Coat of arms - wikipedia Coat of arms This article is about the main element of a heraldic achievement, although `` coat of arms '' is often erroneously used to refer to its whole. For the whole heraldic symbol, see Achievement ( heraldry ). For the album by Sabaton, see Coat of Arms ( album ). unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2015 ) A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon ( i.e., shield ), surcoat, or tabard. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which in its whole consists of shield, supporters, crest, and motto. A coat of arms is traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, organization or corporation. The Roll of Arms is a collection of many coats of arms, and since the early Modern Age centuries it has been a source of information for public showing and tracing the membership of a noble family, and therefore its genealogy across time. Part of a series on Heraldic achievement Conventional elements of coats of arms Escutcheon Chief Field ( Tincture ) Division Supporter Supporter Slogan ( battle cry ) Crest Torse Mantling Helmet / Galero Crown / Coronet Compartment Order Ordinaries Charges Motto Dexter Sinister ( right ) ( left ) Heraldry portal Contents 1 History 1.1 Background 1.2 Heraldry 2 Traditions and usage 3 European tradition 3.1 French and British heraldry 3.2 Irish heraldry 3.3 German and Scandinavian heraldry 3.4 Other European countries 4 Asia and North Africa 5 The rest of Africa 6 North American practices 7 Ecclesiastic practice 8 Flags and banners 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links History Background The ancient Greek hoplites used individual insignia on their shields. The ancient Romans used similar insignia on their shields, but these identified military units. The first evidence of medieval coats of arms has been attributed to the 11th - century Bayeux Tapestry in which some of the combatants carry shields painted with crosses. However, that heraldic interpretation remains controversial. Heraldry See also : List of oldest heraldry Coats of arms came into general use by feudal lords and knights in battle in the 12th century. By the 13th century, arms had spread beyond their initial battlefield use to become a flag or emblem for families in the higher social classes of Europe, inherited from one generation to the next. Exactly who had a right to use arms, by law or social convention, varied to some degree between countries. In the German - speaking regions both the aristocracy and `` burghers '' ( non-noble free citizens ) used arms, while in most of the rest of Europe they were limited to the aristocracy. The use of arms spread to the clergy, to towns as civic identifiers, and to royally chartered organizations such as universities and trading companies. Flags developed from coats of arms, and the arts of vexillology and heraldry are closely related. The coats of arms granted to commercial companies are a major source of the modern logo. Despite no widespread regulation, heraldry has remained consistent across Europe, where tradition alone has governed the design and use of arms. Some nations, like England and Scotland, still maintain the same heraldic authorities which have traditionally granted and regulated arms for centuries and continue to do so in the present day. In England, for example, the granting of arms is and has been controlled by the College of Arms. Unlike seals and other general emblems, heraldic `` achievements '' have a formal description called a blazon, which uses vocabulary that allows for consistency in heraldic depictions. In the present day, coats of arms are still in use by a variety of institutions and individuals : for example, many European cities and universities have guidelines on how their coats of arms may be used, and protect their use as trademarks. Many societies exist that also aid in the design and registration of personal arms. Traditions and usage Brabant Lion by Floris de Merode, Baron of Leefdael during the solemn Funeral of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria The German Hyghalmen Roll, c. late 15th century, illustrates the German practice of thematic repetition from the arms in the crest In the heraldic traditions of England and Scotland, an individual, rather than a family, had a coat of arms. In those traditions coats of arms are legal property transmitted from father to son ; wives and daughters could also bear arms modified to indicate their relation to the current holder of the arms. Undifferenced arms are used only by one person at any given time. Other descendants of the original bearer could bear the ancestral arms only with some difference : usually a colour change or the addition of a distinguishing charge. One such charge is the label, which in British usage ( outside the Royal Family ) is now always the mark of an heir apparent or ( in Scotland ) an heir presumptive. Because of their