Crusades also contributed to the fact that shields began to be painted in different colors, including blue. At that time, there was no dye of this shade in Europe; it was brought from the East.
Over time, the knight's coat of arms and motto began to be placed not only on the shield, but also on the helmet. It has become a special insignia, a modern analogue of an identity card or business card.
The role of heraldry in the time of knights
The more coats of arms appeared, the more the need for their systematization increased. Sets of rules for drawing up coats of arms began to emerge. Thus appeared new science- heraldry. Her task was to describe and study knightly insignia.
The people who practiced this science began to be called heralds. They lived in the courts of nobles and knights and were closely associated with knightly tournaments. Did medieval knights have mottos? Of course there were. They were placed on the shield and announced before the start of the fight.
Developing over the centuries, heraldry became more and more complex and intricate. By the 15th century, special treatises began to appear, which were difficult to understand due to the many symbols and signs intertwined with each other.
About tournaments
There were knightly competitions back in the days of Charlemagne. This is known from the chronicle of 844 by the historian Nithgart (“The Song of Beowulf”).
It is believed that the first rules for duels were established in the 11th century by the French knight Godfrey de Pregli. By the 12th century, tournaments had spread to England.
King Richard the Lionheart contributed to their popularization. He allowed competitions to be held in five counties and took part in them himself. During their holding, coats of arms, mottos and war cries were everywhere.
For the knight, participation in the tournament played a big role. Everyone found their own benefit in it:
- boast of armor and noble origin;
- tell everyone about your military qualities;
- earn the favor of the lady of your heart;
- take possession of the enemy's armor and horse;
- receive a cash ransom for the armor you win.
To participate in the tournament it was necessary to prove one's noble origin. It had to be confirmed in two generations by both the mother and the father. The proof was the knight's hereditary coat of arms and the motto on the shield and helmet.
The Church struggled with holding tournaments for a long time, but they continued until the 16th century. They were banned in 1559, when the French king died due to an accidental piece of a spear. Along with the competitions, heralds were no longer needed.
At the same time, mottos and a war cry remained on the shields. The knights spent centuries in battles, but in the end they were replaced by new look troops. The knight's coat of arms was transformed over time into the signs of workshops, cities and states.
Classification of coats of arms
It has already been mentioned that heraldry is a very complicated science. It divides all coats of arms and mottos into separate categories. Knighthood could have any of these:
An interesting example is the story about the coat of arms of Aragon. Initially it was in the form of a golden shield. In one of the battles, the king was amazed by the courage of Godfrey of Aragon. After the battle, he approached the warrior and, having soaked his fingers in his wound, ran them over the shield. So on the golden coat of arms of the Aragon family they began to depict four vertical scarlet pillars.
What was painted on the billboards?
The shield consisted of honorary heraldic figures: head, belt, tip, pillar, border, rafters, baldrics, crosses. There were also minor heraldic figures, such as columns, belts, and diamond fields.
The most numerous group was the non-heraldic group. It included natural, artificial and fantastic elements. These could be animals, plants, people, body parts, weapons, mythical animals, natural phenomena.
Heraldic mottos
The knight's coat of arms and motto were one. A short saying was supposed to explain the idea of the emblem.
Did medieval knights have mottos? |
|
Image on the emblem | Motto for the knight's coat of arms |
Empty Quiver | His arrows are in my heart |
Swallow that flies over the sea | To find the sun, I leave my fatherland |
Ermine | It's better to die than to disgrace yourself |
Lion chained by a shepherd | Subdued and scary |
Eagle looking at the sun | He alone is worthy of my reverence |
Rosebud | Showing less makes you more beautiful |
What can coats of arms tell?
Medieval heraldry can be compared to the architecture of that time. Therefore, it is quite easy to determine which state the coat of arms belongs to.
For example, the French are very fond of luxury, so their symbols of the nobility are decorated with a lot of precious metals and furs. The color red predominated in Burgundian emblems due to imitation of the Dukes of Burgundy.
All countries of Western Europe had their own characteristics in heraldry. This allows you to learn about how the borders of states were redrawn, about the conquered lands, concluded or dissolved alliances and other important events of that time.
Answer from Silence[guru]
***
"Representatives of any family, usually the eldest in the clan, wore over
coat of arms of the so-called cri de guerre or cri d’armes, that is,
an expression that some noble knight used in war to
exciting warriors for battle or victory; this famous click, or cry,
distinguished him from other knights. The French say: “Le cri suit la baniere”
(“The cry follows the banner”). This means that the military signal is where
banner, because it was the focus military force, center, to
which the troops strove for, which all the warriors followed with both heart and
eyes. Military cliques were known in ancient times; everyone
knight, each military leader had his own special cry assigned to him,
with whom he gathered his warriors and with whom he rushed into the bloodiest
fight. Here are the most remarkable of the clicks. Godfrey of Bouillon during
of the Crusades said: “Dieu le veut!” (“So pleases God!”) - and this
conviction guided both himself and his army. With this click he led
their warriors into battle with the infidels; this cry inspired them, raised their spirits and
instilled in them courage and bravery. French kings considered the saint
Dionysius as their patron, and therefore, leading their warriors into battle, they
they repeated: “Montjoie et Saint Denis”; Montmorency repeated the following call:
“Dieu aide au premier baron Chretien” (“May God help the first
Christian Baron"). The Bourbons adopted the click: “Bourbon Notredame”, or
"Esperance" Among the English kings, Saint George was considered the patron saint, and
That’s why they said first: “St. Georges,” and later: “God and my right!”
