Heraldry first began during the 1100's because that was the same time that knights wore helmets that covered their faces. So, as a way to be able to know who each character was, they would use their own individual pattern of colors. The knights would be recognized by people called heralds, who were trained to memorize the intricate patterns of each knight. Then, at tournaments, the heralds would be able to announce the knight by his heraldry. Many knights had different symbols and other things on their shields. One example of a symbol that was commonly used on a knight's shield was a lion which stood for dauntless courage. Another symbol that was used was a ram, which stood for leadership and authority. There are also certain colors that were used on the shields. One color that was commonly used by knights was red, which meant that the knight was brave and strong. This color was also the color of a martyr. Many families would also use markings to tell their birth order within a family. For example, the eldest son had a marking like an E, and the sixth son had something that was more like a spear head. Without heraldry it would have been much harder to tell the knights apart and who the knights were during tournaments.
Heraldry
By: Pete and Sean
1. Do you think that it would be a good idea to use heraldry to represent our families today? Why or why not?
2. Would knights would have been better off without heraldry? Why or why not?
3. Why might heraldry have been bad for knights?