Introduction to Heraldry

The original use of heraldry was to act as a sign on the battlefield, so that knights fully clad in armour could be easily distinguished one from another. The common practice was for a knight or lord to display the same design on his banner, cloak and shield, with his retinue being clothed in similar manner. This evolved over the centuries, and specific rules were set down which prevented any two individuals from bearing the same design. Official heraldry in Britain was introduced by the Normans, and most heraldic terms are based on the Anglo-Norman language of the time.

So, it is customary do display the family badge on some kind of shield, which is filled using three basic types of colour and pattern: metals & stains known as tinctures, and patterns formed from animal skins which are termed furs. The background portion of the shield is known as the field, which may be divided in various ways. Then, any of a huge number of symbols or "charges" may be added, the simplest of which are known as ordinaries. There are rules for placing colours next to each other, which are designed to give a good contrast to the various elements of a coat of arms: generally a metal should not be placed next to a metal, nor a stain next to another stain. with some designs this is impossible, a field "party per pall" being a good example. In these cases, as with the use of furs, it is desirable that the elements still produce good contrast.

The shield is described from the point of view of the person carrying it, so the sinister or left side of the shield is actually the right side of the image. The following diagram should help to decode some of the terms which are commonly used.

1 - 3	Chief
4 - 6	Fess
7 - 9	Base
1 - 7	Dexter
2 - 8	Pale
3 - 9	Sinister

Whilst the basic shapes and colours for heraldic shields are specified, there is a lot of leeway for the artist to elaborate the charges. Therefore many variations of a single symbol are possible, and in theory would be equally valid. However, it is fairly common for a specific one of these variations to become associated with the arms of a particular country or person. A good example is the harp depicted on the coat of arms of Great Britain to symbolize the Irish coat of arms - the British version usually depicts a harp with the body of a woman, the Irish one does not !

		*Heraldry*