Answered by The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc.

Written by Administrator
Saturday, 04 December 2010 16:38

Q.1 What does the word 'Arms' mean in the context of heraldry?

A. The word 'Arms' in the heraldic context (as in 'coat of Arms') refers to a distinctive design worn on a knight's shield, his banner, and elsewhere on his clothing that enabled him to be identified in battle. A knight in full armor, including a face-covering helmet, was difficult to identify without these distinctive insignia. A coat of Arms is depicted on a shield, referring to the origin of the term.

Q.1 How did the term 'coat of Arms' originate and what does it mean?

A. The term 'coat of Arms' is derived from the cloth garment or surcoat that a knight wore over his armor. On the front and back of the surcoat there would often be displayed the knight's arms. Originally the surcoat was full length, reaching almost to the ankles; it was sleeveless and was split at front and back to allow the material to hang freely when the wearer was riding his horse.

Q.2 What is the connection, if any, among heraldry, genealogy and family history?

A. Heraldry can be regarded as the root from which genealogy and family history grew and developed. This is because genealogical studies developed from the work of Heralds in recording pedigrees in order to determine lines of succession and the rights of individuals to inherit arms. All modern library systems recognise this and regard genealogy and heraldry as two faces of the same genre; and similarly, all booksellers group the two together, usually in the reference section.

Q.3 Is there a family or clan coat of Arms, and can all people with the same surname use the same arms?

A. NO. There is no such thing as a coat of Arms for a family, clan or surname. A coat of Arms is a visual mark of identity of an individual. There is an ancient heraldic principle which states that each person's coat of Arms is unique to that individual and cannot be used by anybody else. In Scotland, a Chief of a Clan has his or her personal coat of Arms that belongs to that individual alone. A member of the clan or a person with the same surname may, with the Lord Lyon's approval, have a variation or a ?differenced? version of the Chief's Arms by way of different tinctures (colours), bordures or other devices to make the Arms unique to the individual seeking Arms. A clan member may also use the clan badge consisting of the Chief's ?crest? (see next Q.4) within a belt and buckle design containing the Chief's motto.

Q.4 Is the crest the same thing as a coat of Arms?

A. No. The word ?crest? is often misused, particularly by the popular press, as a general overall description for a coat of Arms. The word ?crest? has the same meaning in heraldry as in the dictionary, namely ?on the top of? as in ?crest of a wave? or ?crest of the hill? or a Cockatoo's crest. In heraldry it refers to the three-dimensional object on top of the helmet, which itself is on top of the shield on which the Arms are shown. The Arms themselves are depicted on the shield. The shield is the essential part of a coat of Arms. Without it the device may be more correctly called a badge, emblem or a logo.

Q.5 Is the 'Bar Sinister' a mark of illegitimacy?

A. In heraldry there is no such thing as the 'bar sinister'. When people talk about the 'bar sinister' they are referring to the couped (cut of at both ends) bendlet sinister. A bendlet sinister extends from the top left (sinister) to the bottom right of the shield. This is just one of the many marks of cadency to differentiate one coat of arms from another and does not necessarily mean illegitimacy. The origin of the 'bar sinister' may have come from the French 'barre' which is always in the sinister position, so the term 'bar sinister' is incorrect and is an example of heraldic tautology.

Q.6 Why are there marks of illegitimacy?

A. Where marks of illegitimacy were used, they were not used to denote punishment or disgrace. They were used simply to denote that the illegitimate child (particularly if he were a first born male) could not inherit his father's arms unchanged. He could carry his father's arms provided they were so marked to indicate that he was establishing a separate branch of the family without any right of succession to the unchanged arms. Some of the illegitimate sons of King Charles II bore the Royal Arms debruised by a 'baton sinister', as do the illegitimate male descendants of King William IV. (The term 'debruised' indicates a charge in front of or obscuring another).

Q.7 Why is the description of coats of Arms made in what seems to be an arcane or technical language instead of plain English so that everyone can understand it?

A. Blazon, which is the technical term for describing the details of a coat of Arms, evolved so that heralds, in whatever country they may be, could describe a coat of Arms precisely, clearly and briefly. The technical terms in a blazon are in Norman French, reflecting their origin. Although blazon may seem strange to the uninitiated, it performs the same function that musical notation does on a sheet of music enabling the musician to reproduce sounds the way the composer intended. Blazon allows the heraldic artist to reproduce accurately the design on the shield as the herald intended. The use of plain English, by way of contrast, would tend to be verbose and open to widely different interpretations thereby destroying the integrity of the original design.

Q.8 Do you have to pronounce heraldic terms (blazon) with a French accent?

A. No. Blazonry in English is pronounced phonetically. Gules (red) is pronounced with a hard 'G', Argent (silver) is ar-gent and so on.

Q.9 Why do heralds confuse people by calling the right side of the shield sinister, which means left, and the left side dexter which means right?

A. The sides of the shield (arms) are described from the point of the armiger standing behind his shield. Therefore the armiger's right is the viewer's left and his left is the viewer's right.

Q.10 Are the colours used in heraldry fixed in any way and do they have any particular significance?

A. No. There are no fixed shades in heraldry. The blazon (description) of a coat of Arms provides the colours (tinctures) as Gules (red), Azure (blue), Sable (black), Vert (green), Purpure (purple). There are two metals, namely Or (gold) and Argent (silver). Other colours are called stains and consist of Murrey (mulberry) , Tenne (orange), and Sanguine (blood red). Sometimes other stains are encountered such as Celestial azure (sky blue) and Carnation ('skin' tone). It is up to the heraldic artist to decide upon the shade he or she thinks is most appropriate for the whole design.