(“God and my right!”)."
***
"Heraldic mottos. The knight's coat of arms and the motto were one. A short saying was supposed to explain the idea of the emblem.
Image "Empty Quiver" - Motto: "His arrows are in my heart"
Image "Swallow that flies over the sea" - Motto: "To find the sun, I leave my fatherland"
Image "Ermine" - Motto: "It is better to die than to disgrace yourself"
Image "Lion chained by a shepherd" - Motto: "Subdued and terrible"
Image "Eagle looking at the sun" - Motto: "He alone is worthy of my reverence"
Image "Rosebud" - Motto: "By showing less, one becomes more beautiful."
***
"Approximate translation of knightly mottos:
1. I serve the Fatherland, I answer God.
2. Dignity and nobility.
3. Conscience and discipline.
4. To be, not to seem.
5. Honor, but not honors.
6. Honor is more valuable than life.
7. An honorable death, but not a shameful life.
8. I win, but I don’t take revenge.
9. Stingy in needs, generous in giving.
10. Generosity and justice.
11. Courtesy and peacefulness.
12. Bliss is in fidelity.
13. Dignity in service.
14. Serve, but not be served.
15. Must means you can.
16. I compete, but I don’t envy.
17. I am led by love, I am cleansed by kindness.
18. For evil there is retribution, for good there is a reward.
19. The word is stronger than stone.
20. Blow for blow.
21. Victory or death.
22. Faith and truth.
23. Fight noisily, speak quietly.
24. One for all, all for one.
25. The word is silver, silence is gold"
The study of inscriptions on medieval weapons presents interesting story about the mentality and beliefs of both the knights who carried these weapons and the craftsmen who made them. The mystical meaning of these inscriptions was important for the knights participating in the crusades and in the numerous wars of that turbulent time. The sword was a symbol of justice, protection of Christian ideals, peace and tranquility of citizens. They prayed for them, took an oath, made vows. Sometimes the pommel of the handle contained holy relics. Famous swords had their own names. King Arthur's sword was named Excalibur, had magical properties and could heal wounds.
“D NE QVIA VIM PATIOR RESPONDE PRO ME” was translated from Latin as follows: “Lord! So that I do not suffer offense, answer for me.” The first D stands for DOMINE for short. This inscription is derived from a quotation from the Bible Libri Isaiae Capitis XXXVIII versum XIV
DOMINE VIM PATIOR RESPONDE PRO ME
However, often the inscriptions were abbreviated, with the initial letters of religious sayings. Illiterate knights participating in the crusades memorized the words of prayers from the first letters engraved on their swords. This way they could say a prayer before the battle. Let's say:
DIOLAGR reads: “D(e)I O(mnipotentis) LA(us) G(enitricis) R(edemptoris).” Translated from Latin, this means “GLORY to Almighty God, mother of the Redeemer.” Another composition ININININININ, despite the abundance of signs, is much simpler and means: I(esu) N(omine), I(esu) N(omine), I(esu) N(omine) and three more repetitions. The text is translated as "In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus..." and three more times. The cryptography SNEMENTS means: S(ankta) N(omin)E M(atris) E(nimo)N T(rinita)S - “Holy In the Name of the Mother of God in the name of the Trinity.”
IHS (Jesus Homini Salvator) or the letters S, O, X used separately (Salvator - Savior, Omnipotentes - Almighty, Xristus - Christ).
IN NOMINE DOMINI (In the name of the Lord)
SOLI DEO GLORIA (Only for the glory of God)
USSU TUO DOMINE (By your command, Lord)
IN TI DOMINI (In your name, Lord)
IN DEO GLORIA (For the glory of God)
PRO DEO ET RELIGIONE VERA (For God and true religion)
IVDICA DOMINE NOCENTES ME EXPUGNA IMPUGNATES ME, representing the first stanza of Psalm 34: “Judge, O Lord, those who contend with me, fight those who contend with me.”
