<![CDATA[Heraldic Jewelry

<![CDATA[Heraldic Jewelry - Blog]]>Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:10:46 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[THE MEDIEVAL HERALD PART 1]]>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:05:32 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/06/the-medieval-herald-part-1.html The Medieval Herald part 1

Early references to Heralds in French medieval literature seem to suggest that they share a common ancestry with the minstrels, storytellers and messengers in the households of the nobility. Other 12th and 13th century writers refer to freelance individuals who followed the newly popular sport of Tournament Jousting or “ Tourneying” across Europe, employed to cry out the names of knights and recount their lineage and acts of prowess. The term “herald” seems to have its origins in the Old German word beerwald, meaning a caller or proclaimer to the army. Heralds became interested in matters armorial as at tournaments and in battle they needed to recognize and memorize the Coats of Arms of the participants. For the purpose of recalling and tabulating the different Arms of the nobility the heralds compiled the first registries if Coats of Arms which came to be known as Heraldic Rolls. The Rolls of Arms were initially rolls of vellum paper or parchment and over time were transferred to books but were still referred to as rolls.

In the early 1300’s heralds were attached to noble households, where they were employed as messengers, proclaiming challenges for upcoming tournaments on their master’s behalf. It seems that the herald was allowed to travel for some length of time to collect information on the tournament on the potential opponents that his master might meet at such tournaments. The Herald would also advise the noble on all matters related to chivalry because if his lord wanted to be seen as a man of knowledge and high-birth he was expected to be well acquainted with such matters. Originally the freelance heralds had taken their titles at will, but as they became accredited to certain noble households they took their official names from their masters’ own titles or badges, or from charges that appeared on the masters’ Coats of Arms. “The Golden Fleece” ( Toison d’or) was the Herald of the order from Burgundy in France that bore that name. Montjoie took his name from the cri-de-guerre of the French Kings; “Mont joie de Saint Denis”, and the name Blanch Sanglier ( “White boar”) came form the personal badge of Richard Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III. Heralds themselves do not normally figure on the family Coat of Arms, but one notable exception is for the Spanish family of de Armas, which descends from the Herald Juan Negrin, king of Arms to the kings of Castille. They bear on the shield an arm holding a banner charged with the Arms of the kingdoms of Castile and Leon. Early references to the Herald were not always complimentary, sometimes written by minstrels who saw the Heralds as a threat to their position of power within the noble household. They often vied with each other for their masters’ attention. One poet from the late 13th century, Henri de Laon, thought that the Herald pursued an idle profession, one worthy only of greedy men.

“ What’s more, lords would give shelter to up to four of these ne’er-do-wells who tended to talk more than good folk of other callings, yet at the same time do very little”

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

]]><![CDATA[HERALDIC FUNERAL HATCHMENTS PART 2]]>Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:12:05 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/06/heraldic-funeral-hatchments-part-2.html Heraldic Funeral Hatchments part 2

Heraldry funeral hatchment

In Medieval times, the trappings of knighthood were carried in the funeral procession and afterward laid in the church near the grave of the deceased. In the Low Countries (Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg) a new practice arose in the 16th century whereby the actual pieces of armor, swords, gauntlets, helm, and tabard were replaced with painted reproductions, usually made of wood. These were grouped in a frame, together with the shields of the paternal and maternal grandparents. The background of the display was painted in mourning black. Such framed displays were known as cabinets d’armes or cabinets d’honor. This practice led to the use of Hatchments (a corruption of ‘achievement’), the diamond-shaped mourning boards, many of which are still found hanging in parish churches in England today. The hatchment was hung outside the home of the deceased for a period of mourning, perhaps as much as a year and a day, indicating to to visitors that a death had occurred in the family.

