The coat of arms and motto knight.

era of knights always attracted special attention.The romantic image of the Middle Ages and fair duels continue to exist in the literature, cinema, as well as new subculture roleplayers.

an integral part of any knight was a coat of arms.It depicted a variety of animals, plants, objects.His main task was to provide information about the Knight who holds it.What does a knight emblem and the motto written on it?

How did knightly emblems

choose their own custom decals and put it on his own shield appeared in ancient times.This helped to identify his during battle.

Each nation had its own marks on the arms:

• francs represented a cross above the circle;
• England - a mythical dragon, cross with the ball or birds;
• Danes - raven
• Saxons - a lion, or a rose.

The appearance of a special heraldic symbols associated with cross knightly campaigns.Signs symbols become a special kind of letter.With their help, you can learn a knight clad in iron armor.

placed on board the characters had to say about the nature of life and the ways of man.For example, the one who first went to crusade depicted small migratory birds.In this way he showed that he has no permanent home and travels.

Crusades also contributed to the boards began to paint in different colors, including blue.While in Europe, this color dye was not, he was brought from the East.

Eventually knight emblem and motto were placed not only on board, but also on the helmet.It was a special mark of distinction, a modern analogue of identity card or a business card.

role of heraldry in the days of knights

The more coats of arms appear, the greater the need for their systematization.Began to emerge sets of rules for the preparation of coats of arms.Thus, a new science - heraldry.Her task was to describe and study the knightly insignia.

people who engage in this science were called heralds.They lived at the courts of nobles and knights, and were closely linked to the knightly tournaments.Were mottos from medieval knights?Of course there were.They were placed on the board and announced before the start of the match.

Developing centuries, heraldry became more complicated and confusing.By the 15th century began to appear special treatises, which were difficult to understand because of the many symbols and signs, intertwined with each other.

About tournaments

Knight competitions were during the time of Charlemagne.This is known from the chronicle of 844 years of the historian Nitgarta ("Song of Beowulf").

believed that the first rule for fights set in the 11th century French knight Godfrey de Prel.By the age of 12 tournaments spread in England.

contribution to the popularization made King Richard the Lionheart.He was allowed to hold competitions in five counties and himself took part in them.At the time of their arms, motto and war cry was everywhere.

Knight tournament has played a big role.Everyone is in it's own benefit:

• boasts armor and noble birth;
• declare all of its military capacity;
• the favor of the ladies of the heart;
• seize the enemy's armor and horse;
• get the ransom won for the armor.

To participate in the tournament had to prove their noble descent.It had to be confirmed in two generations from both mother and father.The proof is a hereditary knight coat of arms and motto on the shield and helmet.

Church has long struggled with the tournament, but they continued until the 16th century.They were banned in 1559, when, because of the random fragments of the spear killed the King of France.At the competitions become unnecessary and heralds.

This remained slogans on billboards and war cry.Knights of the century was carried out in the battles, but eventually came to be replaced by a new kind of troops.Knight emblem over time transformed into signs of shops, cities and states.

Classification emblems

already mentioned that heraldry - a very complicated science.It is divided into separate clans all emblems and mottos.Chivalry might have any of these:

1. State - are the emblem of the land, which are combined into a single state.As a rule, the governor used the same coat of arms.
2. Local - assigned cities, a bishopric.
3. Communities - owned shops, research institutions, spiritual and secular organizations.
4. Heirloom (generic) - to be inherited members of the same genus.
5. Personal - existed in Western Europe as an emblem of a particular senior cleric, such as a bishop.
6. Allied (marriage) - obtained by combining the emblems of persons concluded marriage.
7. claims - is the emblem of one state and the other characters, which are planning to join the ground.
8. Awards (patronage) - Sovereign fan of another kind for certain services sign with his coat of arms.

An interesting example is the story of the coat of arms of Aragon.Initially, he was a gold shield.In one of the battles the king was struck by the courage of Gottfried Aragon.After the battle he approached the soldier and dip his wound his fingers, held them on board.So on a golden coat of arms of Aragon began to depict four vertical pillar dyed.

What drew on billboards

Shield composed of honorable heraldic figures: the head of the belt, tip, post, border, slings, sling crosses.There were minor heraldic figures, such as columns, corbels, rombovye field.

most numerous group was negeraldicheskaya.It includes natural, artificial and fantastic elements.It could be animals, plants, people, body parts, weapons, mythical animals, natural phenomena.

motto

Coat Knight and the motto were one.Short sentence was to explain the idea of ​​the logo.

What can tell emblems

Medieval heraldry can be compared with the architecture of the time.Therefore, you can quite easily determine which state is the coat of arms.

For example, the French are very fond of luxury, so their characters are decorated with lots of nobility precious metals and furs.In Burgundy red posters prevailed because imitation Duke of Burgundy.

All Western European countries have their own characteristics in heraldry.This allows you to learn how to redraw the boundaries of the States of the conquered lands, prisoners or dissolved unions and other important events of the time.