FIDE SED CUI VIDE (Believe, but be careful who you believe)
ELECTIS CANCIONATUR DEO GLORIA DATUR (The elect sing and give glory to the Lord)
PAX PARTA TUENDA (An equal peace must be preserved)
ROMANIS SACRIFICATUR PARAE GLORIA DATUR (Prayer is offered by the Romans and the Pope is glorified)
Later, when the sword came into use as an indispensable attribute of a noble family, which was worn constantly, and which meant readiness to defend honor and dignity at any moment, another kind of inscription appeared:
VINCERE AUT MORI (To win or to die)
INTER ARMA SILENT LEGES (Laws are silent among weapons)
FIDE, SED CUI VIDE (Believe, but see who)
Some Latin mottos can be classified as moral and ethical instructions. Let's say:
TEMERE NEC TIMIDE (Do not insult and do not be afraid),
VIM SUPERAT RATIO (Reason overcomes strength)
HOCTANGI MORTI FERRUM (Touch with this iron is deadly)
RECTE FACIENDO NEMINEM TIMEAS (Fear nothing, doing the right thing)
There are inscriptions in national European languages, often meaning mottos:
Ne te tire pas sans raison ne me remette point sans honneur (Don't bare me unnecessarily, don't sheath me without honor)
Honni soit qui mal y pense (Shame on anyone who thinks badly about it)
Dieu mon esperance, Iéré pour ma defence (God is my hope, the sword is my defense).
Often the inscriptions on weapons are of a mixed nature, reflecting the new ideology of the absolutist monarchy:
PRO GLORIA ET PATRIA (For Glory and Fatherland)
PRO DEO ET PATRIA (For God and Fatherland)
VIVAT REX (Long Live the King)
There were also frequent poetic inscriptions, characteristic only of these execution instruments: Die hersen Steiiren Demvnheil
Jch ExeQuire Jhr Vrtheil
Wandem sunder wirt abgesagt das leben
Sowirt er mir vnter meine handt gegeben
(Hearts rule misery
I carry out your sentence
A sinner when his life is taken
Then it is handed over to me).
Other inscriptions on the blades:
“Cuando esta vivora pica, No hay remedio en la botica” (there is no medicine for this viper in the pharmacy). Inscription on the navaja, given to Stalin by the Spanish Republicans.
"Die evildoer by my hand." Inscription on a hunting dagger. Zlatoust, 1880s.
"Meine Ehre heißt Treue" (My honor is called loyalty). motto on SS daggers (Schutz Staffeln)
"Mort aux boches" (Death is unchure). Boche is a French disparaging/foul-mouthed name for Germans. Inscriptions on the blades of the French resistance.
“Beware of false friends yourself, but I will save you from enemies.” Latin inscription on the saber of the Polish king John Sobieski
“In truth there is strength” inscription on the saber of lame Timur
Melius non incipient, quam desinent -
It's better not to start than to stop halfway
Serva me - servabo te - save me - I will save you
Mehr sein als scheinen - Be better than you seem
Oderint, dum metuant. - Let them hate - they were too afraid.
“Don’t take it out without need, don’t invest it without glory”
“Don’t swear without faith; having sworn, believe” is one of the many mottos on Cossack checkers.
“In hostem omnia licita.” - In relation to the enemy, everything is permitted. (Latin)
In omnia paratus – ready for anything
Ultima ratio - the final argument
Origin of coats of arms. Origin of coats of arms symbolic signs, by which one can recognize a leader, tribe, people during battle, is hidden in ancient times. They were not an invention of vanity, but fair retribution or celebration of personal merit. Regardless of this, from time immemorial they have distinguished individuals, tribes, cities, kingdoms and peoples, both from one another, the noble from the ignoble, the noble from the ignorant. But most often they served as rallying points for defeated, scattered troops, as signs to recognize their own. In those days when uniforms had not yet been invented and when weapons hid even their faces, without such distinctions, opponents and leaders with their warriors could easily get mixed up on the battlefield or on crowded lists. Therefore, in ancient times such distinctive signs were in great use. The Egyptians, a mysterious people in everything, dotted their temples, palaces and monuments with hieroglyphs. In the Egyptian camp on the banks of the Nile and then on the Jordan, the Jews recognized their twelve tribes by conventional signs. The Assyrians depicted a dove on their banners, because this bird in their language was called by the name of Semiramis. The golden eagle was placed on the shields of the Medes and Persians; On the coins of the Athenians there was an owl, and on the coins of the Carthaginians there was a horse's head.