From the background of the funeral hatchment and the composition of the arms, it is possible to identify the sex and marital status of the deceased. For a single person (bachelor, spinster, widow, or widower) the background was all black. Where no marriage had existed, a shield for a man or a lozenge (diamond shape) for a woman bearing the patrimonial arms was shown. In the case of a bachelor the helm and crest also appeared. As the diamond-shaped lozenge is thought of as a plain shape a blue bow was sometimes added for decoration. Things became more complicated when a marriage was involved. When one of the couple survived the other, the background of the hatchment was divided vertically black and white, with black- as the color of mourning- behind the deseased’s half of the arms and white behind the survivor’s half. When a wife died before her husband, her hatchment bore a shield with no crest (sometimes a bow was substituted), and the right-hand half of the background was black. If the husband died first the whole achievement was shown, with black behind the left half. If the hatchment was for a widower, an all-black background was shown with shield, crest, and marital coat of arms. If it was for a widow, the marital coat of arms appeared on a lozenge. These are the simplest cases, and there were many hatchments whose composition taxes the onlooker and can be very difficult to interpret: in the case of a man who has married several times, for instance, the arms of all his wives may appear, with separate backing for each marriage.

Heraldic hatchment

Although a family motto often appeared on a man’s hatchment, it was just as likely to be replaced by a Latin phrase relating to death and resurrection such as Resurgam (“I shall rise again”), In coelo quis (“There is rest in heaven”), or Mors janua vitae ( “Death is the doorway to life”). While many English parish churches contain one or two hatchments to a lord of the manor, or previous vicar, some have great collections for a whole family: such as that of the Hulse family of Breamore, Hampshire, where the church displays a set of hatchments that date from the early 18th century.

]]><![CDATA[HERALDIC FUNERAL HATCHMENTS PART 1]]>Thu, 30 May 2013 13:45:02 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/heraldic-funeral-hatchments-part-1.html Heraldic Funeral Hatchments, part 1

HERALDIC HATCHMENT

In the late Middle Ages up until the 20th century funeral hatchments were used to proclaim the death of a member of a titled or landed family and were emblazoned with the arms of the deceased person. The custom of displaying coats of arms in connection with funerals dates from the early days of heraldry, but the diamond shaped canvas in a wooden frame -the hatchment - was apparently introduced into Britain, from Holland, around the time of the Restoration. The word itself is a corruption of achievement, which means a coat of arms with all its appropriate accessories, such as helmet, crest, mantling and so on. Hatchments remained in fashion for about two hundred years. During the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth, their use was general among the titled and landed classes. Normally, they remained hanging on a house front for about a year after a funeral. After the funeral these hatchments were hung in the church. While some of these memorials were temporary, others were permanent, and were mainly aimed at maintaining the status quo- the chief weapon in the armory of status being heraldry. On early memorials, in stone or brass, enameled or carved, the heraldry included was limited to the bearer’s own personal shield and crest.

HERALDIC FUNERAL HATCHMENT

Over time the place of burial began to be used as a platform upon which the nobility could show off not only the arms of their own family, but also those to whom they were united through marriage. With the arrival of the Renaissance the grand monuments of the aristocracy had expanded to include a series of shields for family marriages, often borne by figures such as angels and mythical creatures such as griffins and dragons. The offspring of the deceased were also often depicted on the tombs, kneeling with shields for boys and lozenges (diamond shape) for girls. The canopies and sides of the tombs were used to support a display of heraldry. Death itself could be called upon to support the shield, or sometimes the shield of the deceased might be shown upside-down. In Italy, Portugal and Spain, gravestones often bear fully colored arms of the deceased executed in pietra dura, an inlaying technique using a variety of colored stones, but in most countries they tend to be carved in local stone and uncolored. While in Britain the flat stones set into the floors of many parish churches bear the arms of the deceased only, in Germany, Belgium and Holland they often bear a series of shields down the sides of the stone, those on the left for the father’s side, those on the right for the mother’s side.

