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Heraldry & Devices

The individual designs you see on our banners, shields, clothing, etc… typically belong to members of the Kingdom and should not be used without permission of the individual. We typically refer to these devices as: crests, shields or coats of arms. Individual devices are encouraged by the Kingdom as they add color and glamour to the encampment.

  • It is encouraged and useful to learn the basics of heraldry before trying to design your own device. In general the intent should be to come up with a design which is heraldically correct, unique and easy to identify with your character. The use of “Family Crests” is also encouraged. There are many resources available for researching and designing a device.
  • Remember to keep it simple, as these were often used on the battlefield or to identify you in tournament. Designs needed to be bold and brightly colored to distinguish individuals at a distance…as vision through helmets was limited. If you have to get up close to recognize the device, it's too complicated and you would probably have been killed in battle!
  • Devices were often divided into parts called divisions or had basic shapes on them called ordinaries.
  • Colors used in heraldry were limited by medieval technology and were divided into two basic categories known as tincture and metals. Basic “tincture” colors are: Sable (Black); Gules (Red); Vert (Green); Azure (Blue) and Purpue (Purple) while the “metals” are: Argent (Silver/White) and Ore (Gold/Yellow). The general rule is: “metal on color”, or “color on metal”, but not “metal on metal” or “color on color.” There were a few other shades but these were the primary colors.
  • A charge is what is shown on the base color of your device. Animals were frequently used as a main charge such as: Lion, Bear, Boar, Eagle, Horse, Dragon, Griffin, etc… There were also a multitude of other shapes and symbols that were used in addition to animal charges.
  • Blazoning is the system for formally describing a device.
  • Individual devices may be displayed beside and slightly below the Kingdom of Onondaga shield when at an official event.