We find thousands of symbolic signs in these heroic times. Aeschylus decorates the shields of the seven leaders fighting at Thebes with them. “Each of the seven heroes led a special detachment and was distinguished by his shield. Tydeus wore the following emblem on his shield: an engraved sky dotted with stars, between which one luminary stood out with its brilliance. The second leader, Capaneus, had on his shield an image of a naked man carrying a burning torch in his hands with the motto: “I will burn the city.” On the third shield, an armed warrior climbs a ladder onto an enemy tower and declares in the motto that Mars himself will not move him. The fourth is armed with a shield on which Typhon spews black smoke from his fiery mouth, and intertwined snakes are depicted around him. In the fifth, the sphinx is held under the claws of Cadmus. The sixth is full of wisdom and does not have any emblem on his shield: he does not want to pretend to be a brave man, he wants to be one. The seventh, finally, defends himself with a shield on which a woman leads a warrior hammered in gold; she moderates his steps and says in the motto: “I am justice itself, I will return to him his fatherland and the heritage of his ancestors.” Valery generously distributes emblems to the Argonauts; Homer multiplies them so much on the weapons of his heroes that, according to many authors, heraldry arose during the siege of Troy. The Romans also came up with many emblems and symbols; their legions invented many signs, badges, signa. On the columns of Troyan and Antonin and on the Triumphal Arch, erected in honor of Marius near the city of Orangia, warriors are still visible, whose armor is dotted with some special strokes and figures.”
But it does not follow from this that coats of arms were known in ancient times. Military signs, used as badges or simple decorations, were not a permanent distinction of noble origin, a heritage bestowed on one or another family. Coats of arms, considered from this moral and political point of view, are an institution of modern times, which does not go back further than the Crusades. In fact, the knights returning from Asia began to value well-deserved distinctions, which cost them great self-sacrifice. As a testament to their glory, they erected on the highest towers, donjons and over the main gates of their castles those banners and banners under which they fought. These eloquent signs of knightly honor and personal valor of the fathers were carefully preserved in the families. Ladies, constant admirers of courage, embroidered such glorious and expressive symbols on the furniture, dresses and robes of their husbands and brothers. They were sculpted on fences, painted on ceilings and walls, depicted on shields, grave monuments, they were consecrated in churches, they were decorations for celebrations, they were on the robes of squires, pages, servants, warriors and all persons of the knightly house. These various signs of memorable deeds of chivalry formed a special hieroglyphic language. The cross, simple, double, entwined, jagged, jagged, chopped, anchored, made of flowers, was displayed everywhere in various forms and was a symbol of the holy purpose for which the crusades were undertaken. The palm tree resembled Idumia, the arch - a taken or defended bridge, the tower - a conquered castle, the helmet - the weapons of a formidable enemy, the star - a battle at night, the sword - an ordinary battle, the crescent - the overthrow of a terrible Muslim; a lance, a bandage, a fence, two stripes at an angle - taken and destroyed barriers; lion, tiger - indomitable courage; eagle - high valor. This is the origin of the entire system of coats of arms.
Once elected, approved and granted by the sovereign, they did not change and became the inalienable hereditary property of the family and clan. The heralds were obliged to study these differences and especially to monitor the implementation of the established rules regarding the integrity and immutability of coats of arms, and the knowledge necessary for the performance of this duty constituted heraldry, or, as they sometimes say, blason. Blason comes from the German word blasen - to blow, to play a horn. “A few days before the start of the tournament, the knight’s shield was put up for discussion and consideration. The heralds, presided over by their sergeant-major, had to examine the coat of arms critically, blasonner, and the result of this examination was either the admission of the knight to the tournament, or his exclusion from participation in this noble activity. To clarify the decision on this issue, a knight on horseback rode up to the place where the tournament was to take place and called the herald (blasen) to him with a trumpet sound. If a knight was accepted, he hung this horn on his helmet and joined the ranks of his brothers. From this ritual comes the word blason, coat of arms, l "art du blason and blasonner, words that are still used today as technical ones."
For coats of arms on shields they used: two metals, five paints or colors, and two furs. Heraldic metals are gold, yellow, and silver, white; colors: blue, green, red and black, fur - ermine and squirrel. Heraldry assigns special names to flowers. So blue is called azure, air, green - sinople, jasper; red is fire and black is earth. Some authors, in addition to this chemical meaning, assign a symbolic meaning to metals and colors. According to them, gold yellow- emblem of wealth, strength, loyalty, purity, constancy; silver - innocence, whiteness, virginity; blue color - greatness, beauty, clarity; red - courage, courage, fearlessness; green - hope, abundance, freedom; black - modesty, education, sadness.
The coat of arms or the field of the coat of arms was divided by horizontal, perpendicular and diagonal lines into several compartments in which paints and symbols were placed; they sometimes corresponded to each other and were wavy, notched, chopped off, tied, intertwined, entwined, etc. Outside the field of the coat of arms there were other figures called external decorations. There were three types of them: decorations at the top, on the sides and around.
Above the coat of arms were depicted crowns, hats, helmets, burelets, mantles, crests, and sometimes a motto or war cry. Helmets and cones were painted either in profile or full face, with a lowered, half-open or completely raised visor and, depending on the dignity and antiquity of origin, with a greater or lesser number of grilles on it. The crest formed the uppermost part of the decoration of the coats of arms; it could be composed of all kinds of figures, flowers, feathers, animals, trees, etc. It was also common practice to place mottos and a cry above the coat of arms.
