Heraldic Imagery, Definition, and Principles

At the start of the twelfth century, a new system of emblematic signage which is now called heraldry is first found among the original high Carolingian aristocracy of the northeast quarter of Europe. It must have been clear from the outset that the use of these signs promised a bright future. The motifs, devices, or “connaissances” in Anglo-Norman, based on highly colored simple patterns, were applied to different pieces of military equipment and became, from the 1140s onwards, a unique identifier for all the major Western family lines and those related to them. The use of heraldic mottoes is more complex. The ritual and legal purpose of cries in medieval society is well known. Among the many kinds of exclamations or declarations, some were used in armed conflicts, battles, tournaments, or civil wars and these were the war cries.

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