]]><![CDATA[HERALDIC FUNERALS PART 3]]>Tue, 28 May 2013 13:49:16 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/heraldic-funerals-part-3.html Heraldic Funerals part 3

DUKE OF ROTHES

The funeral of John, 1st and only Duke of Rothes, reveals just how elaborate an heraldic funeral on a grand scale was. The Duke passed away on July 27th 1681 and it was almost a month later on August 21st before his funeral took place. Having held the office of Lord High Chancellor of Scotland, he was afforded a full state funeral. It included every possible type of heraldic funeral trapping, as well as two complete regiments of artillery. Following the troops were two conductors with black staffs over their shoulders, then two gumpheons ( square flags), one bearing a death’s head with the words memento mori ( remember, you must die) the other bearing an hourglass wit the words fugit hora ( hours fly). There then followed a line of poor men in mourning cloaks that bore the Duke’s cipher and coronet. Next followed a trumpeter, his banner charged with the ducal achievement, then came a cavalier on horseback. Next was a banner of the ducal colors or liveries borne by a gentleman. He was followed by the Duke’s servants, who in turn were followed by the Pencil of Honor, a swallow-tailed flag bearing the entire achievement of arms, next was one with the paternal arms (Leslie), followed by the standard of honor (similar to the pencil of honor but with a square end). The warhorse was led by two ‘lacquies’ who were bare headed. Two trumpeters followed, then Bute and Carrick pursuivants of arms (heralds) in mourning gowns and tabards. Another small group of heraldic flags then followed: the Great Gumpheon, another gumpheon bearing the arms of Abernathy with a ‘laurel wreath in mourning’ and the Little Mourning Standard.

After a group of gentlemen in mourning gowns and hats, there followed another two pursuivant if arms, Kintyre and Dingwall, after which came the spurs, gauntlets, the breastplate, shield, helm, wreath and sword of the deceased. Two more retainers then led the dead man’s packhorse, after which walked a goodly procession of officers and counsellors of Edinburgh, members of the judiciary and government and representatives of the peerage, followed by the last of the pursuivants, Unicorn and Ormonde. Two trumpeters then announced eight bearers with banners of kinship. On the paternal side ( the right) were those of the Earl of Roxburgh, Hamilton of Evandale, the Earl of Perth and the Earl of Rothes; and on the left the descent through his mother from the Duke of Antragne, the Earl of Tullibardine, the Duke of Lennox and the Earl of Mar. The mourning horse then followed, bearing a black trapper adorned with panels bearing the ducal arms. The last of the heraldic flags, the Great Mourning Banner, bore the ducal achievement of arms and the motto. Two more trumpeters announced six heralds: Islay, with the shield of Leslie; Albany, with that of Abernathy; Marchmount, with the crest, motto, and wreath; Rothesay with the helm, coronet and mantling; Snowdon with the Sword and Ross with the targe.

MEDIEVAL FUNERAL

The Duke’s servants and household officers followed, after which was led the Duke’s horse for riding to Parliament covered with a richly embroidered saddlecloth. Next came a gentleman bearing the Duke’s coronet, followed by two archbishops and then Lord Lyon (the chief herald of Scotland) in tabard and mourning cloak carrying a diamond shaped ‘hatchment’ bearing the Duke’s entire heraldic achievement. More trappings of Parliament followed, including the Lord Chancellors purse. Then followed the most extraordinary sight of the whole incredible spectacle; the coffin of the Duke itself, carried beneath a pall of mortcloth decorated with the arms of the Duke and his relations. These were interspersed with death’s heads, ciphers, and silver tears. Upon the cloth, which was borne by close relations, was the Duke’s coronet. The coffin was carried beneath a great canopy decorated like the pall, the poles of which were carried by noblemen’s sons. Then followed the principal mourners and the mourning coach, the official procession being brought to a close by His Majesty’s Guard. The procession was said to have reached 5 miles in length. The entire affair cost about £ 30,000 ($ 4 Million at today’s prices), which was supposed to have been paid by the government, although in the end the family was left to pick up most of the enormous bill. From the end of the 17th century, Protestant Britain saw a ‘noble rebellion’ against the profligate cost of the grand heraldic funeral, which had become prohibitive even for the richest of families. Many of the traditions and trappings that had been associated with such a funeral, such as armor for example, had themselves become long outdated and scarce, although up to that time there were still specialist manufacturers who carried on producing special ‘funeral armor’.

