As a student of medieval history, when I first heard the summer reading theme “Color Our World,” I could not help but think of the beautiful and vibrant heraldry system of the Middle Ages.
Heraldry was a key way to identify royals, nobles, and Church officials. The striking colors and fantastical charges (images) of medieval coats of arms told you of the person’s family and how members of that family portrayed themselves. While this is now considered a relic of a bygone era, you too can learn the language of medieval heraldry!
The heraldry system was popularized in medieval French-speaking lands, so the terms we use to describe them are in Old French.
In medieval heraldry, there were six pigments divided into two sets. A coat of arms was made up of a metal and a color.
There were two metals: or (gold, rendered as yellow) and argent (silver, rendered as white.) There were four common colors: azure (blue), sable (black), gules (red), and vert (green.) Purpure (purple) was also used, though it was less common than the other four colors.
Metals were not allowed to overlap with other metals and colors were not allowed to overlap with other colors.
On many coats of arms, there were emblems of animals called charges. The animals depicted could be real, like lions or dogs, or mythical, like griffins or dragons.
The animals could be depicted in a variety of poses such as rampant (rearing up), statant (standing), or passant (walking.)
Let’s put it together!
This is the coat of arms of one of the most famous medieval kings, Richard the Lionheart, perhaps best known today for his portrayal in the Robin Hood legends.
How might this coat of arms be described?
It has a gules (red) background and depicts three or (gold) lyons (lions) passant (walking.)
What might this tell us about Richard?
The lions represent bravery and red typically indicates martial prowess, so Richard likely wanted it to be known that he was a brave warrior.
You can learn more about this period of the Middle Ages from my Master’s thesis - the prototype for an interactive fiction game called In Her Own Right: A Story of Power and Its Consequences.
Beta testing will occur at Crestwood Library on:
Monday, July 14 from 10 AM - 3 PM
Tuesday, July 15 from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday, July 16 from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Thursday, July 17 from 10:30 AM - 11:30 PM
To learn more about heraldry and for a fun activity, check out: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/guide-to-heraldry
You can also check out some of these books to learn more:
Michel Pastoureau Heraldry: An Introduction to a Noble Tradition -> This is a comprehensive work on the history and symbolism of heraldry from the foremost scholar on the history of color. It is clearly and succinctly written, and it is fully illustrated with beautiful full-color images from medieval sources.
Maurice Keen Chivalry -> This defining text covers a wide range of topics related to the practice of chivalry in the Middle Ages - not only heraldry but also chivalry's relation to the Church and tournaments. It includes both color and black & white images from medieval sources.
Julian Franklyn Heraldry -> This technical text dives into the design process of heraldry and the meanings behind different elements. It includes black & white and color illustrations by Alan Keith-Hill.
Stephen Friar and John Ferguson Basic Heraldry -> This very readable text covers the history of heraldry from the Middle Ages to modern times. It includes black & white and color illustrations by John Ferguson.
Janetta Rebold Benton The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages -> This book includes many photos of medieval art and artifacts that depict animals. Read to learn more about the symbolism behind the animals that adorn many medieval coats of arms!
Books for Children and Teens:
Don Nardo Medieval Knights and Chivalry -> This book provides a simple overview of the history of medieval knights from their origins to their modern legacy. It covers a broad array of topics, including the usage of heraldry, and includes many full color images.
Christopher Gravett Eyewitness Knight -> This book in the popular Eyewitness series includes many photographs and full color images from the Middle Ages. Its short captions make it an easy introduction to the life of a medieval knight.
Kay Eastwood The Life of a Knight -> This book provides a primer to many aspects of the life of a medieval knight from heraldry to armor to the rules of chivalry. It includes many images from medieval sources.
Aliki A Medieval Feast -> This picture book is a fictionalized account of the preparations for a medieval court feast. It is delightfully illustrated in a way that is reminiscent of medieval manuscripts.
This blog was written by Emily Varker, a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is currently pursuing an MA in Medieval Studies at Fordham University. She loves reading across a variety of genres, but she especially loves historical fiction and retellings of classic stories.
This blog was edited by Alison Robles, a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she recently received an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.