• A Brief History Of Heraldry
• Basic Description
• Describing Coats of Arms
• Classes Of Arms
• You And Heraldry
• Example Coats of Arms
• Royal Arms
• Heraldry Links

A Guide To Heraldry

Blazoning, Describing Coats of Arms:

All heraldic figures and devices, whether placed upon shields or displayed in any other manner, are termed charges, and every shield or other object is said to be charged with any device placed upon it.

It is not always convenient to present or record insignia pictorially. From the inception of heraldry it has often been necessary to describe a man's (or woman's) arms in words. Such a verbal description is termed a blazon, and the armorist must be versed in the complementary process of visualizing or drawing arms from a blazon, and blazoning arms which he sees depicted. The word blazoning is sometimes applied to painting arms in colors, but in view of the technical meaning of this word, it is better to use "emblazoning" and "blazonry" when referring to painted heraldry.

It is necessary to blazon so exactly and concisely that arms can be correctly and completely visualized or drawn from the verbal description. Blazoning has therefore given rise to an heraldic language. This has sometimes proved to be an obstacle to those attracted to the study of heraldry, who are apt to regard its "jargon" as artificial and unneccessary. Nevertheless, much of the nomenclature is worth retaining, partly because it is traditional, and also because it has an exact meaning and is therefore economical in words. In other words, it is easier to speak of a lion passant, or a lion rampant, than to describe the lion's attitude in great detail every time you mention it.

The language of blazon is simple and direct. Early hearalds set the standard by using Norman-French to describe the shields of their day. For example, they described the Earl of Leicester's shield as being "de gules ove un leon blank la cowe furchee" or red, with a white lion, the tail forked.

Although this seems simple, it can more complicated. As shields of arms became more elaborate, greater care was needed to describe them without ambiguity, and the language of heraldry grew mor complicated as the shields did. A syntax was developed, whereby the various charges, with their tinctures (textures), postions and other details, were mentioned in such an order that there could be no doubt as to their arrangement in the shield and in relation to one another.

In blazoning, the features of a shield of arms are described in the following order:

1. The surface, or field, of the shield; whether of one tincture (texture), part of two tinctures, varied, or scattered with small charges.
2. The principal charge, or group of charges, resting immediately on the surface of the shield, and normally occupying the central and most commanding position.
3. Any secondary charges resting on the surface of the shield.
4. Objects placed on one of the charges already mentioned.
5. Important charges resting on the surface of the shield, but not occupying a central position (e.g. a chief, canton, or bordure area).
6. Objects placed on the charges mentioned in No. 5.
7. Marks of cadency, if any.

In blazoning any charge, its name, type or position, tincture (texture) and other charactersistics are first specified, and then such details and accessories as it may be necessary to mention.