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Coats Of Arms: Bearing The Family Heritage

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For centuries families and nations have used coats of arms as ways to describe themselves and what they stand for. Today, many people like to look back on their coats of arms and use them as part of family history or to learn more about their heritage. When interpreting the symbols of heraldry, colors, animals, and symbols all have mean. Here are some of the more common elements in many coats of arms.

Colors: The colors used in coats of arms, whether in background or in motifs, symbolize one or the other virtue. For example, gold stands for generosity, white and silver for peace and sincerity, blue for truth and loyalty and green for hope and joy. Likewise, there are many other colors and their meanings. Then there are colors that are representative of valor and military. For example red is for military strength, maroon for patient victorious battle, purple for royalty and justice and oranges represent high ambition.

Animals figure on coats of arms quite frequently. The lion is the most common. The lion rampant standing on its hind legs represents dauntless courage. The heraldic lion indicates bravery, strength, and valor. The lion features more often in royal crests and many national crests than any other animal.

Eagle is another animal that finds a frequent place in coats of arms. It represents noble nature, strength and bravery, an eagle with outspread wings depicts protection and the one with two heads shows the joining of two forces. The Roman Empire chose eagle as its insignia and in the contemporary times the United States adorns it.

Besides the aforementioned two animals there are others like boar and bull for bravery and valor, cat for liberty and vigilance, rooster for perseverance and courage, dolphin for swiftness, charity, diligence and love, dragon as valiant defender, fish means generous, true and virtuous mind, ram indicates authority and serpent for wisdom. Imaginary animal like unicorn is also used. It depicts extreme courage and virtue.

Plants. There are plants represented in many coats of arms. These, too, have meaning, just as animals and colors do. Some of the more common plants used include the shamrock to represent perpetuity and a sheaf of wheat which indicates the harvest of hopes. The rose is one of the most common plants used. It indicates hope and joy, grace and beauty. Laurel leaves are signs of victory, and the lily (also know as the Fleur-de-lis) indicates purity.

Oak tree in general represents great age, strength, continuous growth and fertility. However, its variations in form of leaves and nuts indicate different things. Acorn is used to depict strength and antiquity.

Besides the animals, plants and colors that are highly symbolic weapons and armor are also used they speak out more clearly. Hands or arms held in arm indicate leadership. Helmet is symbolic of strength, invulnerability and wisdom. The axe stands for military duty, arrow for battle readiness, hammer for honor and dagger depicts justice while a shakebolt shows victory. The spear and spike aptly describe a valiant warrior.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

Jazmin Begbie is the chief writer for, and editor of Any Coats, it's one of the webs most up to date Coats sites, while you're there sign up for the free newsletter.

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