Portal:Heraldry

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Welcome to the Heraldry and Vexillology Portal!

Vexillology (from the Latin vexillum, a flag or banner) is the scholarly study of flags, including the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge. Flags were originally used to assist military coordination on the battlefield, and have evolved into a general tool for signalling and identification, particularly identification of countries.

Heraldry encompasses all of the duties of a herald, including the science and art of designing, displaying, describing and recording coats of arms and badges, as well as the formal ceremonies and laws that regulate the use and inheritance of arms. The origins of heraldry lie in the medieval need to distinguish participants in battles or jousts, whose faces were hidden by steel helmets.

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The Royal Coat of Arms of Canada (known formally as the Arms of His/Her Majesty in Right of Canada) is, since 1921, the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, and thus also of Canada. It is closely modelled after the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with distinctive Canadian elements replacing or added to those derived from the British.

The maple leaves in the shield, blazoned "proper", were originally drawn vert (green) but were redrawn gules (red) in 1957. A circlet of the Order of Canada was added to the arms for limited use in 1987. The shield design forms the Royal Standard of Canada, and the shield is found on the Canadian Red Ensign. The Flag of the Governor General of Canada, which formerly used the shield over the Union Jack, now uses the crest of the arms on a blue field. (more...)

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Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem of Japan as published in the Official Gazette (August 15, 1999)

The Law Regarding the National Flag and Anthem (国旗及び国歌に関する法律, Kokki Oyobi Kokka ni Kansuru Hōritsu) (abbreviated as 国旗国歌法) is a law that formally established Japan's national flag and anthem. It was promulgated on August 13, 1999, and established the Nisshōki (日章旗, Sun-circle flag) as the national flag of Japan and the song Kimigayo (君が代) as the national anthem of Japan. Details about each symbol were provided in appendixes in the law, such as construction details of the flag and sheet music for Kimigayo. The law did not provide any protocols involving both symbols or how they should be used or respected. Due to the lack of rules about the usage of both symbols, different national and prefectural agencies and ministries came up with their own regulations.

Before the passage of this law, there was no official flag or anthem that represented Japan. From 1870, the Nisshōki (日章旗) flag, also referred to as the Hinomaru (日の丸), was used in various capacities to represent Japan; Kimigayo (君が代) was used as Japan's de facto anthem since 1880. (more...)

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Burgher arms are coats of arms of commoners (i.e. non-nobles) in heraldry of the European continent. Although the term "burgher" arms refers to bourgeoisie, it is often extended also to arms of (Protestant) clergy and even to arms of peasants. In continental Europe, the use of armorial bearings has never been restricted to a particular social class (unlike in Britain). Every individual, every family and every community has been free to adopt and use arms and as they please, provided they have not wrongfully assumed the arms of another. The exception was arms in Portugal, where king Afonso V restricted burgher arms to the use of colours only.

Use of coats of arms by burghers and artisans began during 13th century and in the 14th century some peasants took to using arms. The arms of commoners bore a far wider variety of charges than the arms of nobility like everyday objects, in particular, tools. In burgher arms are met sometimes also house marks which are not met in arms of nobility. Most widespread burgher heraldry was and still is in Switzerland and in Netherlands. In Netherlands only a small percentage of the existing arms belong to the nobility. (more...)

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The Coat of arms of the British Antarctic Territory features a lion and Emperor penguin as supporters, and the RSS Discovery in the crest.

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Did you know...

...that the arms of Ferry de Clugny, Cardinal-Bishop of Tournai, appear in the carpet and stained glass in the depiction of the Annunciation (pictured) now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

...that British officer of arms Sir William Henry Weldon was the owner of a circus?

...that it has been claimed that Clan Schaw descends from cup bearers to the Scots kings Alexander II or Alexander III; and that the clan's coat of arms alludes to the office of cup bearer?