Beskrivning
HERALDRY, the study of family crests and medieval coats of arms, is a science and art steeped in the tradition_of familial honor and shaped by the cords of ancestry and origin. Here, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies deciphers the world of symbols, knights, and history, bringing back a time when all gentlemen were soldiers and a coat of arms was the most cherished heirloom a father could pass to his son. Symbols covered include beasts, monsters, birds, fruits, flowers, crowns, coronets, badges, and flags, each with an extensive discussion on its derivation and significance. With hundreds of illustrations designed to help trace family lines, and a careful explanation of inheritance patterns-including pertinent hard-to-find information such as the effects of intermarriage on coats of arms designs – this book is an indispensable aid to historians in sifting through the records of the past, and to anyone looking to trace his or her English or Scottish heritage.
