Coat of arms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For the album by Sabaton, see Coat of Arms (album). A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on an escutcheon (i.e. shield), surcoat, or tabard. A surcoat, and subsequently a coat of arms as used by medie!al knights to co!er, protect, and identify the earer. "hus these are sometimes termed coat armory. "he coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achie!ement hich consists of shield, supporters, crest, and motto. "he design is a symbol unique to an indi!idual person or family (e#cept in the $%), corporation, or state. Such displays are commonly called armorial bearings, armorial devices, heraldic devices, or simply arms. Sometimes the term coat of arms is used to refer to the full achie!ement, but this usage is rong in a strict sense of heraldic terminology.&'(&)( "he ancient *omans used similar insignias on their shields, but these identified military units rather than indi!iduals. "he first e!idence of medie!al coats of arms is found in the +ayeu# "apestry from the ''th Century, here some of the combatants carry shields painted ith crosses. Coats of arms came into general use by feudal lords and knights in battle in the ')th Century. +y the ',th Century arms had spread beyond their initial battlefield use to become a kind of flag or logo for families in the higher social classes of -urope, inherited from one generation to the ne#t. -#actly ho had a right to use arms, by la or social con!ention, !aried to some degree bet een countries. .n the /erman0speaking region both the aristocracy and burghers (non0noble free citi1ens) used arms, hile in most of the rest of -urope they ere limited to the aristocracy. "he use of arms spread to Church clergy, and to to ns as ci!ic identifiers, and to royally0chartered organi1ations such as uni!ersities and trading companies. Flags de!eloped from coats of arms, and the arts of !e#illology and heraldry are closely related. "he coats of arms granted to commercial companies are a ma2or source of the modern logo. Escutcheon

Field
Supporter Supporter Motto (Scotland) Crest Torse Mantling Helm Coronet Compartment Order Ordinaries Common charges Motto right left

Achie!ement elements 3espite no idespread regulation, and e!en ith a lack in many cases of national regulation, heraldry has remained rather consistent across -urope, here traditions alone ha!e go!erned the design and use of arms.&citation needed( $nlike seals and other

general emblems, heraldic achie!ements ha!e a formal description called a bla1on, e#pressed in a 2argon that allo s for consistency in heraldic depictions. .n the )'st century, coats of arms are still in use by a !ariety of institutions and indi!iduals4 for e#ample, many -uropean cities and uni!ersities ha!e guidelines on ho their coats of arms may be used, and protect their use as trademarks.&,(&5(&6( 7any societies e#ist that also aid in the design and registration of personal arms. Some nations, like -ngland and Scotland, still maintain the same heraldic authorities hich ha!e traditionally granted and regulated arms for centuries and continue to do so in the present day.

Contents
' "raditions and usage ) -uropean tradition ).' +ritish heraldry ).) .rish heraldry )., /erman and Scandina!ian heraldry ).5 8ther -uropean countries , Asia and Africa ,.' Arab orld ,.) 9apanese 7on 5 :e World practices 5.' Canada 5.) $nited States 6 -cclesiastic practice 6.' Catholic Church ; Flags and banners < /allery = See also > :otes '? *eferences '' -#ternal links

Traditions and usage

"he /erman Hyghalmen Roll, ca. late '6th century, illustrates the /erman practice of thematic repetition from the arms in the crest .n the heraldic traditions of -ngland and Scotland an indi!idual, rather than a family, had a coat of arms. .n those traditions coats of arms are legal property transmitted from father to son4 i!es and daughters could also bear arms modified to indicate their relation to the current holder of the arms. $ndifferenced arms are used only by one person at any gi!en time. 8ther descendants of the original bearer could bear the ancestral arms only ith some difference@ usually a color change or the addition of a distinguishing charge. 8ne such charge is the label, hich in +ritish usage (outside the *oyal Family) is no al ays the mark of an heir apparent or (in Scotland) an heir presumpti!e. +ecause of their importance in identification, particularly in seals on legal documents, the use of arms as strictly regulated4 fe countries continue in this today. "his has been carried out by heralds and the study of coats of arms is therefore called AheraldryA. Some other traditions (e.g., Bolish heraldry) are less restricti!e C allo ing, for e#ample, all members of a dynastic house or family to use the same arms, although one or more elements may be reser!ed to the head of the house.&citation needed( .n time, the use of arms spread from military entities to educational institutes, and other establishments. &5( According to a design institute article, A"he modern logo and corporate li!ery ha!e e!ol!ed from the battle standard and military uniform of medie!al timesA.&;( .n his book, The Visual Culture of Violence in the Late Middle Ages, Dalentin /roebner argues that the images composed on coats of arms are in many cases designed to con!ey a feeling of po er and strength, often in military terms.&<( "he author Eelen Stuart argues that some coats of arms ere a form of corporate logo.&=( 7useums on medie!al armory also point out that as emblems they may be !ie ed as precursors to the corporate logos of modern society, used for group identity formation.&>( &'?( When knights ere so encased in armour that no means of identifying them as left, the practice as introduced of painting their insignia of honour on their shield as an easy method of distinguishing them. 8riginally these ere granted only to indi!iduals, but ere after ard made hereditary in -ngland by %ing *ichard ., during his crusade to Balestine.

