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Archive for October, 2010

Heraldic Flags and Standards Part 1

One of the most evocative symbols is that of the flag or standard. Such objects of attention are as old as history itself. Flags have borne heraldic symbols since the advent of heraldry. Heraldic designs appear on the Bayeux Tapestry on the flags and pennants of the Flemish contingent in Duke William’s army. On the opposing side King Harold’s standard-bearer displays the “wyvern” or two-legged dragon of Wessex. The lance pennants of the Normans and Flemish at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 were made of cloth but it would seem that the standard of Wessex was carved in metal or wood. Whatever the materials, both armies at the Battle of Hastings made use of flags of some sort and they were almost certainly meant as objects of veneration, for both individuals and for entire army units.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Castle of the Week, Tsarevets Fortress, Bulgaria

From the late 12th century until the end of the 14th century the Second Bulgarian Kingdom was the largest and the most powerful state in Southeastern Europe. Tsarevets Fortress is on a hill bearing the same name in Veliko Turnovo. The castle was the primary fortress of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces. The Tsarevets Hill was the main fortress of the medieval Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo. The hill itself was inhabited as early as the 2nd millennium B.C.

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Castles, history, medieval

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The Medieval Herald Part 2

By the time of the late 14th and early 15th century the Herald had become a permanent fixture in the households of royalty and major nobility. Their primary functions was to act as emissaries, arrange tournaments and advise their master on matters relating to chivalry. While lesser nobles might have only one herald, the households of ruling dukes, princes and kings were more likely to have a number of Heralds with their own hierarchy according to experience and years of service. The Heraldic staff was headed by a King of Arms which was the highest ranking officer of Arms. The followers, known as “ Pursuivants” were apprentice Heralds.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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The Medieval Herald Part 1

Early references to Heralds in French medieval literature seem to suggest that they share a common ancestry with the minstrels, storytellers and messengers in the households of the nobility. Other 12th and 13th century writers refer to freelance individuals who followed the newly popular sport of Tournament Jousting or “ Tourneying” across Europe, employed to cry out the names of knights and recount their lineage and acts of prowess. The term “herald” seems to have its origins in the Old German word beerwald, meaning a caller or proclaimer to the army.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldry Funeral Hatchments Part 2

In Medieval times, the trappings of knighthood were carried in the funeral procession and afterwards laid in the church near the grave of the deceased. In the Low Countries (Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg) a new practice arose in the 16th century whereby the actual pieces of armor, swords, gauntlets, helm, and tabard were replaced with painted reproductions, usually made of wood. These were grouped in a frame, together with the shields of the paternal and maternal grandparents. The background of the display was painted in mourning black. Such framed displays were known as cabinets d’armes or cabinets d’honor. This practice led to the use of Hatchments (a corruption of ‘achievement’), the diamond-shaped mourning boards, many of which are still found hanging in parish churches in England today.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldry Funeral Hatchments Part 1

In the late Middle Ages up until the 20th century funeral hatchments were used to proclaim the death of a member of a titled or landed family and were emblazoned with the arms of the deceased person. The custom of displaying coats of arms in connection with funerals dates from the early days of heraldry, but the diamond shaped canvas in a wooden frame -the hatchment – was apparently introduced into Britain, from Holland, around the time of the Restoration. The word itself is a corruption of achievement, which means a coat of arms with all its appropriate accessories, such as helmet, crest, mantling and so on. Hatchments remained in fashion for about two hundred years.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Castle of the Week Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle, Bohemia, Czech Republic

The town of Hluboká nad Vltavou in southern Bohemia, the Czech Republic is home to a spectacularly romantic Neo-Gothic Castle. One of the most visited castles in the Czech Republic, Hluboká, rises on the northern edge of Budějovické pond basin, on the sharp promontory above the Vltava river. Originally a royal castle, Hluboka (Frauenberg) was founded together with the neighboring town of České Budějovice in the 13th century by the Czech King Premysl Otakar II. The King constructed the early Gothic castle around 1250, this was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century by the Lords of Hradec. Several aristocratic families took turns owning it. The important ones included the Lords of Pernštejn, who founded the nearby fishpond of Bezdrev in 1490, the second largest fishpond in Bohemia. The prominent aristocratic family of the Lords of Hradec purchased the domain in 1561. Two years later, the new owners had the original Gothic castle rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau.

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Castles, heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldic Funerals Part 3

The funeral of John, 1st and only Duke of Rothes, reveals just how elaborate an heraldic funeral on a grand scale was. The Duke passed away on July 27th 1681 and it was almost a month later on August 21st before his funeral took place. Having held the office of Lord High Chancellor of Scotland, he was afforded a full state funeral. It included every possible type of heraldic funeral trapping, as well as two complete regiments of artillery.

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heraldry, Genealogy, medieval, history

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Heraldic Funerals Part 2

In Britain the greatest age for the Heraldic funeral was the 16th and 17th centuries. The marshalling of such events was largely the responsibility of the officers of arms, who jealously guarded their rights because of the fees they could charge for their services. These fees were known as “funeral droits”. These were payable from the estate of the deceased and were considerable. The amount of the fees paid was dependent on the deceased’s degree and the rank of the Herald. In England the Heralds kept a close eye on anyone, especially painters and engravers, who might encroach on their lucrative racket.

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heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldic Funerals Part 1

By the 14th century it had become the practice at funerals of royalty and the nobility for a prominent display of heraldry to be included in the pageantry of the event, and these heraldic funerals became increasingly elaborate statements of the deceased’s social status and wealth. Heralds would attend the aristocratic funerals and issue a certificate giving the pedigree of the deceased, and details of his or her death and burial. They represented the authority of the monarchy.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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