Module 1

1	Can you put names to the eight parts of this ‘Achievement of Arms’? See opposite – a wreath is also called a torse.

2	What should a man called Smith do to confirm that he is entitled to a specific Smith coat of arms? Find out about the person who was first granted these arms (possibly by consulting the College of Arms) and then research to confirm that he, himself, is a direct male descendant of that person.

3	When did heraldry as we know it begin? Heraldry spread across western Europe in the 12th century.

4	What are attributed arms? Arms that have been assigned to people who lived before the development of heraldry.

5	What is the heraldic meaning of sinister and which is the sinister side of a shield? In heraldry, as elsewhere, sinister actually means “left”. But the sinister part of a shield is the right hand side as we look at it.

6	What is an augmentation of honour? It is a permanent addition to a person’s coat of arms, granted by the sovereign in recognition of outstanding service to the country.

7	What does canting mean? In heraldry it is used to describe a coat of arms that contains a pun on the person’s name.