European tradition
British heraldry
7ain articles@ -nglish heraldry, Scottish heraldry, and Welsh heraldry

"he coat of arms of the $ni!ersity of Blymouth, hich ere granted in )??= by the College of Arms, sho s the heater shield and style popular in modern +ritish heraldry.&''( .n Scotland, the Ford Fyon %ing of Arms has criminal 2urisdiction to enforce the la s of arms. .n -ngland, :orthern .reland and Wales the use of arms is a matter of ci!il la and regulated by the College of Arms and the Court of Chi!alry. .n reference to a dispute o!er the e#ercise of authority o!er the 8fficers of Arms in -ngland, Arthur Annesley, 'st -arl of Anglesey, Ford Bri!y Seal, declared on '; 9une ';<, that the po ers of the -arl 7arshal ere Ato order, 2udge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chi!alry4 to make la s, ordinances, and statutes for the good go!ernment of the 8fficers of Arms4 to nominate 8fficers to fill !acancies in the College of Arms4 to punish and correct 8fficers of Arms for misbeha!iour in the e#ecution of their placesA. .t as further declared that no patents of arms or any ensigns of nobility should be granted and no augmentation, alteration, or addition should be made to arms ithout the consent of the -arl 7arshal.

Irish heraldry
.n .reland, since '66), the usage and granting of coats of arms has been strictly regulated by the /o!ernment of .reland, through the 8ffice of the Chief Eerald of .reland.

erman and Scandina!ian heraldry

7ain articles@ /erman heraldry, :or egian heraldry, S edish heraldry, 3anish heraldry, Finnish heraldry, and .celandic heraldry

Coat of arms of the city of Daasa, sho ing the shield ith the *oyal Eouse of Wasa emblem, a cro n and a Cross of Fiberty pendant. "he heraldic tradition and style of modern and historic /ermany and the Eoly *oman -mpire C including national and ci!ic arms, noble and burgher arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays and heraldic descriptions C stand in contrast to /allo0+ritish, Fatin and -astern heraldry, and strongly influenced the styles and customs of heraldry in the :ordic countries, hich de!eloped comparati!ely late.&')( .n the :ordic countries, pro!inces, regions, cities and municipalities ha!e a coat of arms. "hese are posted at the borders and on buildings containing official offices, as ell as used in official documents and on the uniforms of municipal officers. Arms may also be used on sou!enirs or other effects, gi!en that an application has been granted by the municipal council.

Other European countries

"his section requires e#pansion. (March 20 !" 7ain articles@ Spanish heraldry, Bortuguese heraldry, Bolish heraldry, French heraldry, and 3utch heraldry At a national le!el, Acoats of armsA ere generally retained by -uropean states ith constitutional continuity of more than a fe centuries, including constitutional monarchies like 3enmark as ell as old republics like San 7arino and S it1erland. .n .taly the use of coats of arms as only loosely regulated by the states e#isting before the unification of '=;?. Since the Consulta Araldica, the college of arms of the %ingdom of .taly, as abolished in '>5=, personal coats of arms and titles of nobility, though not outla ed, are not recognised. Among the states ruled by communist regimes, emblems resembling the So!iet design ere adopted in all the Warsa Bact states e#cept C1echoslo!akia and Boland. Since '>=>, some of the e#0Communist states, as *omania, ha!e resumed their former arms, often ith only the symbols of monarchy remo!ed.

