If you want your Irish / Celtic heritage to live on, it’s time to think more about your Family Name Coat of Arms.
Did you know that you can now customize a piece of jewelry with your own family name, to ensure a living history?
Here are 5 facts about the tradition and history of the Family Coat of Arms:
Variation through the Generations
A Coat of Arms was not awarded to a family or a name, but to an individual. If you are of Irish descent, a Coat of Arms was probably granted to someone with your surname many hundreds of years ago.
A Coat of Arms usually started out as fairly simple in design but then subsequent generations would have added onto or made slight variations to the design to make it their own.
The Marriage Mix
Marriages often resulted in a combination of two different family lines' Coat of Arms. So this would result in a completely different design and thus the tradition would carry on and the Coats of Arms would evolve.
Dating Back to the 12th Century
The Coat of Arms arose in about the 12th century, around the time of the Crusades. A knight dressed in armor from head to foot could not be recognized by friend or enemy, so a new method of identification became necessary.
This resulted in special markings being painted on the knight's shield, as it was the largest piece of equipment the knight had, and as the shield was easily seen, people could see who was who at a glance.
Bring your Coat of Arms to Life in a Ring
It’s now possible to have a ring designed with your own Family Coat of Arms. There is a selection of gold or silver rings for both men and women that can be completely personalized. This means that you can pick the coat of arms that corresponds to your family name and this will be engraved on to the ring.
Celebrate History with Pendants or Cuff Links
In addition to rings, it’s also possible to personalize cuff links in silver or gold with your own family crest to make them that bit more special. There’s free worldwide shipping and all that you have to do is enter your family name when ordering. This can also be done on a selection of beautiful pendants.
In a changing world, it’s never been more important to acknowledge heritage, history and roots. From the days of the ancient Romans, when they used similar insignia on their shields to the first evidence of medieval coats of arms back in the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, Coats of Arms have been in use throughout history in Ireland and abroad.
Why not celebrate this history and tradition and keep it alive today?