AEMMA Roll of Arms

about AEMMA : roll of arms

oll of Arms

The Duke of Bourbon reviews and comments on the blazons presented by the heralds prior to the tournament. (Olivier de la Marche, Hardoun de la Jaille, Anthoine de la Sale..., 1878, "Traicté de la Forme et Devis comme on Faict les Tournois")

Welcome to the AEMMA Roll of Arms. Coats of arms regardless of their origins, became military status symbols, and their popularity increased along with the popularity of the tournament which were first recorded in the mid-eleventh century in France (reportedly by Godfrey de Preuilly). The tournament became a training ground for knights, and its pageantry became more elaborate as time passed. Some knights made their living (and their reputations) roaming from tournament to tournament. William the Marshal and Roger de Gaugi were two such enterprising men, not only excelling at tournaments but extorting ransoms from the families of knights they captured.

The officially granted coat of arms of AEMMA

By 1400 A.D., bearing a coat of arms had become a prerequisite to participation in a tournament, and due to the importance of social standing in such pageants, a coat of arms also became a mark of noble status. In the early days, most coats of arms were assumed by the bearers and not "granted" by any authority. King Richard I changed his coat of arms from two lions combatant (or a lion rampant) to three gold leopards (or lions passant guardant).

At AEMMA, a personal coat of arms is a form of personal identification of which the central element is a shield. In general, heraldic achievements (arms) design and symbolism follow traditional channels, but its use can be as modern as appearing on websites, to embroidered patches depicting the owner's badge and sewn onto jackets or backpacks. Other applications include applying the arms to mugs or other inanimate objects.

AEMMA students, once they have successfully achieved the rank of Scholler, are encouraged to consider designing their own personal coat of arms. All Schollers and above have their arms displayed on the rack of arms at the salle d'armes. Plenty of advice and consultation is available from senior members of the Academy, along with one or two "defacto" heralds within the organization. Another extremely useful resource is the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada.

The display of the roll of arms in the following pages, begin with the presentation of the officially granted armorial bearings of the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts. This grant was authorized by the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Other members of the Academy who are "armigerous" will have their presentation indicated by the armorial bearings' source from the Canadian Heraldic Authority. Other presentation of arms will indicate the year that the arms were assumed. The order of the roll is from the most senior member to the most recent member who achieved the rank of Scholler.