"Totem", "tamga" and "coat of arms". What can be in common between the Indian symbol, the Turkic-Mongolian generic sign and the image on the knight's shield? However, all these ancient symbols are nothing more than examples of heraldic traditions. Their origins are different, but the reasons for their occurrence are very similar.
It has always been human nature to attach exceptional importance to symbolism. It is easy to unite around the symbol, they can hide from enemies, frightening them with just their appearance. People-bears and people-foxes, not to mention people-crows or frogs - today they are only fairy-tale characters. However, by historical standards, relatively recently, the symbol of the animal, chosen by the Indian warrior-hunter, reflected not only his character and life experience, but also the desire to resemble the character in the smallest detail. Therefore, the cunning of the fox hunter was not questioned, and the strength of the bear warrior threw the enemy to flight in advance. Modern heraldry originates from the drawings that in ancient times people applied to personal things as decoration rather than a symbolic image. The hippocampus of Alexander the Great, the eagle of the emperor Caracala, the frightening and at the same time exquisite helmet-song of the Nubian king Masinissa - all these are just signs that have nothing to do with heraldry. After all, heraldic symbols must obey certain rules, they cannot just be changed or exchanged for others, because such symbols become an extension of the owner's personality, they are inherited along with the property. The rudiments of real heraldic symbols begin to form only during the time of the ancient Greek city-states. Of course, something similar happened before - the coat of arms of Armenia "Crowned lion" or the Sumerian "Eagle with a lion's head" - but only in Ancient Greece, images that had not changed over the years began to be placed on coins and seals. Modern heraldic science testifies that the stormy the development of the colorful and vibrant art of heraldic drawings came at a time when symbols began to take on specific outlines. The terrible and majestic time of the Crusades gave rise to many stories of exploits "in the name of the nation and God." They sought to depict them on their shields and banners. This is how the coats of arms appeared. Already in the 11th century, they began to be massively depicted in seals. The coat of arms during the war also had a purely practical meaning. The first knight to break into an enemy house received it in the property to plunder. To hedge their recent conquest, the knights began to nail coat of arms to the doors or gates of the house, warning their associates that the prey was captured and protected. Many elements of heraldic art support the theory of the powerful influence of the Crusades. For example, such important elements as burlet. The Arab kufya, turned by knights into a lambrequin or burlet, became a common household item for them after death from heatstroke in iron armor began to overtake the knights earlier than the enemy arrow. Heraldry today is a science to a large extent applied, but no less interesting. This, in a sense, is a method of studying history in the reflection of symbolism, a rigorous science of the correct compilation of the coat of arms and all its parts.