Coats of Arms Explained

So when I deployed we had these people come on board who where from the Coat of Arms College who started a company to look up people's families so I asked for mine to be looked. I gave them my name and they got back to me in about a month after looking. Turns out my Ancestors fought at the battle of Hastings earning honors and a minor Nobility and were Woodsman and Game Wardens before that. My family's Coat was a azure shield divided by the metal with two falcons on the azure. Closed Helmet and a hound atop it, and the words Virtue Semper Virte. So I wanted to do some more digging and turns out my family already knew this and had an old book with the same coat of arms on it.

So, few things: Heralds were originally messengers from the king, but it was useful for them to know who they were talking to, so they got to know the various arms and then over time that became their main job. Or at least in England. Also, the Collage of Arms in the video is for England (and Wales) only: Scotland (Lord Lyon King of Arms) and (Northern) Ireland (Norroy and Ulster King of Arms) have their own.

Going to use this as a guide for my next Crusader Kings 3 campaign

Hi. I'm from the Netherlands. In my country we distinguish two kinds of heraldry achievements. First that of nobility. With that comes the socalled Blue Book, a formal registry of every noble family and persons of rank within these families. Secondly we have "patriciaat". These are families of merit who gained the right to wear a coat of arms and everything that comes to it. They are registered in the socalled Red Book. My family has gained the right to bear a heraldry achievement by... similarity in name with the family who originally bore this heraldry achievement! Go figure: our family name being the same as their's gave us that right (which came of in the 20th century no less). The coat of arms is a silver shield on the shield a red griffon facing to the right. Between it's upper paws it carries a pole, which is actually a socalled (crossbow)bolt. And that's our family name. There is also the top helmet and the blanket that waves around it. The original Bolts were professional mercenaries who's speciallity it was to set fire within fortified structures by means of firing fiery Bolts. Our family were just simple peasant folk who came up in the world by means of hard work and craftyness. But still, it's kinda cool to be bearer of a heraldry achievement that dates back to at least 1558!

This is a very helpful video! Something I think should be pointed out, however, is that the rule of tinctures isn't really a rule but rather a design suggestion that is often advised. Historically it was broken very often, and the insistence of it's importance is more modern. Some heraldic traditions still don't hold it as very important.

Since the USA doesn't observe the law of arms, you'll often see people buying plaques and things with "their family crest" on it, when in fact it is the arms of some family of the same name but to which they have no right. There's even a shop in Walt Disney World where you can buy items with coats-of-arms on them that the sellers will tell you are "your" coat-of-arms. Very few Americans realize that coats-of-arms are granted to individuals, and are not always hereditary. And even when they are hereditary, sharing a name doesn't mean you are related, or that your relationship branched off after the arms were granted. Of course, since the USA doesn't observe the law of arms, anyone can display any arms they want here, but it really displays ignorance to do so.

This video is of very good quality how do you have so few subs you deserve a lot more

After my father retired, he took a part time job at the College of Arms working as a researcher for Clarenceux King of Arms. He absolutely loved the work.

I had a heraldry phase a few years ago and this taught me some stuff I wasn’t aware of back then. The tips about spotting fraudulent achievements were especially helpful. There’s a weirdly obsessive yet misinformed fascination with heraldry where I’m from so if it comes up in conversation, I’ll send your video their way. Your channel is underrated, by the way!

Very few talk about heraldry on Youtube, sow I am always happy when someone do! Thankful that you did, and for the most part I really liked your video. The only thing that should have been clarified more, is that you are talking mostly about english heraldry traditions. Which for the most part is very different from the majority of Continental European heraldry. Even in the UK heraldry traditions varies between Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Since English is the lingua franca nowadays, the confusion grows when people only reads English literature on heraldry. But hope you will make more, I for my part will happily check out the rest of your videos!

Very educational! Thank you for making the time to post this.

I've been an amateur herald (and student of the art) for 27 years.. I could pick a few nits, but you are generally very accurate. Well done!

to be honest I actually started out as an eye-roller, but you are indeed hitting all the heraldic nails on the head. spread that rule of tincture, brother! subscribed

Excellent. As a graphic designer - I have always been fascinated by these designs. Thanks for the education.

Thanks for the interesting lecture. I always was interested to know how these things were arranged and why.

I do quite a lot with Ancestry and hate to leave a finished profile image blank. So, I look up the family COA / Crests / Symbols, etc. I've built up a descent library of images. I'm so glad I came across this video to explain a lot of the questions I had.

I'm surprised to find your informative videos with minimum views. I like the way you deliver informations. It's more clear than from other channels 🤭. I already subscribe and turn on the notification bell for every video you'll upload. Looking forward to seeing your channel grow. Hihi

Great video! Succinct & interesting. Thank you!

Very interesting! Thanks for posting. 👍

This explains the Gould arms very well, thank you. Side note, the motto translates to "Be It Not Unto Us", which I've further "translated" to "Not My Problem". ;)