Herb (heraldry)
Under Herb rune-like tribal symbols in the Polish be Heraldry understood. They can be found as a common figure in family coats of arms and as a connecting coat of arms element, especially in the old heraldry. These family coats of arms do not necessarily have to be genealogical . Due to the typical character of the coat of arms design, coats of arms can show the same element in larger numbers (often over a hundred). In German heraldry, these symbols correspond to house brands or stonemason's marks .
At the time of Christianization they were supplemented with crosses . This should clearly demonstrate piety. In the period that followed, arrows, hoof horns, horseshoes, stars, and other common figures were added to make the abstract shape of the herb more understandable for more modern heraldry. The origin is the Scandinavian area, especially southern Sweden and Holstein, where the Polish nobility has its roots. They can also be identified on the flag images, the "stannizen", of the Polish nobility.
See also
literature
- Walter Leonhard : The great book of heraldic art. Development, elements, motifs, design. 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Callwey, Munich 1978, ISBN 3-7667-0345-5 .