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OTHER HERALDIC
USAGE
Thus heraldry began as a specific mark of the
fighting man and is to this day. Every soldier, sailor and
marine wears a specific device which is heraldic in nature. Yet
arms are not exclusive to the fighting man. Every university,
college and high school has its individual coat of arms or
symbolic arrangement which heralds the school and i~s
principles. Clubs, corporations, churches, fraternities,
agencies as well as city and state offices employ the
equivalent of a coat of arms in some form. The automobile you
ride more than likely displays the company's coat of arms
proudly. Trademarks and symbols on merchandise, signs on
stores, advertisements in magazines employ forms of heraldic
devices to distinguish the products and elevate the prestige of
the company in the eyes of the consumer. The unifying quality
of a coat of arms exists today, as more than 800 years ago,
despite change and mechanization. For today, as in the days of
William the Conqueror and all the formidable rulers of the
Middle Ages, we find the armorial bearing offering a unique
service in identifying and binding together individuals into
groups or families serving one cause, dedicated to one purpose,
and lifting us out of a conformity and personal
extinction.
When you claim use of a coat of arms, you are
in essence declaring to all the world that you belong to
something - some family, group or organization.
More than likely you will want to display
your coat of arms in a conspicuous place with the knowledge
that under the same banner, great battles were fought and
history was made. Yet in studying the traditions of armorial
bearings, we sometimes focus too much attention on the glamour
of rank and nobility.
Although a person of nobility bore such
symbols, he also had men who were sworn to his service to fight
under his banner. These vassals bore the same arms, and linked
themselves to him as well as to each other.
In its true sense the term "coat of arms" comes from the coat
or surcoat worn over the armor of the knight and fighting man.
This was almost a necessary garment on those long crusades to
the Holy Lands, where the sun's heat was extreme and armor was
more like an oven than a protective device. This surcoat was
soon embellished with the devices which were also. on the
battle shield. As the courts became more lavish with ceremony
and affairs of state, the ladies of the manor adopted the
colorful surcoat for their own fashions. This female surcoat -
elegantly embroidered and often bejeweled - was known as the
Coathardie historie and is believed to be the basis for the
modern dress.
THE ARMORIAL
BEARING
The coat of arms reflects an anci.ent
heritage when knights jousted in tournament or vied in battle,
and deeds of valor and accomplishment were rewarded with a
memorable symbol. To discover the hidden meanings of a coat or
arms, it is necessary to understand some of the rules which
govern heraldry.
Arms are borne on the face of the shield
which is historically divided into recognizable reference
points and areas. The face of the shield is known as the FIELD.
The right side of the shield is known as the DEXTER side and
the left as the SINISTER. This refers to the right and left of
the shield holder who is behind the shield, and would be
opposite yourself as viewer.
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