A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words...

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In Medieval times, due to the constant confusion of property boundaries, fighting was prevalent.  During battles, it became increasingly more difficult to identify one man from another as they used closed helmets.  In fact, legend has it that William the Conqueror had to detach his helmet in the middle of the Battle of Hastings in order to avert any murmurs among the men that he had died in battle.  In order to simplify this process, men often had certain symbols emblazoned on their fighting garb.

As hostility calmed in medieval Europe during the sixteenth century, tournaments and closed helmets also began a steady decline.  Heraldic products, more commonly known as coats of arms or even family crests, now served a more decorative purpose and adorned doorways, tapestries, stained glass windows, and silver.  They quickly became a symbol of families and all that they stood for.  Many coats of arms have survived the times through today, and each of them tell a story of the family they represented centuries and centuries ago.

Being a heraldic artist was a very demanding job, as the goal of the profession was to amass as many coats of arms in one’s portfolio as possible.  This would involve communicating over long distances of land between customers and working rigorously with a great deal of detail.  In fact, the specific facets of each coat of arms were the most significant portions of the entire process.

Many intricate images, colors, and mottos were used to tell “the shorthand of history” of an individual or family line, and they each had a unique meaning.  For example, according to one cipher, gold (or) symbolizes generosity and elevation of mind, while red (gules) stands for military strength and martyrdom.  Also, some symbols are annulets (rings), anchors, bears, berries, and the infamous Fleur-de-lis.  These stand for fidelity, hope and religious steadfastness, strength, cunning, and ferocity in protecting family, felicity and peace, and purity, light, and French patriotism, respectively. 

These coats of arms help us not only to identify individuals from the past, but also to carry on the legacy of how they lived their life and exuded their character throughout the centuries.  We have much to learn from them.