Studies in Heraldry

Heraldry has become a flourishing style of art within today’s modern world. Fact is that nowadays many institutions, companies as well as a series of private persons use coats of arms as their pictorial and individual identification. So the profession and study of granting, devising and blazoning arms and coats of arms is still predominant and ruling many companies’ everyday life.

In countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the English Kings of Arms as well as Scotland’s Lord Lyon King of Arms and the Chief Herald of Ireland keep making grants of arms. So the studies in heraldry and the general system of blazoning arms are especially used in English-speaking countries. Besides there exist heraldic authorities in Canada, South Africa, Spain and Sweden that also continue granting or registering coats of arms. In this context it has to be stressed that in South Africa, the right armorial bearings is defined by the Roman Dutch law, strictly speaking inherited from the Netherlands in the 17th century.

Heraldic societies emerge all over the world – in Africa, the Americas (North America as well as South America and Central America), Asia, Europe and Australasia. Strictly speaking most heraldic societies are characterized through so-called heraldry aficionados. Heraldry aficionados are people that are inspired by the art and the study of heraldry. However, many of them lead their whole lives according to this profession and study of granting, devising and blazoning arms. So-called heraldry aficionados participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Strictly speaking the Society for Creative Anachronism represents a living history group consisting of heraldry aficionados who do pursue the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures as well as their histories before the 17th century. People who join this history group or who belong to general heraldic societies consider the studies in heraldry as a part of their national and personal heritages. They are convinced of the fact that heraldry represents as a special manifestation of civic and national pride.

Fact is that heraldry was a former worldly expression of aristocracy. Today, however, heraldry merely turns out to be a form of identification.

Also military heraldry flourishes in the modern world and continues designing, developing as well as incorporating blazons. Moreover nations and their subdivisions, strictly speaking provinces, states, cities and counties, perpetuate the traditions of civic heraldry. The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England as well as other Churches focus the aim of building upon the tradition of ecclesiastical heraldry – especially for their high-rank prelates, religious orders, schools, and universities.