How to Read a Coat of Arms: A Complete Visual Guide

How to Read a Coat of Arms: A Complete Visual Guide

By /

A coat of arms is a visual language. Once you know how to read it, every shield tells a detailed story — who the family was, what they valued, where they came from, and how they wanted to be remembered. But without knowing the grammar of heraldry, it can look like an elaborate puzzle.

This guide teaches you how to decode any coat of arms, piece by piece.

The Anatomy of a Full Coat of Arms

A complete heraldic achievement (the technical term for a full coat of arms) has several parts. Not every coat of arms includes all of them, but the most elaborate ones do:

  1. The Shield (Escutcheon) — the central element, the part most people think of as “the coat of arms”
  2. The Helmet (Helm) — sits above the shield; its style indicates rank
  3. The Crest — the emblem on top of the helmet
  4. The Mantling — decorative cloth flowing from the helmet, usually in the main colors of the arms
  5. The Wreath (Torse) — a twisted band of fabric between the helmet and crest
  6. Supporters — figures (animals, humans, or mythical creatures) on either side of the shield; usually reserved for high-ranking families
  7. The Compartment — the ground on which supporters stand
  8. The Motto — a phrase, usually in Latin, French, or the family’s native language, displayed on a scroll below the shield

Reading the Shield

The shield is the core of any coat of arms. Here’s how to read it systematically.

Step 1: Identify the Field (Background)

The field is the background color of the shield. In heraldry, colors are called tinctures and divided into two categories:

Metals:

  • Or — gold (or yellow)
  • Argent — silver (or white)

Colors:

  • Gules — red
  • Azure — blue
  • Sable — black
  • Vert — green
  • Purpure — purple

The Rule of Tincture: One of heraldry’s fundamental rules is that you cannot place a color on a color, or a metal on a metal. A red charge must go on gold or silver — never on blue or black. This rule ensures coats of arms remain visually readable from a distance.

Step 2: Identify the Ordinaries (Geometric Shapes)

Many shields feature geometric shapes called ordinaries — the most foundational charges in heraldry:

  • Chief — a horizontal band across the top third of the shield
  • Fess — a horizontal band across the middle
  • Pale — a vertical band down the center
  • Bend — a diagonal band from top-left to bottom-right
  • Chevron — an inverted V shape
  • Cross — a vertical and horizontal bar meeting in the center
  • Saltire — a diagonal cross (like the Scottish flag)
  • Border (Bordure) — a frame around the edge of the shield

Step 3: Identify the Charges (Symbols)

Charges are the specific objects, animals, or shapes placed on the field or ordinary. The most common:

Animals: lion, eagle, bear, stag, wolf, griffin, dragon, dolphin

Objects: crown, sword, cross, castle, tree, star, rose, fleur-de-lis, anchor, ship

Human figures: arms (of the body), hands, heads, full figures

Step 4: Note the Animal’s Posture

If there’s an animal, its posture has a specific name:

  • Rampant — rearing up on one hind leg, facing left
  • Passant — walking, three feet on the ground
  • Sejant — sitting
  • Couchant — lying down
  • Displayed — wings spread, facing the viewer (used for eagles)
  • Salient — leaping

Step 5: Read the Blazon

A blazon is the technical written description of a coat of arms — the “grammar” that allows any herald to recreate the design exactly. It always starts with the field, then the principal ordinary, then the charges. Example:

“Azure, a lion rampant or” = Blue background, gold lion rearing on its hind legs

“Gules, three fleurs-de-lis argent” = Red background, three white lilies

Reading the Crest

The crest sits above the helmet and often repeats or complements the main charge on the shield. A lion on the shield might appear again as the crest. The crest was the part most visible in a tournament when knights wore full armor — it was the first thing you’d see over the heads of the crowd.

Reading the Motto

Mottos appear on a scroll below the shield (occasionally above, in Scottish tradition). They’re usually:

  • A family virtue: “Virtute et labore” (By virtue and labor)
  • A battle cry: “Dieu et mon droit” (God and my right — the English royal motto)
  • A pun on the family name: “Je maintiendrai” (I will maintain — House of Orange)
  • A declaration of loyalty or faith

Now Find Your Own

Now that you know how to read a coat of arms, the next step is finding your own family’s heraldic design. Your surname almost certainly has a coat of arms associated with it in European heraldic archives — and understanding it will be far more meaningful now that you can read what every symbol means.

Scroll to Top