An Introduction to Heraldry

Tags:

  • Information Design
  • Language
  • History

A poster set explaining graphic principles of heraldic communication.

Full view of first poster.
Full view of first poster.

Heraldry is a graphic system developed in the middle ages to communicate identity of individuals or families. The practice of heraldry includes the composition of many graphic elements to represent the individuals. The most prominent and most important of these graphic elements is the shield.

Though changing slightly over time, the practice has been in use for hundreds of years mostly in Europe but similar practices have been found in other cultures as well. Heraldry contains a great number of rules, conventions and practices including a specific description of the typical patterns, shapes, and colors that have been standardized over time.

Heraldic language, blazon, is used primarily to describe the design of a shield using only words. By using letters instead of graphics, the composition could be easily documented when artists or art materials were not as readily available. The majority of perceived complexity of heraldic systems comes from the daunting terminology, but follows a relatively simple structure.

Heraldry’s strict set of rules are not merely a dense, restrictive rule set but a code system that was used to communicate visual information. Though the system relatively inaccessible to anyone who is not a scholar, the code is quite specific which allows for reliable accuracy in communication. The goal of this project was to make the system more transparent and accessible by a more mainstream audience.

Final Work

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Colors on shields can be depicted with variations of black and white, without using colored inks (which were expensive in older times... and still are!)
Colors on shields can be depicted with variations of black and white, without using colored inks (which were expensive in older times... and still are!)
diagram depicting the specific areas of a shield
In the heraldic system, the terms for the parts of the shield are referenced by many other elements and are frequently used to indicate the specific position of particular graphics.
Many common elements were defined in heraldic systems, often variations of basic stripes or other shapes.
Many common elements were defined in heraldic systems, often variations of basic stripes or other shapes.
The second poster is intended to show how to reproduce shield graphics by breaking down heraldic language, also known as “blazon.”
The second poster is intended to show how to reproduce shield graphics by breaking down heraldic language, also known as “blazon.”
Magnified view of graphic explanation of syntax.
Magnified view of graphic explanation of syntax.
Full view of third poster, unfinished
Full view of third poster, unfinished

Process

I drew from multiple book sources to put the graphics together. However, all the vector graphics were produced using Illustrator. My primary difficulty was that two book sources (and 5 or so resources from Google Books) could not individually provide useful explanations or representations of individual customs or patterns. No single source gives a complete library of all the shapes and concepts; the resources are abridged due to publishing constraints (presumably the expense of printing color and/or images). However, since understanding heraldry requires seeing the written language AND corresponding graphics, I made a point to draw out the patterns in the graphics to clarify the systems and organization.

Primary Sources

Carl-Alexander Von Volbroth, Heraldry: Rules, Customs, and Styles
Guy Cadogan Rothery, Concise Encyclopedia of Heraldry

Coursework for Mapping & Diagramming
Masters of Human-Computer Interaction
Carnegie Mellon University, Spring 2011