Q.11 Who can have a coat of Arms?

A. In Australia there is no heraldic authority to administer and regulate Arms so there is a legal vacuum as to which individuals or groups are eligible to apply for arms. In practice any adult, male or female, may have a coat of arms granted to them by an officially recognised overseas heraldic authority (which would be authentic), or may self-assume arms (which would not be authentic). (See also below).

Q.12 How and where do I apply for a coat of Arms?

Australians who can prove they are of English descent may apply, by way of a petition, to the English College of Arms in London; those of Scottish ancestry to the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Edinburgh; and those of Irish ancestry to the Chief Herald of Ireland in Dublin. Australians may also apply for registration of arms by the South African Bureau of Heraldry.

Q.13 Can a person who is not of English, Scottish or Irish ancestry apply for Arms?

A. Yes, if they are an Australian citizen. They can apply to the English College of Arms for a grant of Arms as that organisation asserts it has the right to grant Arms to any of Her Majesty's subjects where there is no indigenous heraldic body in the Commonwealth country in which they reside and where the Queen is still Head of State.

Q.14 Can anyone who is descended from someone who had a coat of Arms use it?

A. No. A coat of Arms belongs to, and is unique to, an individual at any one time. For a person to have the right to a coat of Arms they must either have it granted to them or be descended in a legitimate line of descent from a person to whom Arms were granted or confirmed in the past. As a general rule the Arms pass from the original grantee to his eldest son and continue on to the next eldest son in each succeeding generation. In Scotland a person, depending on their familial relationship and surname, may apply for a ?differenced? version of a particular coat of Arms. (See Q.3 above).

Q.15 I have located ?my? coat of Arms on the Internet. Can I use it?

A. No. Unfortunately many websites which purport to show Arms belonging to a particular name are misleading and completely unauthentic. Usually the Arms shown are those of prominent people or the Chief of a Clan. To use these Arms as though they are yours is akin to fraud. It is no different to stealing another person's passport or driver's licence and using or passing it off as your own.

Q.16 I have bought ?my? coat of Arms from a heraldic shop. Is it authentic and can I display and use it?

A. NO, in so far as using the Arms as though they are yours (See Q.15 above). However, tt is important to note the distinction between the display of Arms and the use of Arms. A person may purchase a copy of the Arms, for display purposes only, of his or her school, college, university, institution or organisation as a means of showing their association or allegiance. The display of Arms as distinct from using them is perfectly legitimate as it can be regarded as a souvenir.

Q.17 What is the relevance of heraldry in the 21st Century?

A. There are several possible reasons why this question is asked. Many people are completely unaware that heraldry is all around them and continues to be a part of their everyday life. The arms of the Nation, the State or Territory, the local municipal council, schools, universities, commercial concerns and other various organisations and associations are on buildings, on letterheads, legal documents and other artefacts, and help in their respective identification. This public display and use of arms is a manifestation of the various interests and loyalties that interact with one another and make up our pluralist society. The current use of logos by various organisations is an indication that a need for a visual symbol of identity is still important in the 21st Century. Heraldry can meet this need in a more timeless way that transcends quickly outdated fashions like logos, which tend to have short 'flavour of the month' lives.

Q.18 In modern society isn't the display and use of arms pretentious and rather snobbish?

A. No. It is most unfortunate that there is sometimes a suspicion that heraldry is somehow associated with snobbery. This attitude could also be a reason why many armigers (people entitled to bear Arms) are reluctant to openly display their armorial bearings in the belief that to do so would be seen as pretentious. Coats of Arms are visual symbols of identity; the use of Arms can only be considered pretentious if they were used without authority and deliberately used and displayed as if they were legitimate. It is interesting to note that the association of heraldry with snobbery coincided with the rise of the industrialist, merchant and middle classes during the latter part of the 18th Century and in the 19th Century which, in the main, assumed arms in an attempt to raise their social standing.

Q.19 I have a coat of Arms granted by an overseas heraldic authority. Is this protected in Australia?

A. No. At present the only way to obtain legal protection is to register an illustration of the Arms with IP Australia at the federal level and with the relevant state or territory organisation dealing with title deeds etc. This can be an expensive exercise if you want Australia-wide coverage. Creation of an Australian Heraldic Authority would rectify this situation.

Q.20 Is there an official body that administers and regulates heraldry in Australia?

A. No. At present there is no official heraldic organisation in Australia so there is a legal vacuum as to the usage and protection of Arms in Australia. HAGSOC supports the creation of an Australian Heraldic Authority.

Q.21 Why does Australia need its own heraldic authority when coats of Arms can be registered with IP Australia?

A. The staff of IP Australia probably will not have any expertise with the rules of heraldry because they are not responsible for the administration of heraldry in Australia. Consequently when a coat of Arms is submitted to them for registration they will most likely not be concerned whether the Arms are authentic or not. Nor will they check with overseas heraldic authorities as to whether the arms have already been granted to somebody else who is an Australian citizen. Their main concern will be to check that the design of the Arms is not the same as any design (as a logo or a trademark) already entered in their Register. Should the design of the arms prove to be original, in so far as they are concerned, it will most likely be registered as submitted. IP Australia only registers a design for 10 years, after which time the protection must be renewed. Only an Australian Heraldic Authority will be able to protect and maintain the integrity of arms granted to Australian citizens, in perpetuity.

Q.22 Will members of the HAGSOC heraldry interest group design arms for me?

A. Some individuals within the group may be prepared to undertake this as a private commission. The group is happy to comment on and make recommendations on the design of any arms.

Q.23 Does the HAGSOC heraldry interest group undertake research?

A. The group undertakes heraldic research at the current HAGSOC scale of research fees.