Coat of Arms |
| A coat of arms or armorial bearings is, in European tradition, a simple colorful design belonging to a particular person 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 armor 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 armor, from which we derive the term coat of arms. |