PLEASE REMOVE PREPAY@IBM.NET FROM YOUR MAILING LIST IMMEDIATLY! THANK YOU Blanchard wrote: > I thought I submitted the following last March but since no one > commented, perhaps it never went through. > > I have been asked about Shields or Coat of Arms. I know very little, > but what I do know may be of interest to someone. Also, please, correct > me where I am wrong. > > Respectfully, Martha > > There is an important rule in healdry which states that metal must not > rest on metal, (eg. silver on gold), nor color on color. this is > becasue, when used for its origianl purpoe, the shield was also an > identifier for soldiers. Clarity and contrast were import in battle. > > I don'r remember the exact definitions of terms such as 'field', > 'chief', 'fes', etc. > > 'Arms', 'Crest', and 'Motto'. > > In the early days of heraldry, only the design on a shield was an an > official coat-of-arms. Known as the 'Arms', it was displayed on > garments, signs, wall-hangings, and banners, as well as being carried by > knights on shields in battle and in the great tournaments of Medieval > Europe. > > Later a 'Crest' was fastened to the helmet for further distinction. > Later families added this as part of their armorial bearings. showing it > above the shield in the family coat-of-arms. Usually a decorative > knight's helmet was included and decorative cloths called 'Mantling' > flowed gracefully from it. Official records described only the 'Arms' > and the 'Crest' until about 1`500 when some families used the 'Motto'. > > 'Motos' were brief phrases expressing some pious, loyal, or moral > sentiment and may be in any language. > > 'Blazonry' Heraldic designs on the shields may be very simple or > extremely comples. The art of describing them in words became a precise > science called 'Blazonery'. Most of the terms are unfamiliar today, but > this special language must be understood by artists. > > Some of the common terms of blazonary are 'Colors'; > OR yellow or gold > ARGENT white or silver > SABLE black > GULES red > AZURE blue > VERT green > ERMINE white with black tails