In spite of their prominent role in many aspects of political and cultural life, heralds have remained rather obscure historical figures. The two-part workshop ‘History of heralds’ aims to shed light on these elusive persons, their backgrounds, functions and meaning in medieval and early modern society. The first of this two-part workshop was...
The first of our workshops on the history of heralds was not only the occasion for a very stimulating exchange on the topic as such. In the latter half of the workshop, we also discussed the book project and its eventual content and structure in more detail. In the following, I will try...
The introduction of the book shall give a first initiation into the topic, demonstrating the variety of its history and its prolificacy. It shall provide a clear outline of the “wrong” ideas hitherto received on heralds (relationship to heraldry, organisation of ceremonies, etc.) and give a short account of the previous historiography that...
Chapter two shall give a first synthesis of the development of this office from its start at the tournaments of the 12th century in northwest Europe, its later spread all over the continent, to its further development until the end of the ancient regime. Even if they took place quite differently, there is...
In all diversity, there are also common points and continuities in the history of the office of arms. There are especially those particularities which define that office and contribute a great deal to its uniqueness. Those particularities are an absolute prerequisite to understand the functions and duties of the office of arms in...
As chapter 3 has portrayed the conditions of the doings of the office, chapter 4 shall deal with their duties as such, with their different functions and every-day business, but also with their expertise and their responsibilities, if there are some. In doing so, the introductory text of this chapter will not only...
After Chapter 4 has dealt with the different duties of heralds, chapter 5 will develop on the direct witnesses of those doings made by the heralds themselves. It will offer a general survey and categorisation of the different writings by heralds and put them as well in a chronological and regional context. It...
The last chapter will give a summary of what has been said in the volume and put it in context in order to open new perspectives for further research. It will look again at the definition of heralds, already discussed in the introductory chapter and adjust it to the findings of the volume....
There are two main tools that may help in writing this book and doing further research together. The database “Heraudica” This database goes back to my time at the German Historical Institute in Paris, where I created this database for a project called “Les hérauts d’armes dans les sources bourguignons (1386-1519)”. In the...
