Description: From the mundane to the fantastic, from simple geometric patterns to elaborate mythological beasts, a wide variety of coats of arms have been used since medieval times to identify the combatants in battle. The shapes of the shields used during these centuries made it necessary for the heralds and painters to adapt the natural forms used as insignia to fit irregular spaces, leading to the insignia assuming a symbolic, rather than naturalistic appearance. These factors resulted in the fascinating multitude of coats-of-arms, many of which are still in use today. This fully illustrated work explores the origins and appearance of medieval heraldic devices in an engagingly readable manner.

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