]]><![CDATA[HERALDIC FUNERALS PART 2]]>Fri, 24 May 2013 13:13:46 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/heraldic-funerals-part-2.html Heraldic Funerals part 2

ELIZABETH I FUNERAL

In Britain the greatest age for the Heraldic funeral was the 16th and 17th centuries. The marshalling of such events was largely the responsibility of the officers of arms, who jealously guarded their rights because of the fees they could charge for their services. These fees were known as “funeral droits”. These were payable from the estate of the deceased and were considerable. The amount of the fees paid was dependent on the deceased’s degree and the rank of the Herald. In England the Heralds kept a close eye on anyone, especially painters and engravers, who might encroach on their lucrative racket. There are records of brawls erupting at the door of the church over fees even as the corpse was on his way to his final resting place. Each part of the funeral of a member of the nobility was regulated by the Heralds, from the number of mourners, their degree and the size of their trains, to the number, shape, and size of the flags. The following letter to Garter Dethick who held office form 1586 until 1606 illustrates the degree of detail involved in the preparations:

Good Mr. Garter, I pray you, as your leisure doth best serve you, set down advisedly and exactly, in every particular itself, the number of mourners due to my calling, being a viscountess of birth, with the number of waiting- women for myself, and the women mourners, which, with the chief mourner and her that shall bear the trayne, will be in number ten, beside waiting women, pages and gentlemen wishers. Then I pray you the number of chief mourners of Lords, Knights, and gentlemen….. Good Mr. Garter, do it exactly; for I find forewarnings that bid me to provide a pick-axe etc. So with my most friendly commendation to you, I rest,

Your old Mistress and Friend,

Elizabeth Russel, Dowager

QUEEN ELIZABETH I

The reply Mr. Garter sent is very lengthy and includes the following details for the funeral procession. It is to include Bannerolls ( a type of heraldic banner showing ‘impalements’ for family marriages), the Great Banner borne by a Knight or esquire, a preacher, a Garter King of Arms and 2 heralds. The Lady Chief Mourner was to have her gown, mantle, traynes, hood and tippets, 11 yards of black cloth. Garter King of Arms was allowed liveries as a knight, 6 yards of cloth, the heralds 5 yards….

The funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 is recorded in a magnificent 40 foot scroll, which identifies each of the main participants by name. The procession included common people, knights and their ladies, and aristocrats. Among them, all of England is represented. Poets wrote elegies and lamentations for Elizabeth. The people showed the dead Queen the greatest respect and the funeral procession consisted of over 1000 mourners. The many Londoners who watched the procession swelled this number. The coffin was draped in purple velvet, befitting a Queen of England. The coffin was drawn by four horses, which were draped in a black livery. A large canopy that was held by six Knights of the Realm covered the coffin. On top of the coffin lay an effigy of Queen Elizabeth, dressed in the finest of clothes. The effigy was so life-like it made the people of London gasp. The chief mourners were all dressed in black - the materials varied according to their rank. The long procession of mourners wound its way to Westminster Abbey.

]]><![CDATA[HERALDIC FUNERALS PART 1]]>Thu, 23 May 2013 14:13:51 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/heraldic-funerals-part-1.html Heraldic Funerals part 1

HERALDIC FUNERAL1603

By the 14th century it had become the practice at funerals of royalty and the nobility for a prominent display of heraldry to be included in the pageantry of the event, and these heraldic funerals became increasingly elaborate statements of the deceased’s social status and wealth. Heralds would attend the aristocratic funerals and issue a certificate giving the pedigree of the deceased, and details of his or her death and burial. They represented the authority of the monarchy. The College of Arms supervised everything in relation to the funeral procession, the accoutrements displayed, and even the work of painters and other tradesmen involved. They were also responsible for the decoration of the home and church with black cloth and other heraldic displays. Everything was done according to the rank of the deceased, and mourners were offered a banquet while waiting. Relatives were enforced to participate and pay the heralds’ fees; mourners had to be of the same sex of the deceased. In Ireland many burials were accomplished within a day of death, though two to four days was the usual interval between death and burial for the middle and upper classes in the 1630s. For the very wealthy, several weeks or months of preparation might go into the elaborate and costly funerals orchestrated by the heralds, whose office in Ireland was founded in 1552, and this delay might necessitate the embalming of the corpse. Heraldic funerals reached the height of their popularity in the early to mid-seventeenth century, especially among recently established New English settler families, for whom such display served to underline their new titles and entitlements. Their subsequent decline reflected the social disruption of the 1640s and 1650s as well as the rise of the new fashion for nocturnal funerals.

