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Activities for Kids

Design Your Own Coat-of-Arms

Now that you have learned about the heraldry found on the Norfolk Mace, try your hand at creating your own coat-of- arms. Before you begin, consider the field, partitions, and charges for your project. The field is the background color of your shield. Traditionally, the field used symbolic colors and metals: black, blue, green, purple, red, gold, and silver.

Black (sable) – steadfast and grief
Blue (azure) – strength and loyalty
Green (vert) – hope, loyalty in love
Purple (purpure) – regal, justice, sovereignty
Red (gules) – warrior, martyr, military strength
Gold (or) – generosity

Partition lines are a way to divide the shield into sections. Partition lines may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal; perpendicular or intersecting; straight, wavy, etc.

Charges are figures of animals, flora and fauna, human forms, letters, mythological beasts, or other objects seen on the shield. Their representation usually portrays the character or history of an individual or family. Commonly-used animal charges are the bear, boar, eagle, falcon, fish, horse, lion, and swan. The dragon, griffin, and unicorn are common mythological beasts. The cinquefoil (five-part leaf), fleur-de-lis, and leaves are flora charges. The occupation or social position of individuals or families were also symbolized as charges.

You are now ready to create! Click here to open a coat-of-arms outline,* print it out, then draw your partition lines and add your charges.

Bring History Alive with Color

Royal coat-of-arms of Great Britain, 1714-1801

As you have learned, the colors, objects, animals, and poses on coats-of-arms took on special meaning for families and associations. Now, using your knowledge, heraldic vocabulary, and the description found on the Work of the Month page, click here for a coloring page* you can use to bring King George’s historic royal coat-of-arms alive!

 

(*Note: Reading PDF in a Web browser requires
the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in.
It is free and can be downloaded from Adobe’s website. www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html)

 

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