importance in identification, particularly in seals on legal documents, the use of arms was strictly regulated ; few countries continue in this today. This has been carried out by heralds and the study of coats of arms is therefore called `` heraldry ''. In time, the use of arms spread from military entities to educational institutes, and other establishments. In his book, The Visual Culture of Violence in the Late Middle Ages, Valentin Groebner argues that the images composed on coats of arms are in many cases designed to convey a feeling of power and strength, often in military terms. The author Helen Stuart argues that some coats of arms were a form of corporate logo. Museums on medieval armoury also point out that as emblems they may be viewed as precursors to the corporate logos of modern society, used for group identity formation. When knights were encased in armour such that no means of identifying them was left, the practice was introduced of painting their insignia of honour on their shield as an easy method of distinguishing them. Originally these were granted only to individuals, but were afterward made hereditary in England by King Richard I, during his crusade to the Holy Land. European tradition French and British heraldry Arms of the Duke of Richmond c. 1780 Coat of arms of Sir Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby, KG Main articles : French heraldry, English heraldry, Scottish heraldry, and Welsh heraldry The French system of heraldry greatly influenced the British and Western European systems. Much of the terminology and classifications are taken from it. However, with the fall of the French monarchy ( and later Empire ) there is not currently a Fons Honorum ( power to dispense and control honors ) to strictly enforce heraldic law. The French Republics that followed have either merely affirmed pre-existing titles and honors or vigorously opposed noble privilege. Coats of arms are considered an intellectual property of a family or municipal body. Assumed arms ( arms invented and used by the holder rather than granted by an authority ) are considered valid unless they can be proved in court to copy that of an earlier holder. In Scotland, the Lord Lyon King of Arms has criminal jurisdiction to control the use of arms. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales the use of arms is a matter of civil law and regulated by the College of Arms and the High Court of Chivalry. In reference to a dispute over the exercise of authority over the Officers of Arms in England, Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy Seal, declared on 16 June 1673 that the powers of the Earl Marshal were `` to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry ; to make laws, ordinances, and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms ; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms ; to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places ''. It was 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 without the consent of the Earl Marshal. Irish heraldry Main article : Irish heraldry In Ireland the usage and granting of coats of arms was strictly regulated by the Ulster King of Arms from the office 's creation in 1552. After Irish independence in 1922 the office was still functioning and working out of Dublin Castle. The last Ulster King of Arms was Sir Nevile Rodwell Wilkinson ( Ulster King of Arms 1908 -- 1940 ), who held it until his death in 1940. At the Irish government 's request, no new King of Arms was appointed. Thomas Ulick Sadleir, the Deputy Ulster King of Arms, then became the Acting Ulster King of Arms. He served until the office was merged with that of Norroy King of Arms in 1943 and stayed on until 1944 to clear up the backlog. An earlier Ireland King of Arms was created by King Richard II in 1392 and discontinued by King Henry VII in 1487. It did n't grant many coats of arms -- the few it did grant were annulled by the other Kings of Arms because they encroached upon their jurisdictions. Its purpose was supposedly to marshal an expedition to fully conquer Ireland that never materialized. Since 1 April 1943 the authority has been split between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Heraldry in the Republic of Ireland is regulated by the Government of Ireland, by the Genealogical Office through the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. Heraldry in Northern Ireland is regulated by the British Government by the College of Arms through the Norroy and Ulster King of Arms. German and scandinavian heraldry Coat of arms of the city of Vaasa, showing the shield with the Royal House of Wasa emblem, a crown and a Cross of Liberty pendant. Main articles : German heraldry, Norwegian heraldry, Swedish heraldry, Danish heraldry, Finnish heraldry, and Icelandic heraldry The heraldic tradition and style of modern and historic Germany and the Holy Roman Empire -- including