HERALDIC TOMB

During the funeral procession a pall bearing the Coat of Arms of the deceased would cover the coffin. For members of high nobility and royalty the bier would sometimes also be surmounted by a representation of the dead person, dressed in robes and crowned.On either side of the bier the heralds would walk bearing the elements of the dead persons heraldic achievement. A hears was built in the church for the coffin to lay. This would often be an elaborate temporary structure made of wood, metal, and cloth. The hearse had receptacles for burning tapers, in between which the armorial bearings of the deceased would be set, these armorials were usually made of buckram, a stiff cloth made of linen. Upon entering the church the coffin was placed within the rails of the hearse, where the principal mourners would also take their places. The funeral of a high-ranking member of the nobility would be attended by not only family members and other mourners but even by the dead man’s warhorse, decked out in his master’s heraldic trappings. In Italy and Spain, well into the 20th century, the noble laid “in state” at home prior to the funeral. The body lay either in a coffin or on a bed of state, dressed in court dress, with the bed itself covered with a cloth of gold on which were embroidered the family Coat of Arms. For the highest members of the nobility, including royalty, household staff would hold banners bearing the deceased’s Coat of Arms. The hearse was also decorated with banners, standards, guidons, and lesser flags. These, along with the rest of the achievement would be hung near the burial place of the deceased providing a suitable display of pomp.

]]><![CDATA[CHIVALRY AND HERALDRY]]>Thu, 16 May 2013 16:24:59 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/chivalry-and-heraldry.html Chivalry and Heraldry

THE CODE OF CHIVALRY

Heraldry and Chivalry are so intertwined that it is useful to explore the interplay between the two in medieval times. The literal meaning of Chivalry is the lore of the horse soldier, or rather the man that could afford the horse. It comes from the French word "chevalerie", itself derived from "chevalier", which means knight, derived from "cheval", horse (indicating one who rides a horse). At its birth heraldry was also the preserve of the knights, it was through the loyalty of such men that wars could be fought and won, lands conquered and wealth increased. The army comprised of armored knights formed the backbone of the medieval army. If disciplined they could make the difference in a battle or war, and indeed battles were sometimes won without combat as the sight of the armored cavalry could be enough to cause their enemies to flee. During times of peace men used to war could get bored and become a liability to the ruler, his people and the church. Something was required to rein in marauding knights and it evolved in the form of the set of ethics that became known as the “ code of chivalry “. This code of chivalry was gradually refined into a loose set of rules aimed at civilizing the high-born.

This code of chivalry was a theme explored by popular writers of the time including Raymond Lull, Honoré Bonet, Christine de Pisan. Raymond Lull ( 1232-1315 ) was a member of the nobility from Aragon in Spain and he was well versed in knightly deeds and wrote of love and the pursuit of it in the style of the troubadours of southern France. Amorous by nature, Lull frequently cheated on his wife until he had a vision of Christ on the cross. This vision persuaded him to change his behavior and thereafter he used his writing to convert the heathen to Christianity through prayer, preaching and writing books. One of the most influential being his Libre del Ordre de Cavayleria ( Book of the Order of Chivalry). This book was written oin 1275, and for centuries after was considered standard textbook on the subject and was widely translated, copied and distributed throughout Europe.

