BEHIND THE SHIELD - THE STORY OF HERALDRY

Coats of arms started as a practical answer to the need of the medieval knight to identify himself following the introduction of the closed helm that covered his face. Recording and regulating arms became the responsibility of the King's heralds, hence heraldry is the occupation and study concerned with armorial bearings. Heraldry developed into a well-defined system of symbolism that continues to exist and flourish centuries after the era of knights was over.

This exhibit is about heraldry, and I chose to focus on the story behind the armorial bearings rather than present a technical guide. The exhibit starts with definitions and a historical review, followed by basic concepts and terminology of heraldry and the practical aspect of its modern uses. This leads us to the title of the exhibit: what can we learn about the person or corporate body standing behind the shield - information such as history, family ties, social status and occupation can be learned from the heraldic achievement.

  Plan of the exhibit

1 Development                              17 1.1 Origin, definition & early history 1.2 Heraldry becomes symbolic 1.3 Heraldry goes out of Europe 1.4 Heraldry in our own time 2 Composition of arms                 16 2.1  Parts of the achievement 2.2 The figures 2.3 The marshalling of arms 3 Technical aspects of heraldry    16 3.1 The language of heraldry 3.2 Colour in heraldry 3.3 The art of heraldry 3.4 Official use of arms 4 Arms describe their owners       16 4.1 Personal status 4.2 Arms and names 4.3 Arms show relationships 4.4 Characteristics of the land 5 Arms record history                   14 5.1 Evolution of royal or national arms 5.2 Arms commemorate events 5.3 Arms reflect geo-political changes

The Royal Arms of Sweden

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