Celtic Engagement Rings

Celtic War Sword

Celtic War Sword

The History behind Heraldry

The word "Heraldry" is Old-German in origin, meaning army or host. It also came to mean the person who announced an advancing army, or could identify its main components, for example its knights, their method of fighting, and particularly their record of success in the field, all very important things for a commander before taking the risky decision to commence battle.

The earliest Heralds evolved almost entirely from travelling troubadours, who went about Europe regaling the nobles with songs and tales. They acted as messengers, or ambassadors, and they were free to come and go as the pleased, even across national border; their job being to find out what other nobles were getting up to. On their travels they wore a tabard that was emblazoned with their master's coat of arms, this guaranteed them free passage and protection. An attack on a Herald was considered to be an act of war against his master.

The Troubadours possessed the skill to both read and write, and they had the ability to memorize large amounts of detail about the various lords and knights they met. They were always welcome at any castle they turned up at, because they brought both news and entertainment, reciting tales about who they met on their travels.

They would record personal details about knights and lords and fortifications, and the colours and images displayed on flags and shields, sharing this information with other wandering troubadours. In this way they build up a compressive record of important families and their associated Heraldic regalia.

During battle the troubadours would be required to brief commanders on the identity and fighting qualities of the opposition, moving constantly between areas of action, identifying battle groups that were either coming on, or going off the battlefield. They also performed the task of identifying the dead and the captured. Many a captured nobleman would attempt to pass himself off as an ordinary soldier, to avoid being held for ransom. The troubadour could usually identify them. And they often acted as deputy commander in chief, making on the spot changes to the battle-plan. Out of the troubadours sprang three modern professions, that of Herald, Ambassador, and Army Staff officer.

The term Coat-of-Arms comes from the large coat worn by a Knight over his body armour. On sunny days the armour would get extremely hot, and on cold days it would freeze; hence the need for a blanket-like coat to cover it. The knight's colours were replicated on this for easy identification, hence the term Coat of Arms.

A crest was worn high on a knight's helmet, a boar's head, or antlers, or a clenched gauntlet. It was there to make him more visible to others while on the battlefield, and at the same time make him appear more impressive.

The Mottoe is a saying associated with a particular family, which subsequently became attached to Heraldic memorials.

The earliest known example of a Norman type Heraldic shield was found on a tombstone in the Alsace region of France, it is dated 1010AD.

Heraldry as we know it spread across Europe from Germany, and was brought to England by the Normans in 1066, eventually finding its way to Ireland shortly after. The early Norman/English Coats-of-Arms originally carried fairly simple geometric designs, and later came images of Lions, Stags, Castles, and Weaponry.

When this Norman style of portraying Heraldry reached Ireland, it began to draw on images already present in the country, images that harked back thousands of years into the ancient past, images like the Tree of life (the oak tree), or the Salmon of Wisdom, and the Serpent of good health.

Ancient Irish and Greek and Roman civilisations all regarded the Oak Tree as the Tree of life, a belief that stems from the vein-like pattern on the back of every Oak Leaf. Ancient Celtic inaugurations were conducted with the new chieftain embracing the Oak Tree, whilst uttering sacred Druidic saying. Many places in Ireland are called after these inauguration oak trees; places like Derry, Derrymore, Adare, Magh Adhair, all commemorate the place where an inauguration Oak Tree once stood.

To inaugurate means simply to bore someone or plant someone into the very earth of the clan territory. Druidic priests, called Augurs, performed this ancient ceremony; today an Augur is a machine that bores down into the earth. The town of Augsburg in Germany has the very same origins, pointing to the strong Celto-German origins of the Irish People. And in common with the Irish many German Coats of Arms contain Oak trees and Serpents.

The Latin Robur Querus means "great oak", and people with the name Robert are called after this. Pope Robert, who reigned in the middle ages, carried an Oak Tree on his papal coat-of-arms; which coincidently is the great symbol of Paganism. The word Pagan simply means "People of the land".

The ancient Irish looked upon the SALMON as source of wisdom. All the clans had a special pool, where Druidic priests would ritually feed Salmon, to ensure the chieftains were endowed with wisdom. This tradition still features in O'Neill's Coat Of Arms.

The Serpent of good health has its roots in ancient Egypt, when every Pharaoh carried the image of the spitting cobra on his head, to ward off malignant spirits that could bring ill health.

In ancient Greece the serpent was similarly regarded. And today, whenever a medical physician is newly qualified, they must sign a piece of paper called the Hippocratic Oath; -- and on it is a sword entwined with a serpent-the Caduceus.

Today whenever a carved image of the Roman God of Health is found, it is always depicted with a serpent entwined around a sword.

In Druidic Ireland the serpent was likewise regarded as the protector of good health, and it features strongly in a great number of family Crests. When St Patrick said he would drive the serpents out of Ireland, he was stating his intention to supplant the Druidic tradition with the Christian tradition. Everywhere one goes in Ireland today they can see links to our ancient past, like in the games we play, and the mysterious carved stones that dot the countryside, and our county flags, and especially in our colourful Family Crests.

Today Heraldry can be seen in civic flags, and the regimental plates on every army vehicle, as well on government buildings and institutions. It can also be seen in the multi-coloured jerseys of players on sports field, and at a horse race, where jockeys wear coloured and patterned vests so they can be identified from a great distance, as was their original purpose. When most people think of Heraldry they think of Richard the Lion Heart riding into battle dressed in full Heraldic regalia, with a richly decorated shield and sur-coat. These things did indeed happen, but the origins of heraldry lie far back in the misty world of the Ancient Celts, and their story is a rich interweave of tapestry, with each stitch representing a colourful strand of European history.

About the Author

Gerald Curran is the founder of Curran's Heraldry, an Irish Family Heraldry site. Curran's Heraldry offer Irish Coat of Arms and Heraldic Shields available to ship worldwide.

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