RAYMOND LULL

Christine de Pisan ( 1364-1430 ), a disciple of Honoré Bonet provided a fascinating insight into the workings of the medieval mind in her book from 1408, Le Livredes Faits d’Armes et de Chevalerie ( The Book of Feats of Arms and Chivalry), which deals with such varied themes as banning the use of poisoned arrows by Christians, and saving the souls of warriors. Drawing on such diverse sources as Roman military strategy and the love songs and military epic poems of Minnesinger (German court poets and musicians from the 12th and 13th centuries) and French troubadours, Lull, de Pisan and others attracted the attention of European leaders at the time, most of whom sought to make their courts centers of learning. They also hoped that through pursuits such as courtly love, jousting tournaments, and orders of chivalry, they could pacify their unruly knights and mold them into a cohesive force that viewed loyalty to the lord as a benefit rather than a hindrance.In its simplest form the code of chivalry required its followers to honor their lord, defend the church, and protect women, the weak and the poor. In reality few knights were true followers of these noble aims and even those warriors who were held up by medieval writers as paragons of chivalry would be looked upon in a very different light today.

]]><![CDATA[THE ORIGINS OF FEUDAL NOBILITY PART 4]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 13:29:38 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/the-origins-of-feudal-nobility-part-4.html The origins of feudal nobility part 4

The 3rd Cusade

The concept of Knighthood arose amongst the nobles and an esquires manor was rated according to the number of knights were required in order to run their fiefdom. This system was in place in England and Germany by the 13th century. Thus these socio-ethnological foundations of medieval society arose in one form or another throughout western Europe and resulted in the feudal system that remained in place until the late 15th century. It is important to note that feudalism and knighthood predated Heraldry by a few hundred years. When arms began to be used in the sense that can be called Heraldic- that is when a man bore a device on his shield consistently throughout his life, and then transferred it to an heir- it is obvious that they must have been adopted by the leading lords of the day, and not by the lower echelons of the feudal nobility. Only a man in a superior position would venture to introduce new ideas in civil life and at court. Anyone of a lesser rank would have risked ridicule and rebuke. The earliest evidence of heraldry and coats of arms amongst the nobility are all associated with the great families. One of the first authentic documented evidence of Heraldry is found on a seal from 1164 of Philip, Count of Flanders ( a sovereign prince) who bore the lion rampant, also borne by his descendants.

Phillip Count of Flanders Arms

An even earlier documented use of Coats of Arms are those of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou who received a shield from Henry I of England in 1127 on which were charged three golden lions which was the forerunner of the current national arms of England. It was not until the third crusade in 1189 that the use of Heraldry had spread in European armies. Even in these cases the use of Arms was limited to the leading personalities from each province and European country, and it was the 13th century before the rank and file nobility went to war bearing their own Coat of Arms. It is therefore clear that while nobility in Europe preceded Heraldry, the possession of Coats of Arms was located, at first, in the higher reaches of the nobility and later penetrated all ranks of nobility.

]]><![CDATA[CASTLE OF THE WEEK, HOHENSALZBURG CASTLE, AUSTRIA]]>Fri, 10 May 2013 13:46:14 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/castle-of-the-week-hohensalzburg-castle-austria.html Castle of the Week, Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria

HOHENSALZBURG CASTLE AUSTRIA

Hohensalzburg Castle, known as Festung Hohensalzburg in German, is situated on a hill overlooking the Austrian city of Salzburg, located in the west of the country. At more than 300,000 square feet in size Hohensalzburg Castle lays claim to being one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Original construction began in the 11th century by the catholic church who were a very powerful force in medieval Salzburg. In the almost 1000 years of it’s existence the castle has never been conquered and remains one of the few castles in Austria with this status. Today it is the main tourist attraction in the city of Salzburg and houses the Fortress Museum.

The head of the Catholic Chirch in Salzburg at the time, the powerful Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein is the man credited with the initial construction of the fortress, beginning in the year 1077. The original basic fortress and wooden wall was gradually expanded over the proceeding centuries as the church looked to protect its interests. Burkhard II of Weißpriach added the distinctive ring walls and towers in 1462. Prince Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach further expanded the castle in the 16th century. In 1515, Cardinal Matthäus Lang, who was later to become the Archbishop of Salzburg, wrote a description of the Reisszug, a very early and primitive funicular railway that provided freight access to the upper courtyard of the castle. The line still exists, albeit in updated form, and is probably the oldest operational railway in the world.

