British Heraldry Trivia Quiz

Answer: To distinguish warriors during battle

Around the beginning of the 12th century, full-face helmets made it difficult to identify men in battle, so knights began adding unique decorations to their shields and other equipment.

Answer: Heralds

I hope you got this one right! Eventually heralds were organized into a College of Heralds, under a King-At-Arms, and were required to maintain records of all arms, and to document the right to their use.

Answer: French

Norman-French was the language most commonly used by the upper classes in England when heraldry began.

Answer: An achievement of arms

A coat-of-arms refers to the embroidered surcoat a knight wore over his armor to keep off the sun; a crest is a device worn on top of a knight's helmet. Although "coat-of-arms" is almost universally used in America, the correct term is "achievement of arms."

Answer: Gold and silver

Gold (or) and silver (argent) are the only metals used in heraldry.

Answer: A tincture

There are five colors commonly used is British heraldry: black (sable), blue (azure), red (gules), green (vert), and purple (purpure). There are other colors, but they are almost never found in British arms. Even purple is not seen very often.

Answer: Blazon

For example, a blue shield with a horizontal silver stripe would be emblazoned "Azure, a fess argent." The rules of the blazon are very detailed and precise; a good heraldic artist can reproduce a depiction of even very complex arms if they are emblazoned properly, even if he or she has never seen them.

Answer: Escutcheon

Hence the expression, "a blot on the escutcheon."

Answer: Fur

The most common furs are ermine and vair (squirrel).

Answer: Charge

There are hundreds of different charges; probably the most common is the cross, of which there are dozens of variations. Very common geometric charges are called "ordinaries."

Answer: The chief

The chief refers to the top of the shield; it may also be a charge, a horizontal band at the top of the shield.

Answer: False

Most arms were granted to commoners. A gentleman entitled to bear arms was called an "armiger." In America it is widely believed that knights are ranked among the nobility; they are not, and neither are baronets.

Answer: 1483

The College of Heralds was founded by Richard III in 1483, and the first visitations were made that year.

Answer: The helm

The type of helm (helmet)placed atop the shield is the indicator of rank; they range from a simple steel helmet with a closed visor shown in profile for a gentleman, to elaborate gold helmets for royalty and the nobility.

Answer: False

Arms are granted to individuals; there is no such thing as the Smith "coat-of-arms" or the Strickland "coat-of-arms." Companies that sell items claiming to depict your "family" arms usually select the oldest achievement of arms recorded for your surname.

But just because you share the same last name with someone whose arms were recorded in the Visitation of 1483 does not mean you are entitled to use or display those arms.

Answer: Nothing, there is no such thing

In heraldry, "sinister" means left, "dexter" means right. A "bar" is a horizontal band, thinner than a "fess." It inclines neither to left nor right, hence there cannot be such a thing as a "bar sinister." A diagonal stripe running from the upper right (from the bearer's point of view) to lower left is called a "bend," a thinner stripe a "bendlet," and a bendlet cut off before it reaches the edges of the shield a "baton." A "bend sinister," "bendlet sinister," or "baton sinister," i.e., one running from upper left to lower right, has sometimes been used to denote illegitimacy, but the practice is not common.

Answer: A five-pointed star shape

One of the many terms one must become familiar with when studying heraldry. A "mullet" is intended to represent the rowel of a spur. A "star" in heraldry is not the same as a "mullet." Stars always have six or more points.

Answer: A lozenge

Unmarried women display their arms on a diamond shape called a "lozenge." An exception is made for the Queen, who displays her arms on a shield.

Answer: All of these

Answer: Supporters

Supporters are usually found in civic and corporate arms; when found in arms belonging to an individual, they most frequently, but not always, indicate nobility. They are usually, but not always, found in pairs, one on each side of the shield. "Usually, but not always" is a phrase that crops up quite often when discussing heraldry!