The language of Heraldry was formed from a combination of Old English and Normandic French and has a beauty and romance all of its own, the fact that it is one of the few languages ever created that is not spoken only adds to its beauty and adds an air of romance to the subject of Heraldry.
Heraldry can be described as the shorthand of History, while this is a neat and tidy description it does not properly describe the broad strokes of medieval life contained within the art of heraldry. When we speak of Heraldry we usually mean coats of arms, crests, etc. and not merely the ceremonial or other functions of a herald. Originally the word “Heraldry” meant the science or duties of a herald; only later did the word come to also mean the terms and descriptions of the art which the herald had to administer. There were an abundance of coats of arms long before there were any recognized heralds, and the word used to describe arms, their meaning and use was “Armory”, this term is rarely used any more in relation to heraldry.
Heraldry can be described as the shorthand of History, while this is a neat and tidy description it does not properly describe the broad strokes of medieval life contained within the art of heraldry. When we speak of Heraldry we usually mean coats of arms, crests, etc. and not merely the ceremonial or other functions of a herald. Originally the word “Heraldry” meant the science or duties of a herald; only later did the word come to also mean the terms and descriptions of the art which the herald had to administer. There were an abundance of coats of arms long before there were any recognized heralds, and the word used to describe arms, their meaning and use was “Armory”, this term is rarely used any more in relation to heraldry.