Coat Of Arms Dbq

Opening Statement: During the 12th Century Crusades, European Lords began to use the Coat or arms as a means of unity of the families of the knights marching for the holy land.

Hypothesis: Good Morning my Busby and class, my replica of the shield of a coat of arms and tapestry of arms must be held in the abbey museum because they were and still are a symbol of Identification and Unification for Families, Individuals and Armies of Medieval and Modern times.

Main Point 1: When and how heraldry originated is not known but according to history medren, the earliest documented design of Heraldic form occurred in 1127 when Henry I knighted Geoffrey Plantagenet. Gold lions on a blue backgrounded shield were hung on his neck this is supported by the

enamel plague that was made for his funeral in 1151. Heraldic designs only developed from there and were definitely used in the Mid-12th century by competitors in tournaments. They made their own shield designs as a form of self-expression. Heraldic Rolls dating back to the early days of the tournaments showed that the jousters designs would regularly change. But later on, when heraldry had become widely known around Europe, you could not create arms freely and you or your family had to be awarded arms by either a monarch or heraldic officer. This is a great reason as to why this replica should be shown in the abbey museum to remind passers-by that today you cannot go around freely creating false coats of arms and it is against the law to do such a thing anywhere.
Main Point 2: Feudal society saw the coat of arms as a means of identification and unity between families, individuals and armies.

According to medieval life and times website Hereditary coats of arms were introduced during the 12th Century during the crusades to show armies allegiances to the Lords of Europe when travelling to the holy land. During the early time of these banners and shields only military chieftains were designated arms. In these feudal times, the king would entrust heraldic honours to nobles. The great landholders of the kingdom. So later as time passed by knights were given the ability to bear arms. When nobility gave land to the knights for excelling in combat or for other deeds, the knight would inherit their superiors coat of arms but they would each have slight variations to show that they were being ruled over by this certain noble. When coats of arms were used in jousting tournaments, the Knights competing would only be known by the crest on their arms such as ‘Knight of the swan’ or ‘Knight of the rose’. Later in medieval times, arms were not only entrusted to those who had done great military deeds but also to those for their wisdom, superior learning and other qualities previously thought of by nobles as inferior. Even later Coats of Arms were granted to civilians and commercial corporations, as well as private individuals with no military honours. Eventually almost everyone was allowed to make an application for

arms.
Main Point 3: The elements of a coat of arms that were used in medieval times are still used today when creating arms for families, corporations and countries of the world.

According to Fleur De Lis designs, the official components of a blazon are the motto, crest, shield and shield elements like the placement of symbols or charges and the colours used. As well as supporters which are usually animals, or people that stand on the left and right of the shield. Also the components not specified in any coat of arms include: The motto design, Wreath or Torse, Helmet or Helm, shield shape or angle, mantling and Name design for family arms. South China Morning Post has stated that Heraldry has developed through the ages and the coat of arms is now eligible for those who have distinguished achievements and contributed to society. The heraldry society of Scotland has also said that Coat of Arms should and is now used as much as it possibly can be. If you have the honour of bearing a coat of arms, you should incorporate it into your life as much as you can. You can put your arms on a business card or even engrave it into your silver, cutlery and glassware. Today heraldry is also used in dress. Women can wear their arms on jewellery and men on their belt buckles. They are also used as a means of identification just like in medieval times. They can represent countries, businesses, individuals and families not only by having a carving of your arms but by installing them in stained glass

windows, flying flags or wearing them in everyday life.
Conclusion: To conclude, the earliest documented design of Heraldic form occurred in 1127 when Henry I knighted Geoffrey Plantagenet. The coat of arms was used in feudal society as a unifying symbol for families and individuals in medieval times and the elements of a coat of arms that were used in medieval times are still used today when creating arms for families, corporations and countries. For these reasons I believe that my replica of a shield of arms and tapestry of a heraldic achievement must be placed in the abbey museum to remind us of this great way of identification in the medieval times. Thank-you for listening.