The Curiosities of Heraldry
1586
Heraldry is the secret language of power, a visual grammar of lineage that once determined who sat at the king's table and who knelt before them. Mark Antony Lower's 1586 treatise argues passionately that this isn't mere antiquarian curiosity but a key to understanding medieval society itself. He demonstrates how shields, crests, and battle standards functioned as identification of their era, encoding bloodlines, territorial claims, and family honor into elaborate designs that spoke volumes to those who could read them. Lower dismantles the notion that heraldry is a sterile catalog of outdated symbols, instead revealing a living system that shaped politics, warfare, and social hierarchy. Through historical anecdotes and detailed analysis, he shows how these armorial bearings carried poetry as well as pedigree, aesthetic beauty as well as ancestral pride. For anyone curious about the visual culture of the Middle Ages, or searching for their own family's hidden crest, this remains an essential doorway into a world where identity was worn as visibly as a banner on a battlefield.
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The author and narrator of this comprehensive treatise on heraldry. He serves as the scholarly guide through the history, principles, and curiosities of heraldic science.
Prioress of Sopewell and attributed author of the Boke of St. Albans (1486), one of the earliest English treatises on heraldry. A pioneering figure in heraldic literature.
Celebrated antiquary, historian, and Clarenceux king of arms. Author of Britannia and a towering figure in English antiquarian scholarship.
York herald known for his petulant attacks on Camden and other colleagues. A skilled herald but of questionable character and motivations.
About The Curiosities of Heraldry
Chapter Summaries
- Preface
- Lower defends heraldry as a lordly, poetical, and useful science against those who dismiss it as meaningless jargon. He outlines his approach to make the subject accessible to general readers while avoiding excessive technicalities.
- I
- Examines the fantastical claims of early heraldic writers who traced arms back to biblical times, classical antiquity, and mythical figures. Lower demonstrates how reverence for antiquity led to absurd fabrications.
- II
- Traces the genuine origins of heraldry from the Crusades through its development in medieval Europe. Covers the introduction of hereditary arms, tournaments, and the establishment of heraldic regulations.
Key Themes
- The Poetry and Romance of Heraldry
- Lower argues that heraldry is inherently poetical, citing its presence in the works of Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, and other great poets. He demonstrates how heraldic symbols capture the imagination and connect us to the chivalrous past.
- Historical Authenticity vs. Romantic Fiction
- The work constantly grapples with separating genuine historical evidence from the romantic fabrications of early heraldic writers who traced arms back to biblical times and classical antiquity.
- Social Hierarchy and Nobility
- Heraldry serves as a system for understanding and preserving social distinctions, from royalty down to gentlemen, with detailed exploration of what constitutes true nobility versus mere pretension.
Characters
- Mark Antony Lower(protagonist)
- The author and narrator of this comprehensive treatise on heraldry. He serves as the scholarly guide through the history, principles, and curiosities of heraldic science.
- Dame Julyan Berners(major)
- Prioress of Sopewell and attributed author of the Boke of St. Albans (1486), one of the earliest English treatises on heraldry. A pioneering figure in heraldic literature.
- William Camden(major)
- Celebrated antiquary, historian, and Clarenceux king of arms. Author of Britannia and a towering figure in English antiquarian scholarship.
- Ralph Brooke(antagonist)
- York herald known for his petulant attacks on Camden and other colleagues. A skilled herald but of questionable character and motivations.
- Sir William Dugdale(major)
- Garter king of arms and author of monumental works including the Baronage of England and Monasticon. One of the greatest heraldic scholars.
- John Guillim(major)
- Rouge Dragon pursuivant and author of the influential 'Display of Heraldrie,' one of the most popular heraldic treatises ever written.
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<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read The Curiosities of Heraldry by Mark Antony Lower free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read The Curiosities of Heraldry by Mark Antony Lower free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004Cite this book
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Lower, Mark Antony. The Curiosities of Heraldry. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004.Lower, M. A. (1586). The Curiosities of Heraldry. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004Lower, Mark Antony. The Curiosities of Heraldry. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-curiosities-of-heraldry-b3dc6537-f22e-4599-8add-a6a4d36eb004.