On the sides there were images of angels, people, gods, monsters, lions, leopards, unicorns, trees and other objects; these figures were called shield holders. Those who did not have the right to place shield holders decorated the sides of the coats of arms with some kind of picturesque and carved ornaments. Order banners, banners, mantles, and flagella also surrounded the shield of the coat of arms. In addition to these decorations, there were others, assigned to famous titles and denoting special virtues.
To explain the coat of arms, you first need to study the background on which the figures are engraved or drawn, and then the figures themselves. In heraldry, the background is called the field, and the figures are called signs.
The field of the coat of arms is always covered with some kind of metals, flowers or furs; then comes the main sign; The colors of the signs are the same as the paint of the field, with the exception of only the case when a natural color is needed.
The basis of heraldry is the following rule: if the field is covered with some kind of paint or fur, then the signs must be covered with metal, and vice versa, if the field is covered with metal, then the sign must be covered with paint or fur. This rule is stated as follows: you should not put metal on metal and paint on paint. To do the opposite means to completely pervert the science of heraldry, because heraldry, says one of the newest writers, is the most extensive of all languages, a strong and majestic language, with its own syntax, grammar and spelling. The art of heraldry consists in the ability to read and write in this silent dialect. A few brief and superficial notes regarding the reading of coats of arms can give some idea of the heraldic language.
In the coat of arms, the upper part is called the head (chef), and the lower part is called the foot (la pointe). What is placed in the coat of arms includes: firstly, all weapons; secondly, every creature - from an elephant to an ant; thirdly, all plants - from oak to the most modest wildflower; fourthly, everything shiny - from the heavenly bodies to the jewels hidden in the bowels of the earth; fifthly, all fabulous and fantastic creatures such as. monsters, vultures, phoenixes, double-headed eagles, etc. Animals usually look to the left. All symbols of religion are also drawn on coats of arms; the cross, as already said, is more common than others.
“Without adding even other emblems or attributes, each part of the shield already makes up a figure, which occupies one third of the shield. Similarly, according to the transverse division of the shield, it dissection, is formed in its middle pillar(le pal), also occupying a third of the shield along, and when two stripes meet, breaking and cutting the shield at a right angle, a cross (la croix). Further, along the diagonal division of the shield, stripes are formed, sling to the left(la bande) sling to the right(labarre), decreasing on a fifth of the shield when they completely intersect crisscross or St. Andrew's Cross (la sautoir), when meeting at an angle - chevron or rafter(le chevron)".
To read coats of arms means to explain coats of arms. To do this, you must first name the field, then the sign and its color, using the following formula: such and such a family has, for example, the family of Charles VI, King of France, has azure with tricolor golden lilies. This means that the field of the coat of arms is azure and that its signs are yellow or gold; the Montmorency family has gold on a cross with diverging ends, on which are sixteen eaglets without legs or beaks.
Origin of some coats of arms . In order not to get confused in the labyrinth of coats of arms, experts in heraldry were forced to divide coats of arms into several categories: coats of arms of crowned heads (armoiries de la souverainite), which are also the coats of arms of those states that are ruled by these persons; To the coats of arms of their regions, sovereigns often added the coats of arms of those countries to which they had claims, which their ancestors owned, and from which, even when they. rejected, not yet completely rejected (armoiries de pretention); So the English kings for a long time used the coat of arms of France, divided into four parts at the top on the occasion of their claims to the right to reign in France. As a reward for exploits, for special merits to a person who distinguished himself in some field, the sovereigns bestowed their coat of arms, or added new, honorary ones to the previous emblems that were in the coat of arms; This concession (armoiries de concession) explains why we see lilies in the coats of arms of many noble French families, and the state eagle in Russians. Coats of arms of various institutions of Western Europe: archbishoprics, bishoprics, chapters, universities, societies, companies and corporations (arm. de communuate). Officials, who ruled regions, knightly castles, etc., added various emblems to their family coats of arms as a sign of their advantage, their rights and dignity (arm. de patronage). Family coats of arms, passed down through the family by inheritance, serve to distinguish one house, one surname from others (arm. de famille). To designate family ties in which one surname, through marriage or another way, comes with another family, additional attributes (arm. d "alliance) were inserted into the main coat of arms. In addition to the transfer of the coat of arms along the direct line of inheritance, coats of arms could be assigned to a person or a complete stranger , or not having the rights of direct inheritance, and, moreover, passed to such persons either completely, or were united with their original coat of arms (arm. de succession); this always required the permission of the supreme authority. Persons elevated to the nobility for merit, without having a hereditary one. coat of arms, they chose emblems for themselves that would resemble the type of activity, the occupation by which they acquired this distinction (arm. de choix). These types of coats of arms are for the most part so clear that one can read the history of a person and his surname from them (). armes parlantes). So the clans Stella, Sabis, Tresseols, Luna, Cressentini, whose names resembled the names of heavenly bodies, wore the sun, stars, and moon on the azure field. The clan Leiris had a rainbow, which, according to ancient legends, was the scarf of Iris.
