Coat of Arms Information

 

 

This section of our site is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the Coat of Arms and the various parts included in its makeup. For the sake of simplicity and understanding, we will use more commonly used terms in our descriptions. One example is the graphic down below. While we refer to it as a "Coat of Arms", it is actually a "Full Achievement of Arms". The difference is that the Coat of Arms technically just consists of the Shield portion and the charges which are on the shield. The Full Achievement of Arms, on the other hand, includes the Crest, Mantling, Motto, Name, Supporters, and the Helm. But common usage today includes all of those in the term "Coat of Arms", which is what we'll as well.

In the graphic below we have labeled the primary sections of the Coat of Arms and below the graphic you will find some more detailed descriptions of those sections.

 

 

coat of arms explanation graphic

 

MOTTO A motto is fairly common, but is not a required element. In the cases where a motto is present it is up to the artist as to the scroll style (if any), the lettering style, and it's relative placement on the Coat of Arms.
CREST Originally the crest was the ornament of the helmet, or headpiece, and also afforded protection against a blow. In the early rolls it was scarcely noticed, but in later armorial grants it came into general use.
WREATH/TORSE The roll or chaplet above the shield, supporting the crest. It is supposed to represent a twist of two silken cords, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color, in the arms. Wreaths may also be circular, but the straight wreath is by far the more common.
HELMET The helmet is borne above the shield and beneath the crest. Initially it is believed that it was used to denote the rank of the wearer, but more recently it is the within the discretion of the artist which helmet is used.
SHIELD There are more than one word which refer to the shield, the primary ones being shield or estucheon which refer to the physical form itself. Next is the term Field which refers to the surface of the shield, or if the surface is sectioned by being quartered or impaled it refers to each section Separately. The style of the shield and the angle at which it is displayed are the artist's choice.
MANTLE/MANTLING It is believed that the mantle is representative of the fabric used to protect the helmet from the elements, ie sun, rain, etc. Most often it is displayed behind the rest of the Coat of Arms and is displayed using the same colors as in the wreath.
SUPPORTERS Many Coat of Arms will have what are referred to as Supporters, one on each side of the shield in either an upright position facing forward or in a profile position leaning against the shield. Supporters can be animals or persons which have some influence of the bearer of the arms.
SHIELD ELEMENTS Again there are many terms which refer to the designs on the face of the shield itself. We have several pages which will provide additional information which are in the links in the menu to the left. We are currently working on creating these pages and have broken them up into several sections in an effort to keep the load time to an acceptable speed. The sections are: TINCTURES - covers the metals, colors, and furs in the Coat of Arms. ORDINARIES - these are the most basic patterns utilized on the face of the shield to break it into sections. CHARGES - there are several pages of charges. Charges are the objects displayed on the surface, or field, of the shield which makes it truly unique for each individual Coat of Arms. We have covered many of the primary charges and will be adding to them as time passes.
BLAZON The blazon is the term used to describe the textual description of the Coat of Arms. It uses a phrasing unique to Heraldry and covers only the crest, helmet, and shield of the coat of arms.