Vianden Castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on the foundations of a Roman 'castellum' and a Carolingian refuge. It is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences of the romanesque and gothic periods in Europe. Until the beginning of the 15th century it was the seat of the influential counts of Vianden who could boast their close connections to the Royal Family of France and the German imperial court. Henry I of Vianden (1220-1250) is known as 'the Sun Count' for it is during his tenure that the holdings, lifestyle and influence of the House of Vianden reached its zenith. His ancestors were influential in the Ardennes, Eifel and Luxembourg regions for hundreds of years. His...
A large number of the earliest devices that appear on coats of arms were adopted for the express purpose of their having some allusive association with the name of the bearer. Such devices are known as “ canting” in heraldry. In accordance with the principles and aim of primitive medieval Heraldry, and in harmony with the sentiments and requirements of the age in which it developed into a science, devices of this kind addressed themselves in very plain and expressive language to the men of their own era. In them they recognized a kind of symbolic writing that they could easily remember and understand. They obviously also liked the quaint style of suggestiveness that was characteristic of these allusive devices....
Heraldry has used a language supposed to have symbolic meaning but very often this meaning existed only in the minds and imagination of 16th and 17th century writers. This symbolism was the product of the natural history of the Middle Ages which sprang from an over reliance on studying the works of Aristotle and Pliny through the medium of bad translations and uncertain texts which often produced views that would have amused those great authors.Only occasionally can the specific origin of a charge on a coat of arms be ascertained with certainty. One example where the true original meaning of a coat of arms can be deduced is that of the arms of Lord Stourton, see below. The description of...
One of the finest examples of Norman castles still standing today, Carrickfergus Castle was built by John De Courcy, a Norman Knight, in 1177 as his headquarters. From here he conquered considerable territory in the north and east of Ireland. Carrickfergus Castle is one of the few remaining edifices exhibiting the old Norman military stronghold and is considered one of the most noble fortresses of that time now left in Ireland.The Castle stands on a rocky peninsula 30 feet high and is surrounded by water on three sides. The keep is ninety feet high with walls nine feet thick, making this a most imposing and formidable castle. In 1210, after John De Courcy had died, Carrickfergus Castle was captured by...
Having dealt with the different components of the coat of arms we can now move on to the ordinaries or charges which are shown on the shield. To describe a shield in heraldic language is to “ blazon “ it. The rules of blazoning are fairly straightforward, and can be summarized thus. First the field must be described, whether it is a color, a metal, or a fur. For example, the field is Azure ( Blue). On this there will be a charge, say a chevron or ( a gold chevron). The description, or blazon, is then Azure a chevron or. Such a simple description is however unlikely, the chevron may be marked in some way, for example Azure...
