You have all seen this so many times, but have you ever wondered why the Cowdray 'coat of arms' on the left is what it is? Well studying such things is called Heraldry.
Heraldry is about showing people who you are. In England it started in the later 1100s, when knights began to wear helmets which covered their faces, and they couldn't be recognised. So they began to paint unique combinations of colours, shapes and animals, called their 'arms', on their shields and banners. Only one person was allowed to use these arms, so when people saw a knight wearing them in a battle or tournament, they could tell who he was.
Of course, Heraldry is not just an English phenomenon it is now a worldwide study and a huge subject - some people spend their lives studying it. This guide will help you get to grips with the basics and give you the facts you need to design your very own piece of heraldry or coat of arms.
If you want to delve even further into the art of Heraldry try the following site
http://www.internationalheraldry.com/
You may use this activity to contribute to your DofE SKILLS Section as long as you provide regular submissions on Google Classroom over the course of the term as to what you have learnt.
Please join class code xt5vkjf in Google Classroom