national and civic arms, noble and burgher arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays, and heraldic descriptions -- stand in contrast to Gallo - British, Latin and Eastern heraldry, and strongly influenced the styles and customs of heraldry in the Nordic countries, which developed comparatively late. In the Nordic countries, provinces, regions, cities, and municipalities have coats of arms. These are posted at the borders and on buildings containing official offices, as well as used in official documents and on the uniforms of municipal officers. Arms may also be used on souvenirs or other effects, given that an application has been granted by the municipal council. Other European countries Coat of Arms of Liptov County in Slovakia. Main articles : Spanish heraldry, Russian heraldry, Portuguese heraldry, Hungarian heraldry, Polish heraldry, French heraldry, and Dutch heraldry At a national level, `` coats of arms '' were generally retained by European states with constitutional continuity of more than a few centuries, including constitutional monarchies like Denmark as well as old republics like San Marino and Switzerland. In Italy the use of coats of arms was only loosely regulated by the states existing before the unification of 1861. Since the Consulta Araldica, the college of arms of the Kingdom of Italy, was abolished in 1948, personal coats of arms and titles of nobility, though not outlawed, are not recognised. Coats of arms in Spain were generally left up to the owner themselves, but the design was based on military service and the heritage of their grandparents. In France, the coat of arms is based on the Fleur - de-lys and the Rule of Tinctures used in English heraldry as well. Among the states ruled by communist regimes, emblems resembling the Soviet design were adopted in all the Warsaw Pact states except Czechoslovakia and Poland. Since 1989, some of the ex-Communist states, as Romania or Russia have reused their original pre-communist heraldry, often with only the symbols of monarchy removed. Other countries such as Belarus or Tajikistan have retained their communist coats of arms or at least kept some of the old heraldry. Asia and north Africa See also : Mon ( emblem ) Imperial Seal of Japan Egyptian coats of arms showing common Near and Middle Eastern motifs, namely the crescent and stars which are symbols of the region 's predominant religion, Islam, and Saladin 's eagle. Japanese emblems, called kamon ( often abbreviated `` mon '' ), are family badges which often date back to the 7th century, and are used in Japan today. The Japanese tradition is independent of the European, but many abstract and floral elements are used. Sometimes simple items express an origin to a specific design. An example in recent use is the logo of Mitsubishi corporation which started as a shipping and maritime enterprise and whose emblem is based on a water chestnut derived from its maritime history with a military naval influence. The word mitsu means the number 3 and the word hishi meaning `` water chestnut '' ( pronounced bishi in some combinations ; see rendaku ) originated from the emblem of the warrior Tosa Clan. The battleships of the Tosa Clan had been used in the late 19th century in the First Sino - Japanese War to reach Korea and their name was given to a modern battleship. The Tosa water chestnut leaf mon was then drawn as a rhombus or diamond shape in the Mitsubishi logo. With the formation of the modern nation states of the Arab World in the second half of the 20th century, European traditions of heraldry were partially adopted for state emblems. These emblems often involve the star and crescent symbol taken from the Ottoman flag. Another commonly seen symbol is the eagle, which is a symbol attributed to Saladin, and the hawk of the Qureish. These symbols can be found on the Coat of Arms of Egypt and Syria. The rest of Africa Main article : Coats of arms and emblems of Africa Symbols, words and supporters of a ritual significance are often utilized in the rest of Africa. The leopard, an important royal totem in many of the continent 's tribes, is used in the coats of arms of Benin, Malawi, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, in the form of the black panther, of Gabon. In Kenya, the Swahili word Harambee ( lit. `` Let us come together '' ) is used as a motto in the country 's coat of arms. In Botswana and Lesotho, meanwhile, the word Pula ( lit. `` Rain '' ) is used in like fashion. In the coat of arms of Swaziland, a lion and an elephant serve as supporters. They are each intended to represent the king and the queen mother respectively, the nation 's joint heads of state. North American practices Main articles : Canadian heraldry and United States heraldry The Great Seal of the United States, which displays as its central design the heraldic device of the nation. The Queen of Canada has delegated her prerogative to grant armorial