The only time that the fortress came under siege was in 1525, when a group of miners, farmers and townspeople tried to oust Prince Archbishop Cardinal Matthäus Lang, but failed to take the castle. During the Thirty Years' War ( 1618-1648), Count Paris of Lodron strengthened the town's defenses, including Hohensalzburg. He added various parts to the fortress, such as the gunpowder stores and additional gatehouses. The fort was surrendered without a fight during the Napoleonic Wars. In the 19th century, it was used as a barracks, storage depot and dungeon before being abandoned as a military outpost in 1861.

FESTUNG HOHENSALZBURG

During the early 20th century it was used as a prison, holding Italian prisoners of war during World War I and Nazi activists (before the Anschluss with Germany) in the 1930s. It was refurbished in the 20th century and became a major tourist attraction, with a cable car called the Festungsbahn, built in 1900, leading up from the town to the Hasengrabenbastei. It stands today as one of the best preserved castles in Europe.The Hohensalzburg was recently selected as main motif for the Austrian Nonnberg Abbey commemorative coin minted in April 5, 2006. This was the first coin of the series "Great Abbeys of Austria". It shows the Benedictine convent of Nonnberg Abbey. In the hilltop on the background, the castle and the Kajetaner church can be seen. Also in 1977 the Austrian Mint issued a coin for the 900th anniversary of the Hohensalzburg.

]]><![CDATA[THE ORIGINS OF FEUDAL NOBILITY PART 3]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 11:11:50 GMThttp://www.heraldicjewelry.com/2/post/2013/05/the-origins-of-feudal-nobility-part-3.html The origins of feudal nobility part 3

MEN AT ARMS

The King or Queen normally held manors and feudal baronies, but they could also be held in certain other realms, lay or ecclesiastical. In cases where the vassal held the whole of the manor or barony, he was a baron. Sometimes a barony would be split such as when daughters inherited portions and it would pass to the daughters husband and their children. In addition, a barony or manor might be deliberately split into one or more portions, and rented out by the superior to tenants. While all land held by military service was free or noble land, in some realms an inhibition was placed in general practice on how far it was considered a noble fiefdom, when so split up, and as to how far it could convey to its holder nobility of rank. Consequently when the subdivision went to far it no longer conferred noble status. In England steps were taken to prevent subdivision altogether, although this was not the case in Scotland. It should be noted that while it was only the man in armor, an esquire, was counted by name in the enrollment, being a gentleman, he would often have along with him his own small following of free or military companions- probably a couple of men at arms and several servants.

MEN AT ARMS BURGUNDY 14TH CENTURY

As can be summarized from above the lands that conferred noble status did not need to be as vast as the original feudal barony- at the beginning usually a very considerable estate- but would, in many cases, be similar to many country properties and estates of today. The result of this is that the class that that was noble was a numerous class, and by no means restricted in numbers to the few who are today peers of the realm. They were just as numerous as the present day gentry. This all resulted in the concept of a caste system which had inhabited every western and southern European country. This resulted in the foundation of the feudal system. Under this system of feudalism it was a free class who held free lands and provided the military defense for the realm in all ranks from the lords down to simple gentlemen and esquires. Below the strictly noble class of chief tenants were the military followers of the nobility. These were sometimes mounted as men-at-arms, but more often were billmen and archers. These freemen came to be known as the yeomanry. It is quite clear that the distinction that existed in some countries such as England and Scotland between the tenants in chief and their tenants and the rest of the freemen, holding by military tenure, was much less apparent at certain periods in other countries. In countries with a strong yeomen tradition, where the free farmers generally entrenched themselves early and had judicial and representative rights there was a strong tendency not to draw so marked a line between the noble and the non-noble freeman. In such lands the non-noble freeman were in some sense nobles. Elsewhere they would certainly not have been so received. This was the situation in parts of Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, and in north-eastern France.

]]>