Many are the incidents, but faintly written in the pages of history, which would have remained for ever dark and illegible, but for the light flashed on them by the torch of Heraldry. A shield of Arms, a Badge, or a Rebus depicted on a glass window, painted on a wall, carved on a corbel or monument, will frequently indicate, with unerring precision, the date to which such relics are to be ascribed, and whose memory they are intended to perpetuate, when all verbal descriptions are wanting; and th identity of many an old portrait rests on no other authority than that of a coat of Arms painted at the side. Mr. C. James, in his recent work, entitled Scotland in the Middle Ages, write: AFor the pursuit of family history, of topographical and territorial learning, of ecclesiology, of architecture, it is altogether indispensable; and its total and contemptuous neglect in this country (Scotland), is one of the causes why a Scotchman can rarely speak or write on any of these subjects without being exposed to the charge of using a language he does not understand.
John E. Cussans, The Handbook of Heraldry, 1869, pp. 15-16
I'm an Academic Herald. I'm not a "real" herald; I don't register people's coats of arms (though I can certainly suggest designs for those who might be interested). What I do is study, research, teach, and write about heraldry. And I like to share what I have learned about heraldry, hence this blog. I hope that you'll find it informative, interesting at least occasionally, and worth your time to come back. Got a question? Comments? Feel free to let me know. I'd love to hear from you. You can find my contact information in my Profile.
Fellow blogger Jeremy Hammonds, on his Maine Heraldry Blog (a link to his blog can be found in the left-hand column here, under Other Blog...
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Saturday, May 21, 2011
Heralds Don't Pun, They Cant!
Friend and fellow heraldry enthusiast Leslie Schweitzer sent the following picture link with the comment: "Look! A cygnet ring! Where do we put the wax?"
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