A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS
peditions were called Crusades. The first-of them began i'n the .year 1096; in which
almost all Christian nations engaged, and took upon them the Cross, as their manner
of speaking was then. The form and fashion of the cross then could not but
be as various as fancy could invent, to distinguish many companies of different na-
tions. Which crosses became proper and fixed armorial figures to many families
who had arms before these expeditions, but afterwards disused the same for the love
they bore to the Cross, of which I have given several instances in my foresaid essay.
By these crusades, arms were much all improved Europe over, and they gave an
increase of various forms of crosses and other figures
of which in the ;
following.
treatise.
Tournaments, the other occasion I mentioned of improving armories, are much
more ancient than the crusades, though I have spoken of them first, and have very
not only by giving rise to figures within
much improved armories, sooner or later ;
the shield, (such as the ordinaries as some say), but to those without the shield,
which adorn and trim it in the present perfection and beauty we find arms, and
with all the exterior
which we call Achievements, i. e. complete armorial bearings,
ornaments. And since tournaments seem to have completely built the armorial
structure, (except as to marks of cadency, and the method of marshalling many
coats of arms in one shield),
I shall here treat of them briefly and distinctly, that
my reader may somewhat understand achievements, as I speak of them in the fol-
lowing treatise, till I come to treat separately of them in distinct chapters.
Some say, that Tournamenta is but the corruption of the word Trojamenta ; the
Ludus Trojae, which were invented by Ascanius, and celebrated by a company of
Roman youths, dressed after a' warlike manner, and generally of the best families
of Rome. Others say, that Tournamenta came in place of the Ludus Trojae, and
derives its name from Tourtier, a French word, (to turn round), because to be ex-
pert in these military exercises, much agility both of man and horse was requisite.
Tournaments are commonly described, " Nundinae vel feriae in quibus milites ex
condicto convenire, & ad ostentationem virium suarum &- audaciae, temere con-
" "
gredi solent." Or thus : Solemn meetings, at great festivals, where nobles and
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gentlemen performed martial exercises by combating together in desport." That
there were such meetings as these, under the names of tournaments, joustings, has-
tiludes, and tiltings,
all Europe over, and especially
in Germany, in the beginning
of the tenth century, (where none were to be admitted who had not arms, as marks
of their noble is
descent), acknowledged by German, French, and English writers.
Favin, in his Theatre of Honour, says, (for which he vouches Franciscus Modius's
Pandectae Triumphales), That the Emperor Henry, surnamed the Birder, Duke of
Saxony, in the year 936, decreed to bring in jousts and tournaments by solemn or-
and gave commandment, that the Palatine of the Rhine, and the Dukes
dinances ;
of Bavaria and Saxony, should give, in writing, laws for regulating these meetings ;
which they accordingly digested into twelve articles, in imitation of those of France,
>ays Favin. "
By one of these articles it was decreed : That no man should be
"
admitted into these festivals of arms who was not a gentleman of armories, and
"
of four descents at least, of noble parentage, both on the father and mother's
"
side; and if any man, who could not so justify his nobility by armorial ensigns,
"
(such as those we call quarters, or proofs of nobility, being the arms of his grand-
"
fathers and grandmothers), should present himself to jousts, by pretending that
"
he was ennobled by his Prince, (here Novi Homines were excluded), and there-
"
upon presumed himself worthy to be in the same rank with those of ancient no-
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bility, such a man should be beaten with rods, and obliged to ride the rails, or
" barriers, for his punishment." These rails, or barriers, were certain lists or stakes
of wood, which surrounded the place of action, and kept off the spectators from the
actors. And since I am speaking of them, I cannot but show, that though the
various fashions of the trimming of armsbe brought from these honourable military
exercises, yet 1 cannot be made to believe what Menestrier says, That the proper
figures in this science, such as the cheveron, saltier, bend, bar, and other traverse
pieces, are brought into this science, from these pieces of wood which formed and
made up the barriers, however so like to them they may seem to be of ; which
afterwards. But to proceed,