International holidays - International Heraldry Day

A special historical discipline deals with the study of state, city, family and other coats of arms, the traditions of their creation and use. Heraldry, which is part of the emblems, originated in the 14th century. One of the first coats of arms in history is considered to be the shield granted on June 10, 1128 by King Henry I of England to the future son-in-law of Geoffrey V Platagenet. It depicted 6 golden lions on an azure field. In honor of this event, International Heraldry Day is celebrated annually on June 10. International Heraldry Day was first celebrated in 2013. The initiator of the establishment of the solemn day was the International Association of Amateur Heraldry. Its members are engaged in the history of the appearance and decoding of distinctive signs that arose during the Middle Ages. It is believed that with the advent of special armor among knights, incl. With a helmet covering the face, it became difficult to identify a warrior on the battlefield. To this end, participants in the first crusades began to paint their shields, usually almond-shaped, with special symbols. The emblems helped to understand what clan the warring knight belonged to. Before the start of the tournament, he also presented the coat of arms, proving his right to participate in the competition. In feudal Europe, belonging to one or another social class completely determined a person’s life. Therefore, over time, coats of arms began to be used not only by noble lords, but also by ladies, clergy, artisans and their workshops, merchants and even entire cities. In those days, the tradition of giving family names (surnames) had not yet developed. Therefore, the coats of arms came in handy. The nobility of the family became a cult; having a coat of arms was considered prestigious. By the end of the 12th century. a tradition arose to pass it on by inheritance. In the middle of the 14th century. lawyer Bartolo da Sassoferrato published a treatise “On Signs and Coat of Arms”. It enjoyed great popularity and was widespread in the Middle Ages. The treatise indicated that the coats of arms that were applied to shields were “granted by dignity or position,” and also named the reasons for the appearance of heraldry - recognition. The tradition of using emblems and symbols to indicate belonging to a noble family, religious order, class and guild ceased to exist in early modern times. Today, coats of arms are owned not only by representatives of ancient clans, states, federal subjects and localities. Many companies and individuals use visual identification marks in the form of identifying symbols. They are developed by special heraldic societies taking into account the wishes of customers and historically established rules and requirements. Thus, to convey color, white, red, purple, black, blue, green and yellow, images of ermine and squirrel fur, gold and silver, as well as enamels (enamel) are used. Heraldic language includes monograms, cryptonyms, mottos and symbols. Modern armorialists attach great importance to visual emblems. Heraldry helps determine the origin of historical monuments, the authenticity, ownership and authorship of works of art, manuscripts, books and household items. With the help of this auxiliary historical discipline, the paths of inheritance are established and the volume and value of property is determined. The International Day of Heraldry is intended to pay tribute to heraldry and popularize science.