Explanation of the Blazon of Arms

What Is a Blazon?

The word blazon is derived from the French blason, meaning “shield,” and is found in English from the end of the 14th century. Earlier heraldic writers sometimes connected the word with the German verb blasen, “to blow a horn,” suggesting a connection with the herald’s traditional role in publicly proclaiming arms. Modern etymologists, however, generally regard this explanation as conjectural rather than established.

In heraldry, a blazon is the formal written description of a coat of arms. At first sight a blazon can appear almost like a foreign language, but it is actually a remarkably precise system of terminology. Using a relatively small vocabulary and a fixed order of description, it records the colours, figures, positions and other essential features of an achievement of arms.

The Parts of a Coat of Arms

As depicted below, a complete heraldic achievement may consist of several elements, including the shield, charges, helm, wreath, crest and mantling. Not every coat of arms contains all of these elements, and strictly speaking the arms themselves are those displayed upon the shield. The complete composition surrounding it is more accurately called an achievement of arms.

The shield is the central element and carries the principal heraldic design. The figures or symbols placed upon it are known as charges. Above the shield may appear a helmet or helm, upon which rests a wreath and crest, while decorative mantling may descend from either side.

The Language of Heraldry

The purpose of blazon is not to prescribe every artistic detail of a coat of arms, but to describe its essential heraldic identity. This distinction is important. Two artists working from exactly the same blazon may produce noticeably different illustrations, yet both can be heraldically correct.

Many decorative details found in a particular representation are therefore matters of artistic interpretation rather than part of the blazon itself. The precise shape of the shield, the style of the mantling, the lettering of a motto and many aspects of the helmet may vary according to period, country and artist without changing the identity of the arms.

From Simple Shields to Elaborate Arms

The earliest medieval coats of arms were generally simple and immediately recognizable: bars or wavy lines, a lion rampant, an eagle displayed, crosses, or arrangements of fleurs-de-lis and other easily distinguished figures. Such bold designs served a practical purpose in an age when identification on the battlefield and in tournaments was important.

As heraldry developed, designs gradually became more elaborate. Marriage, inheritance and dynastic alliances led to the practice of quartering, in which several coats of arms could be combined upon a single shield to represent different hereditary claims or family connections.

Heraldry and the Medieval Tournament

The development of heraldry was closely associated with the medieval knightly world and particularly with the tournament. From the 12th century onward, heraldic devices increasingly served not merely as practical signs of identification but also as symbols of family, lineage and social standing.

Heralds became specialists in recognizing, recording and describing arms. Their knowledge developed into the organized discipline now known as heraldry. By the later Middle Ages, heraldic display had become deeply embedded in aristocratic and knightly culture throughout much of Europe.

The Blazon and the Artist

A useful principle of heraldry is that the blazon defines the arms; the illustration represents them. The wording of the blazon records those characteristics that must remain constant, while the artist retains considerable freedom in their visual execution.

Consequently, an old family coat of arms may appear in many different artistic forms over the centuries without becoming a different coat of arms. Styles of shields, helmets, mantling and ornamentation change with fashion and period, but as long as the essential heraldic description remains the same, the arms remain the same.

Colors used in shields

The colours used in heraldry, known as tinctures, all have peculiar names. There are two metals, or and argent, or gold and silver, and normally shown as yellow and white. Furs include ermine and sable (black), and colours include gules (red), azure (blue), and vert (green).

The Rule of Tincture states that no colour may be placed on a colour, no metal on a metal, and no fur on a fur, with certain exceptions. It should be noted that colours can be placed side-by-side – the rule is merely that, for example, a red charge cannot be placed on a green field.