Crest (heraldry)

A crest is a special design that sits on top of a shield in heraldry. It is part of a larger design called a heraldic achievement. The crest is placed above a piece called the helm.

Long ago, crests started as decorations on the armor that knights wore during tournaments and battles. After the 16th century, crests became more like pictures rather than real objects.

In a full heraldic design, you will find the shield at the bottom, with the helm on top of it. The crest sits on the helm, and around the base of the crest is a twist of cloth called a torse.

The shield itself is called the arms, and the whole design is the achievement.

Origin

The word "crest" comes from a Latin word meaning "tuft" or "plume". Crests have been used since ancient times. Roman officers wore feather decorations on their helmets, and Viking helmets often had animal heads or wings on top. In the 12th and 13th centuries, knights began using metal fans as crests on their helmets. These fans were mostly for looks but might have also helped protect the knight.

Over time, these fans changed into three-dimensional sculptures made from cloth or paper over a wooden frame. They often showed animals, wings, or human figures and were mostly used in tournaments rather than real battles. The crest was held in place on the helmet with a twisted cloth circle called a torse.

Later development

By the 16th century, knights stopped using real crests in tournaments. Artists began drawing them instead. These drawings were flat pictures. Sometimes they showed things that could not be placed on a real helmet, like a hand coming out of clouds and leading a ship around the world. This design was given to Sir Francis Drake in 1581.

During this time, kings and knights used different styles of helmets. Knights and kings had their helmets face forward. Other important people had theirs turned to the right. This meant the pictures on top, called crests, sometimes faced different directions than the helmet.

Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, rules for crests became clearer. Today, crests are designed so they could actually be placed on a real helmet. The old rules about helmet directions are not as strict.

Usage

In the past, only knights and people of high rank could use crests. Today, almost everyone with a personal coat of arms can have one. Women and clergymen usually do not use crests because they did not fight in battles. Some experts think crests are not right for groups or companies, but many places still use them.

In parts of Europe like Germany, crests are very important. Some important people can have up to seventeen crests. This is not common in Britain, where having more than one crest is rare. In Britain, people can choose to show just one crest on their helmet and let the others float nearby. Sometimes, a person can get an extra crest by marrying into a special family or after winning a big battle, like when Robert Ross won at the Battle of Bladensburg.

After the year 1600, people started using crests without the helmet, like on dishes, doors, and paper. Because of this, some people started calling any coat of arms a “crest,” even though that’s not right. In Scotland, members of a family can use a special badge with the family crest and a motto, but only the main family member can use the crest alone.

In England, no two families can use the same crest, but in Scotland, many families might share the same crest. Because of this, Scottish crests are often simpler. Special marks to show family order are not usually added to crests, but the British royal family still uses them.

Often, the twist of cloth around the crest is changed to a special crown shape called a “crest-coronet.” This usually has three flower shapes on a gold circle, but it does not show a person’s rank. Sometimes, a crest might have both a coronet and the twist of cloth, but some people think that’s not the best way.

Main article: crest badge

Main articles: cadency, coronet

Orders of chivalry

You can see crests in the chapels of Britain’s special knight groups, called orders of chivalry. These include the Order of the Garter’s St George's Chapel, the Order of the Thistle’s Thistle Chapel, and the Order of the Bath’s Henry VII Chapel. In these chapels, there are special seats for knights. Above each seat, you’ll find a knight’s sword and a decorated helmet with a crest on top. These crests are carved from lime wood and painted and gilded by Ian Brennan, the official artist for the royal family.