What is heraldry: the definition of the historical past and the significance for modernity

Turning the pages of history, each of us repeatedly met with symbols of countries, estates, clans - arms. The field of knowledge, which is devoted to the study of the semantic content embedded in the coat of arms, is called heraldry.

What is heraldry? Definition of the concept. General information

If we take a more precise scientific definition, then heraldry is an auxiliary direction in history, which studies the arms, their history and meaning. The term is consonant with the word "heraldus", which means "herald" in Russian . The heralds in Russia were called heralds, who described the coat of arms of their feudal lord.

The coats of arms reflected the material and social status of their owner. That's why heraldry got such meaning. The definition and origin of this trend have been studied by many historians.

History of appearance

The tradition of creating crests appeared in Europe after the First Crusade. At that time in the tournament, the identification of knights in armor caused difficulties, and the participants of the campaigns did not distinguish each other. Therefore, the nobility began to put various images on the shields and armor, which was the impetus to create an orderly symbolism. Over time, the signs were turned into an unspoken language, in which the inscribed symbol had its semantic meaning. Originally on the armor depicted animals and birds. On the arms of the time there was the symbolism of ancient military signs, military armaments - arrows, spears, swords. In some cases, shields depicted the property belonging to the knight.

Before the second Crusade, the symbols got a complete outline, and the arms on the knight tournaments became commonplace. The development of the image of the symbols on the shields made it possible to distinguish the knight according to the generic arms. The latter eventually became clearly symbolic of class affiliation. They were inherited, which was also a characteristic feature. If you turn to the present, you can see that if noble families have family differences, then they repeat the shape of the ancient shields of the ancestors of ancient surnames.

Subject of study

Heraldry regards the arms as a specific source of information. The data obtained during the study of the symbols depicted on the coats of arms contribute to the replenishment of knowledge about events, about historical characters, and also opens the way to establishing economic and cultural ties that existed at one time or another. Thanks to research of heraldry, historians find out the belonging of documents or monuments to a specific person, establish the authenticity of the find.

The coat of arms is an identification legal symbol, compiled and approved by clear rules. It serves as a permanent distinction for the person, the clan, the public organization, the region, the state.

Many historians wondered about what heraldry is. The definition of this concept of statesmen is as follows: the fundamental sign of the existence of the idea of nationality. There is another alternative definition. Heraldry is the guarantee of successful development of the state and consolidation of its independent position.

Scientific understanding

The process of deciphering and describing the meaning of arms was undertaken by the auxiliary discipline - heraldry. Science explores the history of the development of the knowledge branch, the basis for the compilation, transfer and use of arms and other materials, their properties, depending on the place and time of creation.

As a scientific discipline, this area of knowledge is represented by several sections. Formal, or theoretical, heraldry studies the rules for constructing the coat of arms and the terminology that describes it. For a private field of science, it is characteristic to consider such materials as ancestral arms and mottos. Applied area contributes to the study of attribution and identification of various documents and items of the material part of the figure depicted on the coat of arms.

We should not forget about the direction of practical heraldry, which aims at creating new arms, changing them and bringing them in line with existing rules, as well as considering the history of origin.

Heraldry and its role in the comprehension of history

Heraldry represents the most important section of historical and general humanitarian knowledge. She overcame the long path of becoming from the applied branch to the independent science, which owns its own methods of studying and analyzing historical sources.

The need to describe the arms appeared when the first attributes of differences appeared. For the possibility of an accurate and correct description of such a symbol, when there is no visual representation of it, a terminology has been developed that deals with the standards of stamp figures, ornaments and other components. She also allowed to distinguish heraldry in an independent field of knowledge.

Specialists distinguish two functions of this science, which make it possible to understand what heraldry is. The definition says: this is the compilation of arms and their expertise. The methods of the latter consist in consistently ascertaining the nationality of the owner of the emblem, its merits, titles, the time period for the creation and modification of the emblem. The language of heraldry is called "blazon", which allows you to reproduce the picture as described.

Uniqueness and originality of the science of coats of arms

Heraldry can also be called a unique system of identification of state and personal belongings. Many historical works attach importance to such a division of science as heraldry. The significance of this historical discipline is great, because thanks to the knowledge gained, a general picture of this or that time period is formed.

Heraldry is not just an opportunity to know who the coat of arms belonged to when it arose. Many will agree that it is not enough to consider it as a branch in scientific research. It is important to take into account the social content of the concept. What is heraldry? The definition and use of this direction makes it possible to restore their genealogical roots, to discover the sources of the origin of the family.