Click on any of the following links for more information on that topic.
What is Heraldry?

• How Heraldry Began
• Uses of Heraldry

Tinctures

• A Closer Look
• Uses in Literature

Symbols

• Animals
• Birds
• Mythological Creatures

Symbolism in Literature

• Beowulf
• Dante's Inferno
• Sir Gawain

Shields
Works Cited
Home


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Delahoyde's E-mail

Heraldry isn't just limited to the battlefield - it can be found in literature, too. With a knowledge of heraldry, it is possible to pick up on hints that the author drops about a character in a story. It's a bit like forshadowing, only less plot-revealing.

 

This website examines heraldry in three pieces of literature:

•    Beowulf
  •    Even though Beowulf lived before heraldry was even developed... If he was a knight, what would his shield have been?
•    Dante's Inferno
  •    There might be more to one of the three beasts than you originally thought...
•    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  •    First off, why green? Secondly, why more care should have been done before giving Sir Gawain his shield and colors.