A Study on Symbolism of Western Heraldry - Focused on Western Heraldry, Dress and its Ornaments of the Middle Ages -

서양문장의 상징성에 관한 연구 -중세 서양문장과 복장을 중심으로-

Heraldry, which originated from the culture of knights in the 12th century, came to be drawn on shields, and was inherited as a symbol of the family at the end of the 12th century and developed rapidly through the 13th and 14th century. Afterwards heraldry was in great vogue and used in the shields, clothes of men and women, armors, housings and flags. Therefore the citizen class as well as nobles and knights came to possess heraldry. In particular parti-color and impaled coat were accepted in the clothes, and served the dual purpose of status symbol and ornament in the 13th century. It can be said that the appearance of heraldry on the clothes was typical of the Middle Ages. The origin, generally accepted, was that the crusaders wore the surcots, also known as the cyclases, on the armors to prevent the powerful sun of Syria and dust of deserts, and to prevent the armors from rusting due to moisture. As the surcot was made of white linen or white silk till the beginning of the 13th century, knight's heraldry came to be put on the surcot in order to identify each corps. According as the coat of mail covering all the body was devised, the same heraldry attached on the shield seemed to appear on the clothes of surcot or jupon(afterwards pourpoint) in order to identify the status in the battlefield and tournament. Heraldry, a system of mark in the 12th century, was used as a symbol of authority of the upper class such as the Royal House, nobles and knights, and may have been mysterious instruments in the Milddle Ages. However, in the modern times of the 20th century heraldry has come to be a kind of symbol marks such as badges and banners symbolizing the hallmark of the goods of enterprises, organizations and groups. Heraldry, existing up to now, of the individuals as well as international organizations can be seen as a result of deep-rooted tradition for esthetic appreciation and symbolism for heraldry.