Heraldry 101: Elements of a Coat of Arms

Part One: Introduction

Traditionally, there are many elements to an illustrated coat of arms, as indicted in the diagram below, which uses the coat of arms of the United Kingdom:

The most important, and strictly speaking the only necessary, element of a coat of arms is the shield, or escutcheon. The escutcheon is the area where the blazon is illustrated. The background of the escutcheon is called the field. An object placed on the field is called a charge. A field may also be divided.

An escutcheon may be any shape, though usually some form of shield is used. The two major historical exceptions are the coat of arms of a woman, which employs an escutcheon shaped like a lozenge, or elongated diamond, and the coat of arms of a member of the clergy, which uses an escutcheon shaped like a cartouche, or oval. The rationale behind these exceptions is that women and clergy didn't fight, and therefore didn't use shields. Modernly, these exceptions are rarely followed.

An escutcheon also contains a number of points, which are basically areas of the shield used in a blazon to describe the placement of charges. The most important points are chief, which refers to the top of the escutcheon; base, which refers to the bottom of the escutcheon; dexter, which refers to the right of the escutcheon from the point of view of the bearer (meaning the viewer's left); and sinister, which refers to the left of the escutcheon from the point of view of the bearer (meaning the viewer's right.)

The use of a helm is also derived from the need to recognize friends and foes on the medieval battlefield. As such, women and clergy tended not to use helms as part of their coats of arms. In many countries, the shape of the helm, its orientation, and the type of metal depicted indicated the rank of the bearer of the coat of arms.

A crest is a small charge or charges appearing above the helm. It is usually separated by a torse, or cloth wreath. Originally, the crest was probably simply a repetition of the coat of arms itself, but over time, this practice declined, though it is usually related in some way to the original coat of arms. Sometimes, a crest is used to differentiate related coats of arms.

Mantling is the representation of drapery tied to the helm and is derived from the protective cloth tied to the helmets of knights. Despite its origin, it often takes on plant-like shapes. Sometimes, tassels are also incorporated.

Supporters are figures placed to the sides of the shield and positioned as if supporting it. Supporters may be animals or humans, though sometimes inanimate objects are used. In many countries, using supporters is a privilege reserved for the aristocracy.

If a motto is incorporated, it is usually placed on a scroll below the shield.