Often with their double meaning, these names filled the coats of arms with allusions, ambiguities, analogies and puns; it was all naive and sweet, because the abuse of wordplay was despised. Indeed, isn’t it a pleasure to see the delightful simplicity of the old and noble knights, who acquired the right to wear coats of arms with hundreds of wounds: instead of coming up with a magnificent image of their feat to satisfy their pride, they chose for the coats of arms some riddle, a joke or a funny anagram that slipped through in a conversation by a peaceful fireside. So the Louvers family had wolf heads in their coat of arms; Larcher - arrows; Vignole - silver vine; Tour de Turenne - tower; Santeuil - argus; Montepezat - scales; Etang - fish; Legendre - heads of girls with golden hair; The lord de Vaudray, owner of the lands of Vali, Vaux and Vaudray, had Vali, Vaux and Vaudray as his motto. The Mailly family chose a mallet, Martel de Bagneville a hammer, etc. The old people understood such symbols. Delphes had a dolphin on his coins; Florus - flower on its seal; Voconius-Vitulus ordered a calf to be carved on his, and Caesar - an elephant, because in the Punic language this quadruped was called Caesar.
Rhodes had a rose as its emblem, because in Greek this flower is called rhodon.
But heraldic symbols also come from a thousand other reasons. Sometimes they serve as a designation of merits and duties: thus, the masters used velvet caps and ermines on their coats of arms; knights who had the right to dissolve the banner - banners; mundshenki - golden cups; guards and falconers - hunting horns and birds of prey. These signs meant either a pledge of zealous compassion, or a memory of a journey to holy places, or a vow, or symbols of virtues, talents and pleasures; two mutually shaking hands - agreement and fidelity; anchor and pillar - unshakable hope; ball or bread - charity; honeycombs - church holidays and hospitality; two golden wings spread on an azure field were on the coat of arms of Doriole, Chancellor of France, a sign of sublime thoughts. Two cranes holding a ring or a myrtle branch in their beaks, whirlwinds (a type of dove), a heart pierced by an arrow, rings, a rose with and without thorns, a tree entwined with flexible ivy branches - were original signs of tenderness and love in French heraldry.
Cities borrowed their emblems from their characteristics. Friesland, a low-lying country, had in its coat of arms the leaves of the pitcher (nuneghar) and wavy bands. Bologna, on whose waters there are many swans, adopted this bird as a coat of arms. The center of Paris is shaped like a ship, which is why its coat of arms shows a ship with unfurled sails under a sky dotted with lilies. The cities of Pont-a-Mous-son and Pont-Saint-Esprit have bridges in their coats of arms; Tour - three towers.
Troubles and crusades especially increased the number of emblems of coats of arms.
Most of the coats of arms of Italy originated in the Guelph and Ghibelline parties, as well as in the political strife that devastated Florence, Lucca and Pistoia for a long time.
The hatred of York and Lancaster gave birth to two rivals - white and scarlet roses.
How many different colors and cockades were invented in France during the times of upheaval, the League and the Fronde.
As for the Crusades, they introduced all kinds of allegorical signs. The pious journeys of warriors explain why a significant number of coats of arms contain shells, birds without legs or beaks, gold coins and crosses. The shells were a decoration for pilgrims returning by sea. Birds without legs and beak are migratory birds, as the best emblematic likeness of knights, who often returned from Palestine mutilated; gold coins were in heraldry symbols of the ransom of prisoners and tribute imposed by Christians on infidels.
But the cross, depicted on the attire of the Jerusalem worshipers as a symbol of the holy purpose for which the campaign was undertaken, was included among a significant number of heroes to serve as a memory of these religious wanderings.
Mottos and war cry . It remains for us to talk about legends or mottos and war cries that were placed on coats of arms independently of other signs. Mottos - monuments of courage, politeness and generosity - became constant lessons for the posterity of brave men; they were, so to speak, abbreviations of rhymed stories, which were composed by troubadours traveling from castle to castle, who sang them to the accompaniment of the harp, lyre and other minstrel instruments; they are identical, so to speak, with the spirit of chivalry. Often this was an axiom, a proverb, a naive judgment, an analogy of the signs of a coat of arms, consistent with the inclinations and tastes of the knight. Fame and love also created many of these mottos.
Almost all mottos received new strength from the emblems to which they belonged. They drew an empty quiver and put the motto on it: Hoerent in corde sagitoe - his arrows are in my heart; rosebud: showing less, becomes more beautiful; a swallow flying over the seas; to find the sun, I leave my fatherland; a shell facing the sun: its beauty descends from heaven; an ermine with the following words: Malo mori quarn foedari - it is better to die than to disgrace (this is the motto of Francis I, Duke of Brittany); sunflower bud: I will open my heart to the rays of my star; pomegranate tree in bloom: every year a new crown; a lion wounded and sleeping under a balsam tree, on which healing sap is dripping: Me lacryma sanat - his tears heal me; a lion chained by a shepherd: subdued and fearful; an eagle looking at the sun: he alone is worthy of my reverence.