"sia and "frica

"ra# $orld

Flag of the 8ttoman -mpire ('=55G'>)5) "his section requires e#pansion. (March 20 !" -gyptian coats of arms sho ing common :ear and 7iddle -astern motifs, namely the crescent and stars hich are symbols of the regionHs predominant religion, .slam, and an eagle.

7itsubishi logo With the formation of the modern nation states of the Arab World in the second half of the )?th century, -uropean traditions of heraldry ere partially adopted for state emblems. "hese emblems often in!ol!e the star and crescent symbol taken from the 8ttoman flag. Another commonly seen charge is the eagle, hich is a symbol attributed to Saladin,&citation needed( and the ha k of the Iureish.&citation needed(

%apanese Mon
7ain article@ 7on (emblem) 9apanese emblems, called #amon (often abbre!iated AmonA), are family badges hich often date back to the <th century, and are used in 9apan today. "he 9apanese tradition is independent of the -uropean, and thus !ery different in style4 but as in -urope many abstract and floral elements are used. &unbalanced o$inion( Jet, e!en these simple designs often e#press an origin.&unbalanced o$inion( An e#ample in recent use is the logo of 7itsubishi corporation hich started as a shipping and maritime enterprise and hose emblem is based on a ater chestnut deri!ed from its maritime history ith a military na!al influence. "he ord mitsu means the number , and the ord hishi meaning A ater chestnutA (pronounced bishi in some combinations4 see rendaku) originated from the emblem of the arrior "osa Clan. "he battleships of the "osa Clan had been used in the late '>th century in the First Sino09apanese War to reach %orea&',( and their name as gi!en to a modern battleship. "he "osa ater chestnut leaf mon as then dra n as a rhombus or diamond shape in the 7itsubishi logo.&'5(&'6(

&e$ 'orld practices

Canada
7ain article@ Canadian heraldry "he Iueen of Canada has delegated her prerogati!e to grant armorial bearings to the /o!ernor /eneral of Canada. Canada has its o n Chief Eerald and Eerald Chancellor. "he Canadian Eeraldic Authority is situated at *ideau Eall.&';(&'<(

(nited States
7ain article@ $nited States heraldry

"he /reat Seal of the $nited States, hich displays as its central design the heraldic de!ice of the nation. "he /reat Seal of the $nited States uses on the ob!erse as its central motif an heraldic achie!ement described as being the arms of the nation.&'=( "he seal, and the armorial bearings, ere adopted by the Continental Congress on )? 9une '<=), and is a shield di!ided pale ise into thirteen pieces, ith a blue chief, hich is displayed upon the breast of an American bald eagle. "he crest is thirteen stars breaking through a glory and clouds, displayed ith no helm, torse, or mantling (unlike most -uropean precedents). 8nly a fe of the American states ha!e adopted a coat of arms, hich is usually designed as part of the respecti!e stateHs seal. Dermont has both a state seal and a state coat of arms that are independent of one another (though both contain a pine tree, a co and shea!es of grain)4 the seal is used to authenticate documents, hilst the heraldic de!ice represents the state itself.

Ecclesiastic practice
7ain article@ -cclesiastical heraldry

Catholic Church

Coat of arms of Bope 9ohn Baul .., display the Bapal tiara and crossed keys of the pontifical office. Datican City State and the Eoly See each ha!e their o n coat of arms. As the Bapacy is not hereditary, its occupants display their personal arms combined ith those of their office. Some Bopes came from armigerous (noble) families4 others adopted coats of arms during their career in the Church. "he latter typically allude to their ideal of life, or to specific Bontifical programmes.&'>( A ell0kno n and idely displayed e#ample in recent times as Bope 9ohn Baul ..Hs arms. Eis selection of a large letter 7 (for the Dirgin 7ary) as intended to e#press the message of his strong 7arian de!otion.&)?( *oman Catholic dioceses also are assigned a coat of arms, as do a basilica or papal church also gets a coat of arms, the latter usually displaying these on the building. "hese may be used in countries hich other ise do not use heraldic de!ices. .n countries like Scotland ith a strong statutory heraldic authority, arms ill need to be officially granted and recorded.

Flags and #anners

7ain article@ Eeraldic flag Flags are used to identify ships ( here they are called ensigns), embassies and such, and they use the same colors and designs found in heraldry, but they are not usually considered to be heraldic. A country may ha!e both a national flag and a national coat of arms, and the t o may not look alike at all. For e#ample, the flag of Scotland (St Andre Hs Cross) has a hite saltire on a blue field, but the royal arms of Scotland has a red lion ithin a double tressure on a gold (or) field.

