A complete suit of armor worn by Medieval knights consisted of multiple pieces: the escutcheon, helm, crest, motto, mantle, supporters, torse, and wreath.(1) Essentially, a knight during the Middle Ages would have been covered from head to toe in heavy, metal armor, making it impossible to recognize who was underneath it all. Since literacy rates were low and knights were often observed from a great distance, a system needed to be established in order to visually identify and distinguish knights; today, we refer to this system as heraldry.
Heraldry can be broadly defined as the art and science of creating, describing, and assigning the armorial bearings to a coat of arms; the term heraldry is derived from the word herald, which referred to the official announcer at a tournament of arms. (2) While the original purpose of heraldry was merely identification of knights during battle, author Nils Olsson says, it later evolved “into a complex system of inherited identification of social class.” (1)
Considered the most significant piece of a knight’s ensemble, the escutcheon- or shield- would bear the unique ornamentation of arms for identification. The surface of the shield was divided from top to bottom into three parts known as chief, fess, and base; the shield was then further divided from left to right into three more parts: dexter, middle, and sinister. (3) These sections were then decorated with figures, known as charges, and tincture.
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| "Kite Shields" were commonly used during the early 12th century. (4) |
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| "Heater" Shields were popular during the 13th & 14th century. (4) |
Tincture refers to the color, metal materials, and furs- such as ermine and squirrel- represented on the shield's surface. Because, once again, the escutcheon would be seen from far away, the colors used on the arms needed to be bold and stand out. The colors gules (red), azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green), and purpure (purple) were known as the principal colors, while metals like gold (or) and silver (argent) were represented with yellow and white. The common charges, or figures, represented on the surface of the shield are often of predatory animals, such as lions, as well as mythological beasts like dragons and griffins. (2) These animals were used to showcase the heroic, chivalric character of the knight.
For more information on heraldry and the coat of arms, check out this short video.(5)
Sources:
Olsson, Nils. “The Coat of Arms- A Symbol of the Family.” Swedish American Geneaologist 2018:4. 2018. http://proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=31h&AN=135007640&site=eds-live&scope=site
“Heraldry.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2018. http://proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=he053500&site=eds-live&scope=site
“The Elements of Heraldry; containing a clear Definition, and concise historical Account of that ancient, useful, and entertaining Science.” Monthly Review, Vol. 34. http://proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=h9h&AN=34526904&site=eds-live&scope=site
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