“The motto is placed under the shield and serves either as a memory of the person’s glorious deeds, or as an incentive to them. The motto contains flesh and spirit, or rather, the idea and thought of the coat of arms. The motto is often allegorical, and therefore there are mottos consisting of only one letter. Their main advantage lay in the meaning that could be given to the motto. Knightly mottos, which owe their origin to events in the life of the person who accepted them, have found more than one interpreter in Western Europe, and, indeed, this science could occupy the mind because it gave it food: it was necessary to know the history of a person, his family, his time, in order to unravel some kind of motto, short and expressive. Only from the 15th century did the motto become a generally understood phrase, an aphorism in praise of beauty and virtue.
Representatives of a noble family, always senior in their family, wore the so-called cri de guerre or cri d'armes above their coat of arms, that is, an expression that a knight used in war to excite warriors for battle and victory and to distinguish himself from other knights. Therefore, the rule is clear: le cri suit la banniere, that is, a military signal where the banner is. It was the focus of military power, the center to which the troops strove, the sign they followed with their hearts and eyes. There are countless numbers of these military cris and. their origin lies in ancient times. We will cite the more famous ones, which have become historical. Godfrey of Bouillon went to the crusades, saying: Due le veut, and this conviction guided him and his army, who considered St. Dionysius their patron when going to war. , repeated: Montjoie et Saint Denis; among Montmorency: Dieu aide au premier Baron Chretien; among the Bourbons: Bourbon Notre-dame or Esperance; among the kings of England: Saint George, later Dieu et mon droit.”
Marchangy, Gaule poetique. Le P. Menestrier, Origine des annoiries.
Le P. Menestrier, Traite sur l "art des devises. Marchangy, Gaule poetique.
Lakier, Russian heraldry.
MOTTOES, INSCRIPTIONS, EMBLEMS IN LATIN
A genius lumen
From genius - light
Aliis inserviendo consumor
Serving others, I spend myself
Alias lucens damage
Shining on others, I burn
(Provided as the motto of medicine by Van Tulpius, a Dutch physician of the 17th century.)
Alterius non sit qui - suus esse potest
He who can belong to himself must not belong to another.
(Motto of Paracelsus)
Amor librorum nos unit
We are united by our love of books
(Motto of book publishers)
Annuit coeptis. Novus ordo seclorum; MDCCLXXVI
He (God) blesses our deeds. Pre-specified new order centuries; 1776
(The inscription on the dollar surrounding the Masonic symbols and the date of the Declaration of Independence of the United States)
Arduus animo vincit et prodest
The strong in spirit win and benefit
(Inscription on the book of the lawyer Prudant de Saint-Maury, 16th century; anagram of the author's name)
A realibus ad realiora!
From real to super-real!
(Slogan of Russian Symbolists, put forward by Vyacheslav Ivanov)
Caveat emptor!
Let the buyer beware!
(Inscription on product labels)
Citius, altius, fortius!
Faster, higher, stronger!
(Motto of the Olympic Games adopted by the IOC in 1913)
Concordia res parvae crescunt
Small things grow with agreement
(Book sign of Elseviers, 16th century)
De omnibus dubito
I doubt everything
(Principle of the philosopher Descartes, 17th century)
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland
(Inscription on the graves of soldiers killed in battle; quote from Horace)
E pluribus unum
Out of many - unity
USA motto, inscription on the dollar. Source: Cicero “On Duties”
Ego, qui nemini cedo et qui a nemine docere possum
I, who is inferior to no one in anything and who has no one and nothing to learn
(This is how the lawyer Charles Dumoulin, 16th century, inscribed his books)
Enigma sui temporis
A mystery of its time
(Inscription on the grave of Kaspar Hauser, a foundling described in Peter Handke's play "Kaspar", 1967)
Estote prudentes sicut serpentes
Be wise like the serpent
(Suggested as a motto for medicine by I. Froben, 15th century. Source: Gospel)
Et unum sint!
Let everyone be united!
(Appeal from the encyclical of Pope John Paul II)
Feci quod potui, faciant meliora potentes
I did my best, let others do better
(The Roman consuls ended their report with these words)
Fiat institia et pereat mundus!
May justice be done, even if the world perishes!
(Motto of the German Emperor Ferdinand I, 16th century)
Fluctuat nec mergitur
It will continue to be shaky, but unsinkable
(Inscription on the coat of arms of Paris under the image of the rook)
Fortiter ac firmiter
Strong and strong
(Inscription on the emblem of tea traders)
Forluna et casus, vulgo vulnerabile Nomen. Esto procul, tantum nomen inanemihi
Fate and chance are concepts dear to the plebs. Stay away from them, for me it's empty
Gens una sumus
We are one tribe
(Motto of FIDE, International Chess Federation)
Hic jacet…
Here rests...
