KNIGHTLY MARKERS

Everyone knows that knights used heraldry so that, with their faces covered by their great helms, friend could be distinguished from foe. How did that work in practical terms?

By Robert Jones

The problem is that the things that supposedly made heraldry so useful – that it was a system of individual symbols, utilizing bold designs visible at a distance – actually worked against its effectiveness. It might be conceivable that a knight would know the arms of his compatriots, especially in the early years, when the use of heraldry was limited to the great barons. As time went on and the number of men with their own heraldry increased, however, it must have become increasingly difficult for anyone to identify the arms of all of one's friends on a campaign. Added to this was the increasing complexity of those designs and the possibility that one's friend could become one's foe. In 1340, on the foggy battlefield of Pont-à-Tressin, two brothers of the…

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Medieval World Culture & Conflict (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 7 - 2023

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