Back to Heraldry A&S Main Page

Back to Merouda.Com

 

Other Sites, Supporting Documents

Period Items: a gallery of period items that have been decorated with heraldry.

V&A Access to Images: Search on heraldy, et cetera. The site doesn't allow direct links to images, but there are so many things there that it's worth digging.

Heraldic Arts and Sciences

You May Bear Your Arms
Excerpts from period documents supporting the use of heraldry
in all manners of form

While working on the document that would record the elevation of Giovanna Battista da Firenze, I noted a particular passage in a Hungarian document of 1587. In it, the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolph the Second, grants an entire coat-of-arms, and included in the grant is an interesting little list of what might be called "serving suggestions."

The quote:

We determine and acknowledge, in Our sovereign resolution that from now on and in the future and in all future times they are permitted to bear this coat-of-arms as a sign of noble status in the same manner as other nobles of Hungary and its subject territories and that all this is in addition to all those rights, privileges, sanctions, liberties, and immunities by which the nobles of Hungary live and enjoy as a matter of course or on the basis of legal customs. We permit the said persons to use this coat-of-arms in battle, in jousting, in tournaments, in duels, and in all military or other exercises of the community of nobles. Further, they may use it on their signets, sails, hangings, curtains, rings, flags, shields, tents and houses, in general on all occasions of their activities and ventures by rights of a true and genuine noble status. We order that they and all their descendants of both genders be recognized as nobles by everyone, no matter in what position, rank, state, and privileged status they may be. These shall acknowledge the said noble status, shall call them as nobles, and shall look upon them as such. They in turn shall be free to bear, to carry, to use, and to enjoy the above coat-of-arms and so shall their descendants and inheritors of both gender. (emphasis mine)

The entire document may be seen at http://www.totosy.com/summary.html.Scroll down to section 3.1.  The Latin transcription is at http://www.totosy.com/partfour.html and an image of the document is at http://www.totosy.com/totosydocumentation(patent1587).html.

I am particularly interested in the list of heraldically embellished material goods. As I find more such statements, I will include them here.