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The Limitations of Heraldry Part 2

Arms of casual origin include the basic ordinaries of the chief, fesse, chevron, and pale and they probably owe their origin to the bands of metal added to a shield for the sake of increasing its strength. A very early instance is the gold pale (vertical band) on a red shield Gules a pale or, belonging to Hugh de Drandemesnil, in the reign of Henry I. Banded and studded shields appears on the pre-heraldic Bayeux Tapestry. Such shields became heraldic in character when the strengthening pieces were colored differently from the surface (field) of the shield upon which they were laid.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

The Limitations of Heraldry Part 1

The writer Planché memorably described Heraldry as “ the shorthand of history,” but in quoting that phrase the limitations of Heraldry and the dimensions of history must not be overlooked. The idea that every Coat of Arms has a symbolic meaning is false; it is not true of Heraldry, as in commercial advertising, that “every picture tells a story.”

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

Heraldry and The Crusades Part 7

The most ancient of all of the Heraldic symbols dating to the time of the crusades is the ‘bezant’ or gold coin. The term Bezant is of Eastern origin being derived from the name Byzantium, the gold roundel representing a Byzantine coin. The bezant is found upon the Coat of Arms of Burlay of Wharfdale, Gules a bezant or.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

Heraldry and The Crusades Part 6

The crescent was not the only heraldic symbol that has survived from the crusades. Other notable charges dating from the time of the crusades are the escallop shell and the water bouget, it does not however follow that every family that bore such emblem s on their Coats of Arms have an ancestor that took part in the crusades, as these charges passed into general heraldic use, and were adopted by many men whose forefathers never traveled to the Holy Land. The “escallop shell of quiet” was an emblem of pilgrimage. Assigned as a badge to St. James, patron saint of pilgrims, with reference to his original occupation as a fisherman, it was worn by those who made pilgrimages not only to the Holy Land but to the famous shrines in England and other European countries.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

Heraldry and The Crusades Part 5 The Seals of Richard I

The two seals of Richard the Lionheart contain emblems that have a special connection to the Crusades. The first seal contains two crescent moons, each surmounted by a star-shaped object. The crescent moon referred to King Richard’s vocation as a crusader. It was the ancient symbol of Byzantium, connected with its presiding goddess, who had saved the city from a night assault by Philip of Macedonia by making the moon shine with unexpected brilliance. A popular theory holds that the badge on Richard’s seal represents the Star of Bethlehem in ascendancy over the half-moon of the infidel is false, as the crescent was not yet the symbol of the Turks.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

Heraldry and The Crusades Part 4 Richard the Lionheart

The first Great Seal of Richard, used during the crusading period of his reign, represents him with a single rampant lion on his shield. But as the lion faces the center of the shield, of which only half is visible, there has been conjecture that there was another lion on the hidden half, and consequently Richard I has been credited with the Arms of two gold lions combatant ( facing each other fighting) on a red field. There is strong evidence to suggest that Henry II bore two lions on his Coat of Arms; we know with certainty that his son John bore two lions; and the evidence is in favor of the theory that in the earlier part of his career Richard also bore two lions.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldry and the Crusades Part 2

The Order of the Garter was founded by King Edward III, under the patronage of St. George. At the time it was written that he ‘appoynted his Souldiers to wear white coats or jackets, with a red crosse before and behinde over their armour, …” and “it was not only a comely but a stately sight to behold the English battles, like the rising sunne, to glitter far off in that pure hew; when the souldiers of other nations in their baser weedes could not be discerned” ( Speed).

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

Heraldry and The Crusades Part 1

Although we can trace the beginnings of Heraldry to a period prior to King Richard’s First Crusade, it was during that great adventure that the need for a developed system of armory became apparent, and the Heraldic emblems and nomenclature of the Middle Ages bear many traces of impressions left by the later Holy Wars. The impetus, which Richard’s expedition gave to Heraldry, is seen when a comparison is made between the Coats of Arms in use before the crusade and those in the Roll of Arms compiled later in the reign of Henry III.

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Crusades, Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Heraldic Tabards and Surcoats

Today only English and Scottish Heraldic officers wear official ceremonial dress. On British state occasions, such as coronations, the officers of Arms wear their full heraldic regalia of tabard and knee breeches and carry their staffs of office, continuing a tradition that was begun 800 years ago. In most other European countries the tradition of [...]

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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Women’s Heraldry

European noblewomen began using the Coats of Arms of their fathers and husbands as early as the 13th century. Evidence of this can be found on seals that exist from this time period. The seals were often of an oval shape , similar to the seals of the church. The seals frequently showed the bearer, sometimes holding a shield in each hand. By the 15th century a complex system of marks and joining of Arms showed the viewer the status of the person whose Coat of Arms they were studying. Sons, daughters, wives and widows were all able to denote their place in the family unit and the family could also show its alliance with another family of noble status through the heraldic pedigree.

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Genealogy, heraldry, history, medieval

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