| A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short) is, in European tradition, a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people) and used by him or her in a wide variety of ways. Coats of arms have their origins in the designs used by medieval knights to make their armour and shield stand out in battle or tournaments and enable quick recognition by allies or spectators. The designs were used to decorate clothing worn over the knight's armour, from which we derive the term coat of arms. In addition to being painted on the shield, elements of a knight's coat of arms were used to decorate the helmet crest, pavilion, and banners used by knights. |
