The Battle of Bannockburn 1314 . The military followers of the original conquerors in Europe were themselves divided into classes such as yeomen and petty land-holding farmers. From the aristocracy of the conquest of Europe came the knights, the leaders in the wars, and the common gentry, and those who became known as esquires in Britain. From the petty land-owners came the men-at-arms, foot soldiers and archers. It is mistaken to believe that most soldiers came from the lowest levels of society, this was most certainly not the case in the Middle Ages. In the armies on the march there were serfs who undertook menial tasks but they were not charged with fighting the war. Being unfree they would have...
Prior to the advent of Heraldry, symbols or devices provided three basic needs to tribes or groups in Europe. The tribe and its religion made use of devices of significance to the group as a whole; leading warriors used them on their shields or clothing and on their flags and ships; and, finally, personalized symbols were required as seals to facilitate legal transactions for commerce. The need for the use of these symbols increased with the beginning of the crusades in the 12th century. It was most likely that this, combined with the coming together of men from widely scattered parts of Europe for the first time, led to the adoption of a new and improved fashion of symbology. This...
In Sweden today Heraldry is used primarily by Royalty but is also extensively used by corporations and government offices. In order to become legally registered and protected under Swedish law, an official coat of arms must first be registered with the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV), and is subject to approval by the National Herald (Statsheraldiker) and the bureaucratic Heraldic Board of the National Archives of Sweden. Heraldic arms of common citizens (burgher arms), however, are less strictly controlled. These are recognized by inclusion in the annually published Scandinavian Roll of Arms. Swedish heraldry has a number of characteristics that distinguish the Swedish style from heraldry in other European countries.Common features of Swedish heraldry are similar to those of...
The last person to receive a charter of nobility was the explorer Sven Hedin who received his in 1902, more than a hundred years ago. And this will most likely be the last Swede ever. In 1974 the new constitution proclaimed that no person can be granted nobility nor receive the orders of the state. The house of nobility lost their last privileges and political influences in 2003 and is today considered an exclusive society for nobles. As was stated in the previous post the first known heraldic achievements in Sweden is dated 1219 and depicts the arms of the two brothers Sigtrygg and Lars Bengtsson of the Boberg family. The seal shows two identical arms and the Latin text...
The earliest known achievements of arms in Sweden are those of two brothers, Sigtrygg and Lars Bengtsson, from 1219; the earliest example of Swedish civic heraldry is the city arms of Kalmarr, which originated as a city seal in 1247. The seal used extensively in the Middle Ages, was instrumental in spreading heraldry to churches, local governments, and other institutions, and was the forerunner of the coat of arms in medieval Sweden. Armorial seals of noblewomen appeared in the 12th century, burghers and artisans began adopting arms in the 13th century, and even some peasants took arms in the 14th century. The House of Nobles was created in 1626 and the nobility was divided into three classes; The Master classes:...
