Heraldry

 Mediaeval Heraldry 

-September 13, 2023

 Heraldry and Knights Insignias

   

    Heraldry has been important to prominent family's since the early 12th century, though with such an ancient practice prominent families such as the Kennedy family and bearing their old family seal. Heraldry has its importance purely by the strength chivalrous and courtly love had on the culture of the time. with chivalry a knight is not only a knight when its combined with heraldry, if the knight doesn't reach the cultural expectations of following the honor code they give a bad name to themselves and tarnish the reputation of that who the symbol represents.(3)

The middle ages had many forms of art, thousands of medians between artisan, masonry, painting, tapestry... however the art of family seals, and the creation of these beautiful pieces of work a knight would carry with them, it meant something much more to all who saw it. the seal was an identity for the knight, its an identity for the kingdom the knight 

originates from.

                                                                                 (The earliest proof we have to Heraldry is Geoffrey IV of Anjou bearing the shield his father-in law gave him.)(3)

                              Video

 

        Growth of Heraldry

How family Seals came to be most of the time, they originate from those who in the past have been seen as godly, or holding of god's boons, however a large portion of Seals just came from prominent families who have either a large portion of land or a rich estate. When Heraldry is thought of to mainly fall under mediaeval settings, a knight will wield his courts shield and heil it Infront of all those who stood in his way, so that knight in a way was claimed. Though Heraldry falls much deeper than that, even modern day people will wield family seals all across Europe and some prominent families within the united states can bear their families seal. People such as the Kennedy family, and with this seal usually follows the motto "Avise La Fin" (Consider the end). Heraldry as much as its a thing of the past, very much gets dragged along the pairs of history.(5)

Works Cited

“Coats of Arms Explained.” YouTube, 24 September 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPlXSEqSYl8. Accessed 21 September 2023.

“Heraldry | Meaning, Rules, Arm, & Symbols.” Britannica, 28 July 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/heraldry. Accessed 21 September 2023.

“Heraldry - Seals, Symbols, Blazoning.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/heraldry/Seals. Accessed 21 September 2023.

“Heraldry - Symbols, Blazon, Armorial.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/heraldry/The-scope-of-heraldry. Accessed 21 September 2023.

“Kennedy Coat of Arms, Family Crest - Free Image to View - Kennedy Name Origin History and Meaning of Symbols.” Irish Family Crest, https://www.irishsurnames.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?name=kennedy&capname=Kennedy&letter=k. Accessed 21 September 2023.