Medieval Heraldry

 What is Heraldry?

Heraldry had been around for over three hundred years. It is based off a messenger and maker of proclamations named Herald. Heralds task was des Heeres zu walten(1) which in English means "to manage the troops". Heralds and arms formed a close relationship over the years as armies in medieval times arose. By the time the fourteenth century came heralds became a part of the court. No matter if it were a sporting event of a knight of the war each man wore a coat, helmet, shield, or even the banner on his horse with a symbol to distinguish himself from other combats. Having these symbols helped not only to distinguish where the men came from/who they served but it also helped to distinguish friend from foe.

What were the duties of a Herald?

    A Herald had many different roles when serving their master. They were to have a good memory along with being able to make physical written records, much like writing up summaries. if you have ever watched a movie or TV show that had a jousting tournament in in the Herald was the one to yell something along the lines of "Hear ye, hear ye!". There were also to be experts in knowing everyone's symbols and their rules of life. 

    A heralds military duties were a very important as well. They were to compose their lords' rules, and their way of life. The were to wear a costume that was very hard to miss for the sake of stepping onto the opponent's battlefield and not being put in harm's way. When stepping on the enemies side a herald was to challenge them in war, tell them to give up their wall, or negotiate a surrender. When returning to their lords side it was especially important for them to not give up their enemy's war plans. Keeping their mouths shut in a time like this was crucial or they would be marked a spy (2).

What was the importance of the shield? 

    The shield went under centuries of reconstruction. The first men saw that a plank of wood could help to protect themselves from heavy blows from a sword or an axe. Later it was established that developing a handle to it would help to fight with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. If a man lost his shield in battle it was shown to be an act of cowardice. It was in the 1500s shields were starting to be engraved with different designs. It was no longer a way to protect oneself but to be a piece of recognition. Shields underwent centuries of reconstruction, from round small swords to long body swords they were constantly evolving much like the heralding on them.

                                                                                                                                                          

What do the symbols and colors mean?

    There was always some sort of representation on those coats of arms but there weren't symbols on them. there were different shades of colors. This because hard to decipher and so there was the incorporation of different symbols and pictures. The one requirement was that the picture was to fill up the entire available space.

    All of the colors and symbols have meanings for example, yellow was the color of understanding/generosity, red was the color of military/power, purple was the color of royalty/majesty, and so on. There were not many colors to have been used due to them being sometimes difficult to recognize. There were many symbols that could have been used for the peoples coats of arms. Along with the colors all of the symbols/pictures also had meaning behind them. For example, a bear was the emblem of family protection, (4) a dagger showed honor in battle (common), a lion was regarded as to be the most noble of symbols for it showed strength and valor. 

Here is an example of how to create your own coat of arms
along with the colors meanings (3)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Sources

“Coat of Arms Symbols and Meanings.” Heraldry & Crests, www.heraldryandcrests.com/pages/heraldic-symbolism-a-z. Accessed 4 Sept. 2023. (4)

“Herald.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/art/herald-medieval-officer. Accessed 4 Sept. 2023. (2)

“Https://I.Pinimg.Com/Originals/11/9b/Dc/119bdc4c6f5294bbe151d5f89d72f...: Personal Mission Statement Examples, Mission Statement Examples, Personal Mission Statement.” Pinterest, 28 Mar. 2021, www.pinterest.com/pin/httpsipinimgcomoriginals119bdc119bdc4c6f5294bbe151d5f89d72f--440930619776076600/. (3)

Neubecker, Ottfried, and J. P. Brooke-Little. Heraldry: Sources, Symbols and Meaning. Little, Brown, 1997. (1)