Crest (heraldry)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The %ord crest is often mista#enly a$$lied to a coat of arms& 'or further information see Eeraldry& 'or (a$anese usage) see mon (badge)& "his article needs additional citations for !erification. Blease help impro!e this article by adding citations to reliable sources. $nsourced material may be challenged and remo!ed. ('ebruary
200*"

Escutcheon

Field
Supporter Supporter Motto (Scotland) Crest Torse Mantling Helm Coronet Compartment Order Ordinaries Common charges Motto right left

Crest of An eagle dis$layed borne on the helm of the +night of the ,uillichini during the 9oust of the Saracens in Are11o, .taly

Achie!ement elements

A kneeling knight recei!es a s an0crested helmet from his lady. 3etail from an illumination, c. ',,=0 ',55, by the Flemish artist 9ehan de /rise in the Roman d-Ale.andre. +odleian Fibrary, 7S. +odley );5, fol. '?'! A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a 2ay stands on the birdHs head. "he earliest heraldic crests ere apparently painted on metal fans, and usually repeated the coat of arms painted on the shield, a practice hich as later discontinued. Fater they ere sculpted of leather and other materials. 8riginally, the crest as often Acontinued into the mantlingA, but today the crest normally stands ithin a reath of cloth, called a torse, in the principal tinctures of the shield (the liveries). Darious kinds of coronet may take the place of the torse, though in some unusual circumstances the coronet sits atop a torse, and is defined as either all or part of a crest.&'( "he most frequent crest/coronet is a simplified form of a ducal coronet, ith four lea!es rather than eight. "o ns often ha!e a mural cro%n, i.e. a coronet in the form of embattled stone alls. 8b2ects frequently borne as crests include animals, especially lions, normally sho ing only the fore half4 human figures, like ise often from the aist up4 hands or arms holding eapons4 birdHs ings. .n /ermany and nearby countries, the crest often repeats the li!eries in the form of a tall hat, a fan of plumes in alternating tinctures, or a pair of cur!ing horns. "he horns may ha!e a hole in the tip to hold a cluster of plumes or flo ers, and because of this ha!e been imported to -nglish heraldry at least once as elephantHs trunks. Crests are not normally borne by omen, or clergy, at least not in the $%, because they did not participate in ar or tournaments and thus ould not ha!e a helm on hich to ear it. An e#ception is the reigning queens of -ngland or +ritain, hose armorial display is indistinguishable from that of kings. Some armigers used their crest as a personal badge, leading to the erroneous use of the ord AcrestA to describe a shield or full coat of arms. Such badges are often used by members of Scottish clans. "hese Scottish crest badges can be used here clan members, ho are not armigerous, ear a badge consisting of a clan chiefHs crest and mottoKslogan encircled by a belt and buckle. "hese crest badges are often erroneously called Aclan crestsA. -!en though clan members may purchase and ear such badges, the crest and mottoKslogan remain the heraldic property of the clan chief. "here is a idespread misconception, due in part to Dictorian stationersH marketing of engra!ed letterheads, that a crest and a coat of arms belong to e!eryone ith the same family name4 but usage by persons not descended from the original grantee constitutes usurpation. +ogus Afamily crestsA continue to be sold to the misinformed by heraldic Abucket shopsA.

Contents
' .n the $nited %ingdom ) .n the *oman 7ilitary , :otes 5 -#ternal links

In the (nited )ingdom

"oday, the crests of ne %nights of the /arter and +ath are car!ed from lime ood by the 8rdersH official sculptor, .an +rennan.&)( "hese car!ed insignia are displayed abo!e the knightsH assigned choir stalls in the 8rdersH respecti!e chapels@ St /eorgeHs Chapel at Windsor Castle (/arter) and the Eenry D.. Fady Chapel at Westminster Abbey (+ath).&,(

In the *oman Military

Fegates and centurions ore crests mounted on their helmets (galeae). 7ost of the helmets used by legionaries had a crest holder. "he crests ere usually made of plumes or horse hair. "here is some e!idence (Degetius ritings and some sculptures) that legionaries had their crests mounted longitudinally and centurions had them mounted trans!ersally.