Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and
blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised
by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from
the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, 'army commander.' Historically, it
has been variously described as 'the shorthand of history' and 'the
floral border in the garden of history.'
The origins of
heraldry
lie in the need to distinguish participants in combat when their faces
were hidden by iron and steel helmets. Truly heraldic devices seem to
have been first used in Carolingian times. Seals and banners confirm
that they were being used in the Flemish area of Europe during the reign
of Charlemagne.
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