Flags, Devices and Badges

Devices and Badges

• Escutcheon: The shield on which arms are emblazoned.
• Arms: the armorial bearings borne on a shield. Borne by rulers to show where they rule. Borne to show family name, marriage,... Borne by cities, towns, abbeys, guilds, mercantile companies,...
• Device: a motto or mark attached to the arms which served as identification at tournaments. Often a pun on the name of the bearer.
• Badge: a device born by members of the same house successively. Worn on banners and on the sleeves of servants and followers.
• Crest: Worn on the helmet, not generally related to any kind of family motto. Originally used to identify one's rank during battle.
• Motto: A familial saying decending from the war-cry. Generally placed below the shield. (In scotland, placed above the crest). It should NOT be inscribed on a garter and should not be used with the arms of any woman except a Queen.
• Garter: A band in a circle round the escuteon. Might be enscribed with the motto of an order (not a family or simgular person).

Four kinds of flags that had devices or badges on them in period:

• Gonfanon: small square flag with three tails streaming from the fly used in 11th and 12th centuries, mostly used by commanders in battle
• Pennon: small triangular flag; charged with crests, heraldic and ornamental devices, and mottos.
• Pennoncel: smaller version of the pennon, carried on the end of a lance. It was painted with the knight's arms.
• Banner: during 13c use of gonfanons (the particular mark of barons at this time) faded and they were superceded by banners. Initially they were twice as high as long, and later became square.
• Standard: a long tapered flag which becomes narrower towards the end. The end is either rounded or double-rounded (two rounded tails). They came into use in the 15c. The growing popularity of badges in the late 15c caused an upsurge in the use of standards as well at this time, since they were an excellent means of displaying them. The higher the rank of the owner, the longer the standard (4 yards for a baronet, 11 yards for an emperor)

In the chief, the cross of St.George, the remainder being parted per fesse or and gules[the livery colours], divided into three portions by the white scroll containing the motto. In the first the cognizance-a griffin passant-argent, armed blue. In the second crest, an owl crowned proper, upon a wreath of the family colours. The fringe green and white, the colours of the royal house of Tudor. Standard of Willoughby, Actual