Heraldry

We’ll explore the origins of heraldry – spanning antiquity, Ancient Egypt, the Byzantine Empire, Europe and Asia – before tracing its history and development into what we know and recognise today. 

You’ll learn the essential skills needed not only to create heraldry, but to describe coats of arms and heraldic achievements using the rich, fascinating, and efficient language of blazonry. You will also learn about pedigree, ceremony and vexillology.

We’ll look at how heraldry developed in Europe and the Americas, the pseudo-heraldry of Japan and India, the heraldry of communist and socialist states, and how it is practised in the 21st century.

The course also offers several resources to help you to take your studies further and get involved in a heraldry society.

By studying this course, you will:

• Discover the origins and history of heraldry
• Understand how heraldry developed in different countries
• Learn the basics of heraldry and the terminology used in the practice
• Become familiar with how heraldry is practised today

A massive topic, which you could spend your whole life studying, heraldry is also welcoming and readily accessible to hobbyists and part-time enthusiasts. This course will arm you with the basics of heraldry and the terminology used in the field to give you the confidence to delve deeper into its technicalities and uncover the wealth of history from which heraldry is simply inseparable.