battle standards of the first millennium Gaelic chieftains whose symbolism later appears on coats of arms. So some kind of visual symbolism, designed to identify individuals and groups existed before the emergence of formal heraldry. It was the Normans who formalized heraldry and by the twelfth century many Norman lords had a "recognized" coat of arms. The first recorded heraldic debate broke out in 1385 when Sir Richard Le Scrope and Sir Robert Grosvenor, fought over the right to bear "Azure a bend Or". Le Scrope won, by the way. It was in the reign of Henry V of England (1413-22) that a royal proclamation is issued, prohibiting the use of heraldic ensigns except by those who could show an original a valid right. The proclamation was largely ignored. In the sixteenth century the first official Kings of Arms were set up, with authority (indeed duty) to appoint deputies to record and adjudicate on the coats of arms in use all over England and its territories. In these islands, coat of arms are now granted under the authority of the Earl Marshall, by Garter and one of the provincial Kings (of Arms) such as Clarenceux or Norroy (England and Wales), Lyon King of Arms (Scotland) and Ulster King of Arms (Ireland - now superceded by the Chief Herald of Ireland). This situation has pertained since at least the seventeenth century. Of course the rules of heraldry, not having the force of law, depend on us all behaving like gentlemen. The exception here is Scotland where heraldry has the force of law - the implication being, it seems to me, that the Scots don't know how to behave like gentlemen. I'm curious to know when the Scottish courts last heard a case of misuse of arms. Over the centuries, the use of coats of arms became less a matter of need and more one of status. In class-conscious societies, the use of heraldic devices became linked with systems of nobility, to the point that what you could display on your arms depended on your rank within the noble pecking order (see the section on helms, below, for example). On the bottom rung of the ladder was the esquire or gentleman and at the top the king with multiple ranks in between. Below the bottom rung were the masses, regarded by the upper echelons as something less than real people. Of course, this whole system was swept away in most countries as the concept of democracy swept across the western world and many countries, including the U.S.A. and Ireland have constitutional bans on title of nobility, on the basis that "all men are equal". Even in Britain, where hereditary titles of nobility have survived and even retained powers, the reformation of the House of Lords, will result in the hereditary peers losing their vote. Recent decades have seen a major rise in interest in coats of arms, mainly as a result of an increase in the numbers of people, especially descendants of emigrants, studying their genealogy and family history. Almost inevitably, at some point in the study of a family history, the question pops up, "What is my family coat of arms?" 3 In keeping with the family / sept / clan structure known to have pertained in historical Ireland, the Office of the Chief Herald takes the view that the concept of sept arms (or family coats of arms) is perfectly acceptable. What is a coat of arms? The complete design ensemble is called an achievement of arms and consists of several parts. The escutcheon or shield is the most important and displays the primary heraldic symbolism of the arms. Indeed, the escutcheon may be the only component of many coats of arms. The shape of the shield is not defined exactly and provided that it generally resembles a shield in appearance, just about any shape is acceptable. In English heraldry women bear arms, not on a shield, but on a lozenge. Positions on the shield have their own descriptors. Right and left are referred to as "dexter" and "sinister" and always relate to the shield as if you were standing behind it. In other words the dexter side is the right side as you stand behind or the left as you look at the shield. The top of the shield is called the "chief", the middle the "fess point" and the bottom the "base". Combining these gives you terms like "dexter chief", sinister base", and so on. Shields are often divided into quarters referred to as 1st (dexter chief), 2nd (sinister chief), 3rd (dexter base) and 4th (sinister base). In any blazon (heraldic description), the first descriptor always refers to the colour or division of the shield, so a coat of arms that is simply described as "sable" consists of a simple black shield with no adornment. We will look at colours, divisions and symbols later. The helm was added to arms before the beginning of the 14th century and in the 16th century, its form and position were modified in English heraldry to indicate the rank of the bearer. Generally, nowadays, the helm represents mere decoration. There are four kinds of helm in English heraldry, 4 though others are also used in heraldic practice in other countries, according to style. 1) Kings and Princes of royal blood. The helm is full faced, composed of gold, with the beauvoit divided by six projecting bars and lined with crimson. 2) Nobility. Made of steel, with five gold bars covering the face. It is shown inclining to profile. 3) Knights and Baronets. Full faced steel helmet with the visor open and no bars. 4) Esquires and Gentlemen (basically all others). A helmet of steel with the visor closed. It is always shown in profile (either full profile or partial) facing to the dexter (the helm's right the viewer's left). The style in which each of these helms is displayed varies from artist to artist, however, the key features are the colour and the attitude (full faced or in profile). The crest is the oldest of armorial bearings having its origins in ancient Greece and Rome. In heraldry it is represented attached to the top of the helmet or above the shield. Certain families have several crests. In English heraldry in is not usual for a coat of arms to include more than one crest. However, a person with two surnames may display two coats of arms. In some continental European countries multiple crest are often displayed. The crest was often shown on cutlery, dishes, etc. which was often passed on from one generation to the next. This probably gave rise to the phrase "family crest" which has somehow come to erroneously mean the same thing as coat of arms. In a knight's full regalia, the crest would have literally been attached to the top of his helmet, so it is often a much more three dimensional object than the shield. The wreath or torse represent twisted ribbons tinctured of the principal metal and colour of the shield and are sited above the shield (or helm if shown) and below the crest. The torse is generally coloured of principal colours (metal and colour - see below) of the shield. In some continental European coats of arms, the colour of the mantling (see below) is specified. In such cases, the torse should be coloured to match the mantling. The motto is a phrase or sentence alluding to the family, the arms, or the crest or sometimes a traditional war cry, especially among the Celts. It is placed in a scroll above the crest or below the shield. It is not infrequently found that a coat of arms will include two mottoes, one above the crest and one below the shield. Sometimes mottoes are even incorporated into the coat of arms proper - especially the crest. Mottoes are often not recorded with a grant of arms. Mottoes are often written in Latin, French and English. In Celtic countries it is not unusual to find mottoes in the native Gaelic language. The mantle originally was a representation of the piece of cloth that protected the helmet from the heat of the sun. It became more decorative and was usually shown in the principal colours (usually a metal and a colour) of the shield, however in some grants of arms the colours are actually specified. There are many ways of displaying the mantling, from the simplest to the really complex and there is no set rules as to exactly how they should be drawn. The supporters date from the fourteenth century and are figures, usually people or animals, placed either side of the shield. It is said that they owe their origin to the practice of knights armour bearers dressing up in all sort of fancy and grotesque regalia at tournaments. In English (and Irish) heraldry, only certain nobility and royalty are permitted supporters and so most arms do not include them.