Arms

The custom of completely encasing knights in a suit of armour, thus rendering them indistinguishable, led to the practice of painting their insignia on their shield as a means of identification. The insignia were also embroidered on the knight’s surcoat or tabard and were called coats of arms. This term was retained even when displayed other than on the surcoat. Originally granted only to individuals, these insignia were afterward made hereditary by King Richard I during his crusade to the Holy Land. There are two classes of arms:

Public: kingdoms, provinces, bishoprics, corporate bodies, etc.

Private: private families.

Depending on the various methods for the grant of arms, these two classes are further subdivided as follows:

Allusive Arms

Arms of Adoption

Arms of Alliance

Arms of Assumption (Assumptive Arms)  

Arms of Attribution

Arms of Community

Arms of Concession

Arms of Descent

Arms of Dominion

Arms of Family

Arms of Honour

Arms of Office

Arms of Patronage

Arms of Pretension

Arms of Succession

Arms Royal

Assumptive Arms (Arms of Assumption)

Canting Arms (Allusive Arms)

Feudal Arms

Paternal Arms (Arms of Descent)