(Epitaph)
Hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrerre vitae
This is the place where death willingly helps life
(Inscription on the Paris Anatomical Theater)
In hoc signo vinces
Sim win
(i.e. “Under this banner you will win”
In sources about Emperor Constantine)
Ingenio vivitur, caetera mortis erunt
They live by talent, everything else is dead
(Motto on Shakespearean era books)
I nvia virtuti nulla est via
For valor there are no impassable paths
(Motto of the great anatomist Vesalius, 16th century)
It's ad vendentes!
Go to the sellers!
(Wrote above the entrance to his library by the humanist Scaliger so that his books would not be stolen)
Labor omnia vincit
Labor conquers everything
(Source: Virgil's Georgics)
Mente et malleo
With your mind and your hammer
(Motto of the mining industry, geological congresses)
Mens agitate molem
Thought moves mass
(Source: Virgil's Aeneid; used as a motto for libraries and book publishers)
Nil adsuetudine maius
Nothing is stronger than habit
(From a cigarette brand)
Non multa, sed multum
Not much, but a lot
(That is, not much in quantity, but much in meaning; the motto of scientists)
Non refert quam multos, sed quam bonos habeas
It's not how many books you have that matter, but how good they are
(Motto of the newspaper “Ex libris”, supplements to Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Source - Seneca)
Non solus
Not alone
(Motto on the Elsevier typographical sign; depicts an elm entwined with grapes, which the philosopher plucks)
Per terras, per coelestas, per arem, per maria
Across lands, across skies, across deserts and seas
(Motto of the New York Academy of Sciences)
Prudens magis quam loguax
More wise than verbose
(Signature under the image of an owl, typographical sign by G. Zuccarello)
Quantum est quod nescimus…
How much we still don’t know!
(Motto of the Dutch librarian Heinsius, 17th century)
Quem si quis abstulerit, morte moriatur in satagine coquatur; caducus morbus instet eum, et febres; et rotetur, et suspendatur. Amen.
Whoever steals this, let him die a terrible death, let him boil in the cauldron of hell; to suffer from epilepsy and fever; let him be quartered and hanged. Amen.
(Inscription on a 13th-century book, kept in the British Museum)
Requiescat in pace! abbreviated R.I.P.
May he rest in peace!
(Latin tombstone inscription)
Res sacra miser
The unfortunate is holy
(Inscription on the building of a charitable society in Warsaw)
Sapere aude!
Dare to be wise!
(Motto of the philosopher Kant, motto of the school in Manchester, etc. Source: “Epistle” by Horace)
Scientia est potentia
Knowledge is power; in science - power
(Source: “New Organon” by F. Bacon, 17th century)
Scientia vincere tenebras
Conquer darkness with knowledge
(Motto of the University of Brussels)
Scio me nihil scire
I know I don't know anything
(Formula of Socratic wisdom, given in Plato’s Apology of Socrates)
Silentium!
Silence!
(Inscription in the dining room of the Capuchian monastery)
Sine ira et studio
Without anger and passion
(Motto of the Nezavisimaya Gazeta. Source - ancient Roman historian Tacitus)
Sit tibi terra levis
May the earth be easy for you
(Common form of Latin supernumerary inscriptions)
Sub rosa
Under the rose
(That is, secret. For the ancient Romans, the rose was an emblem of secrecy; if a rose was hung over a banquet table, it meant that what was said here must be kept silent. Subsequently, the rose was depicted on the ceiling of a room for closed meetings, as well as on the grille of a Catholic confessional box)
Summa cum pietate
With the greatest respect
(Formula for dedication to someone)
Sustine et abstine!
Hold back and refrain!
(Motto of the ancient Greek Stoics. Source: Epictetus)
Tantum possumus, quantum scimus
We can do as much as we know
(Motto of natural scientists. Source: F. Bacon, “On the Dignity and Increase of the Sciences”)
Tibi et igni
To you and the fire
(i.e. read and burn)
Totus mundus agit histrionem
The whole world is playing a comedy
(Inscription on the pediment of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre)
Ultimam cogita!
Think about the last hour!
Ultima forsan
Maybe this is your last (hour)
Ultima multis
For many - the last (hour)
(Christian inscription on the watch dial)
Ubi vita, ibi poesis
Where there is life there is poetry
(Motto of the Russian critic N.I. Nadezhdin, 19th century)
Virtute et constantia
Valor and constancy
(Motto of Malta)
Vita sine liberate, nihil
Life without freedom is nothing
(Motto of Romain Rolland)
Vivere est cogitare
To live is to think
(Voltaire’s motto. Source: “Tusculan Conversations” by Cicero)
Vivere est military
To live is to fight
(Seneca's motto, Moral Letters to Lucilius)
Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat
Everyone hurts, the last (hour) kills
(Inscription on the dial of a tower clock in the Middle Ages)
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