With full-color pages accessible to readers of any age, this how and why quick-start guide explains knighthood and nobility and royalty, what Coats of Arms mean, how to create your own, and how to assemble those of your ancestors. Heraldry is the art and profession of creating designs within shield-shaped outlines meant to identify important individuals and their descendants, as well as organizations (towns, schools, corporations) and nations. These designs often come surrounded by additional symbols such as helms, crowns or crests. Although few of us bear actual shields in the modern world, many today print their ancestors' armorial symbols onto paper, engrave them into jewelry or tableware, and carve them into wood and stone. Readers will learn about:
Symbols of Identity-where Heraldry came from, and how it can still empower people today Within the Shield-the symbols which identify a person or family or organization Beyond the Shield-the symbols which identify social rank (gentry, knight, noble, royal) Ancestry-where last names came from, and where you come into the story.
