Heraldry : Its Origins and Meaning

Heraldry : Its Origins and Meaning by Michel Pastoureau. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780500300749.

Heraldry is a living survival of the great medieval world of European chivalry. First introduced as a means of identification in battle and in tournaments, it gradually spread to society as a whole. Today the knights-in-armour and many of the families who bore these coats of arms have disappeared, but the heraldic tradition survives in the royal arms, flags, emblems, road signs, sports badges and corporate logos of the modern world. This work unravels the complex language and grammar of this social code that has been an inspiration for artists as well as an invaluable tool for historians, archaeologists and those interested in tracing their family tree.