Talking about Family: Reading Practice

Step 1
What is a coat of arms in medieval times? Coats of arms were used as a form of identification by Knights going to battle like an early form of a dog tag. Heraldry began as a system of signs symbols on a sheet on shields used by Nobles and kings to identify themselves in the middle of the 12th century in battle tournaments which were the great sort of outdoor sport of the time and on seals. The aristocratic families would use coats of arms to show class and social status. A coat of arms is an arrangement of devices such as animals or geometric shapes placed on a shield. The background to the shield is called the field. The field can be a mix of seven basic colours or tinctures. These are gold or yellow silver or white blue red purple black and green. The field can also be divided into sections and this is called the division of the field of which there are many. The shield can also include a variety of elements like supporters, a helmet, compartment, a crest, a motto. This is called a full achievement of arms. There are no steadfast meanings behind the devices, tinctures or other images on the coat of arms. The devices on a coat of arms are sometimes very personal and would have been put there for a reason. Every coat of arms has a history and a story to tell. Find this you will start to unravel your family’s history.