bearings to the Governor General of Canada. Canada has its own Chief Herald and Herald Chancellor. The Canadian Heraldic Authority is situated at Rideau Hall. The Great Seal of the United States uses on the obverse as its central motif an heraldic achievement described as being the arms of the nation. The seal, and the armorial bearings, were adopted by the Continental Congress on 20 June 1782, and is a shield divided palewise into thirteen pieces, with a blue chief, which is displayed upon the breast of an American bald eagle. The crest is thirteen stars breaking through a glory and clouds, displayed with no helm, torse, or mantling ( unlike most European precedents ). Only a few of the American states have adopted a coat of arms, which is usually designed as part of the respective state 's seal. Vermont has both a state seal and a state coat of arms that are independent of one another ( though both contain a pine tree, a cow and sheaves of grain ) ; the seal is used to authenticate documents, whilst the heraldic device represents the state itself. Ecclesiastic practice Main article : Ecclesiastical heraldry The coat of arms of Pope John Paul II displays the papal tiara and crossed keys of the pontifical office. The Vatican City State and the Holy See each have their own coat of arms. As the papacy is not hereditary, its occupants display their personal arms combined with those of their office. Some popes came from armigerous ( noble ) families ; others adopted coats of arms during their career in the Church. The latter typically allude to their ideal of life, or to specific pontifical programmes. A well - known and widely displayed example in recent times was Pope John Paul II 's arms. His selection of a large letter M ( for the Virgin Mary ) was intended to express the message of his strong Marian devotion. Roman Catholic dioceses are also each assigned a coat of arms, as are basilicas or papal churches, the latter usually displaying these on the building. These may be used in countries which otherwise do not use heraldic devices. In countries like Scotland with a strong statutory heraldic authority, arms will need to be officially granted and recorded. Flags and banners Main article : Heraldic flag Flags are used to identify ships ( where 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 have both a national flag and a national coat of arms, and the two may not look alike at all. For example, the flag of Scotland ( St Andrew 's Cross ) has a white saltire on a blue field, but the royal arms of Scotland has a red lion within a double tressure on a gold ( or ) field. See also Heraldry portal Arms of assumption Gallery of country coats of arms National emblem Seal List of coats of arms Baron and feme Siebmachers Wappenbuch ( Coats of arms from German - speaking regions ) Notes Jump up ^ A.G. Puttock, A Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects, Exeter 1985. Blaketon Hall. ISBN 0907854 93 1. P. 40 Jump up ^ Stephen Friar ( ed. ), A New Dictionary of Heraldry, London 1987. Alphabooks / A&C Black. ISBN 0 - 906670 - 44 - 6. P. 96. Jump up ^ George H. Chase, Shield Devices of the Greeks, Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Vol. 13 1902 ^ Jump up to : `` Educational Institute Coat of arms ''. October 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Policy on use of the Workmark and Insignia of McGill University '' ( PDF ). 2000. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ Valentin Groebner, 2004, The Visual Culture of Violence in the Late Middle Ages ISBN 978 - 1 - 890951 - 37 - 5 Jump up ^ Employee Identification with the Corporate Identity International Studies of Management and Organization, Volume 32, Number 3, 2002 Jump up ^ `` Group Identity Formation in the German Renaissance ''. 20 August 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ Volborth, Carl - Alexander von ( 1981 ). Heraldry : Customs, Rules and Styles. Poole, England : Blandford Press. ISBN 0 - 7137 - 0940 - 5. ISBN 0 - 7137 - 0940 - 5 p. 129. Jump up ^ Donald Calman, 1992 The Nature and Origins of Japanese Imperialism ISBN 0 - 415 - 06710 - 3 Jump up ^ `` Mitsubishi Mark ''. 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Mitsubishi History ''. 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Coat of Arms ( Eagle of Saladin ) ''. Macaulay Honors College. 5 April 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The History of Heraldry in Canada ''. Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. 28 April 2004. Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2008. Jump up ^ `` The Canadian Heraldic Authority ''. Canadian Heraldic Authority. 2015. Retrieved 2015 - 08 - 26. Jump up ^ `` 2004 Seal Broch '' ( PDF ). July 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Coat of arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI ''. 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` Vatican press office ''. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2015. References Pimbley, Arthur Francis ( 1908 ). Pimbley 's dictionary of heraldry. Pimbley. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coats of arms. Wikisource has original text related to this article : Coat of arms Wikidata has the property : coat of arms ( P237 ) ( see uses ) College of Arms : Repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families and their descendants together with, and in principle under the control of, the legal body the Court of Chivalry, both medieval in origin. The Court of the Lord Lyon : the statutory heraldry office for Scotland Royal Dutch Library page for the `` Wapenboek Beyeren '' written by Claes Heynenzoon around 1400, containing over 1000 drawings of coats of arms General armorial of noble families in the Russian Empire ( Gerbovnik ) Heraldry Armiger Law of heraldic arms Grant of arms Blazon Officials Authorities Officers of arms King of Arms, Herald, Pursuivant Private Officer of Arms Conventional elements of coats of arms Escutcheon Chief Field ( Tincture ) Division Supporter Supporter Slogan ( battle cry ) Crest Torse Mantling Helmet / Galero Crown / Coronet Compartment Order Ordinaries Charges Motto Dexter Sinister ( right ) ( left ) Subjects National coat of arms Arms of dominion Ecclesiastical heraldry Burgher arms Civic heraldry Canting arms Attributed arms Charges of heraldic achieve - ments ( List ) Escutcheon ( shield ) Field Divisions Variations Charge Chief Lines Ordinary Augmentation of honour Cadency Marshalling Quartering Impalement Pale Bar Bend Bordure Canton Chevron Cross Fess Flaunch Gyron Label Lozenge Orle Pall Roundel Saltire Creatures Attitudes Beasts Bear Boar Bull / Ox Dog / Hound Camelopard ( giraffe ) Hind / Stag ( deer ) Kangaroo Leopard Lion Wolf Birds Cock Corvus Dove Eagle Martlet Pelican Sea creatures Dolphin Ged Seahorse Lucy ( esox ) Scallop Legendary creatures Allocamelus Alphyn Basilisk Biscione Chollima Cockatrice Dragon Enfield Garuda Griffin / Keythong Harpy Lampago Lindworm Manticore Mermaid Pantheon Panther Pegasus Phoenix Salamander Hippocampus Hippogriff Sea - lion Tyger Unicorn Wyvern Yale Others Reremouse Bee Crapaudy ( toad ) Emmet ( ant ) Serpent Knots Bourchier knot Bowen knot Cavendish knot Dacre knot Harrington knot Hastings knot Heneage knot Hinckaert knot Hungerford knot Lacy knot Medici knot Morvillier knot Ormonde knot Savoy knot Shakespeare knot Stafford knot Trafford knot Tristram knot Wake knot Tinctures Rules Tricking Hatching Metals Argent ( white ) Or ( gold ) Colours Gules ( red ) Sable ( black ) Azure ( blue ) Vert ( green ) Purpure ( purple ) Furs Ermines Erminois Erminites Pean Vair Potent Stains Murrey ( mulberry ) Sanguine ( blood red ) Tenné Non-traditional Metals Copper Colours Bleu celeste Carnation Cendrée Orange Rose External Crowns and coronets Crest Compartment Helmet Mantling Motto Supporter Torse Mantle and pavilion Applications Clothing Heraldic flag ( Banner of arms ) Heraldic badge Jewellery Seal ( emblem ) Bookplate See also Phaleristics List of oldest heraldry Women in heraldry Socialist heraldry Vexillology Non-traditional, rarely used traditions in italic ( typically regional or modern, sometimes considered unheraldic ) Heraldry portal Portal : Heraldry / Web resources Coats of arms of Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities Sovereign Military Order of Malta National flags and coats of arms National flags Sovereign states Dependent territories Timeline National coats of arms Sovereign states Dependent territories Heraldry portal GND : 4064566 - 6 LCCN : sh85060322 NDL : 00567841 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coat_of_arms&oldid=865541138 '' Categories : Coats of arms Hidden categories : Articles with short description Articles needing additional references from August 2015 All articles needing additional references Use dmy dates from March 2013 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NDL identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Boarisch Bosanski Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Français Gàidhlig 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Ирон Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa Къарачай - малкъар ქართული Қазақша Коми Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Lingála Magyar Македонски მარგალური Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Нохчийн Norfuk / Pitkern Norsk Norsk nynorsk Nouormand Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Словѣньскъ / ⰔⰎⰑⰂⰡⰐⰠⰔⰍⰟ Ślůnski Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog Татарча / tatarça ไทย Türkçe Тыва дыл Українська Vèneto Tiếng Việt Volapük Võro 文言 ייִדיש 粵語 中文 81 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 October 2018, at 15 : 21 ( UTC ). 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Question: who used to identify themselves through a coat of arms
Answer: feudal lords