Heraldry Page 1 take 2

In order to assist in the Identification of badges it is necessary to make some simple observations which can give us clues, the simplest of these is through Heraldry. The earliest forms of badges first appeared in the twelfth century. With the introduction of the closed helmet at the time used by nobility and knights, a simple form of identification was needed to enable followers to identify their leader in both battle and at jousting tournaments. Heralds, who amongst their duties, were messengers for Royal and Noble households, undertook the organisation of jousting tournaments and devised a method of recording the designs painted on shields and coats when the practice came over the channel in the thirteenth century. The Heralds devised some rules in order that identification was made easy for the mainly illiterate pheasant followers. With a simple description heralds were able to reproduce a design unique to the holder, the language at the time was Norman-French, which remains today as the Heraldic language.