Medieval Shields and Crests

We think of medieval times and the colors and pageantry of that age appear before us- the glorious shields displayed in battle, the painted banners rising in victory and the women, beautifully dressed bestowing their tokens on their favorite knights. Pomp and Circumstance dictated the most meticulous detail for proper order and identification, and the art of the Coat of Arms given for a Knight’s bravery and use of symbols for group identification, such as a town’s symbol were born. This has now evolved into the modern term used for family identification or the Family Crest.

Even though we credit this to the medieval time period as the beginning of this vibrant method to know who is who and what belongs to whom, it actually started centuries prior to that age. Seals are as old as writing, certain symbols standing for kings, temples and merchants, found in the Egyptian ruins and could be dated back even further into more ancient civilizations. Since most individuals did not read or write, a symbol was the easiest method to proclaim the identity of the bearer or township, castle or land. This continued to be true until widespread literacy began and that was not until the end of the 19th century. Until that time, people relied on heraldry to tell them who was standing in front of them or what kind of shop they were about to enter.

The semantics of heraldry started simply with lines and shapes painted different colors to acknowledge the bearers but eventually developed into a very complex language. The College of Arms in England was established to record the various awarded collection through the centuries of English history and it is a good place to see the progression from the simplest designs, Rollo, first duke of Normandy with his Lion of Normandy (one lion- now the symbol of Scotland) to Richard the Lionheart’s three passant Lions (the original duke’s grandson indicating three generations) to the incredibly complex stories told in the shields of the 17th century with their flourishes and deceptively beautiful patterns that are actually telling a story. Every line, every dot, every symbol has meaning and through that meaning, the meritorious deed of the knight to whom it was awarded is told. For instance, wavy lines could represent a sea battle while a baronet’s crown would indicate a noble birth or a reward given for the accomplished deed (depending on the era).

Early Medieval Shields usually displayed very simple identification marks consisting of lines and chevrons which, by their colors and their style, proclaim which battle lord the troops belonged. Early Germanic leaders used yellow and black, usually horizontal straight lines but the Medieval European counterparts to English heraldry quickly caught on until the whole of Europe danced with proprietary patterns and displays by the 17th century.

Today, some families still proudly possess a ‘family’ coat of arms which is actually a misnomer. No ‘family’ actually was awarded a coat of arms. An ancestor of that family was given a coat of arms for his role in a noble deed for his liege such as leading a successful battle or a particular heroic act, along with a title and lands in the Norman tradition. After the death of that individual, the heir in that family would claim the coat of arms for themselves but each generation changed it to fit the personality and deeds of the new owner. This is why it is so confusing when one goes hunting for their particular family’s coat of arms. If a family had several heroic generations that received royal attention, the Coat of Arms could change dramatically.

To complicate matters, now, when families cannot find a Coat of Arms in their history, many are creating their own Family Crest, with little understanding of what the symbols represent that they are using. Many of these are being seen online and being taken for authentic Medieval Coat of Arms. A Family Crest is not a Coat of Arms which is awarded. An unfortunate occurrence is also happening, in which various sites that sell images of coat of arms are also using any image that is available in order to satisfy their customer. Many a family is now proudly displaying their Family Crest, which was originally a sign hanging for an inn or a water stop in medieval times. Hopefully, their family owned the inn.