Polish heraldry

The Polish heraldry is an independent heraldry. It was formed in large measure from the house brands. The first coat of arms appear in the second half of the 13th century. You have your own names and were probably derived from family names and place names. The families had common coat of arms and battle cries for an emergency or warlike.

For the rest of heraldry in Europe, the old Polish heraldry had few connections. Popular coat of arms pictures were moon, stars, horseshoes and weapons. Outstanding are the large number of coats of arms tribes have here in the name similar as nobles and later a larger land area a coat of arms out, which often differed only by the helmet jewels. The motive restriction often limited to 30 to 40 families with the same coat of arms. In the 18th century the German Heraldry took a significant impact. Here is the beginning of the new Polish Heraldry in Poland may be dated. Due to the enrichment with the Western European coat of arms coat of arms pictures a larger diversity was possible now. These strains could now have up to 500 members. The national independence but has been diminished by the proximity effect. Tinctures, helmet insignia and the helmet covers were and are of secondary importance, with their help, the coat of arms are the noble families associate. The function to be ownership and distinctive features, they lack. The Polish heraldry knew no division sign and herald figures and so prevalent shields are common initially with only one field. The crest was seen as important and distinguishing feature. The coats of arms were not only for one person and their family, but for whole families.

• Coat of Arms Symbols are frequently used are ( figures rounded): Dryja ( belt with three stones),
• Jastrzębiec ( hawk ), as a sign for about 560 families,
• Korab ( boat), as a sign for about 325 families,
• Lis ( Fox )
• Lubicz (local name), as a sign for about 320 families,
• Nałęcz ( name of a river ), as a sign of some 280 families,
• Nowina ( Neuland).
• Rawicz (local name), as a sign for about 250 families,
• Sas ( axis ), as a sign for about 230 families
• Ślepowron ( Raven ), as a sign for about 530 families,
• Topór ( ax ).

• Coat of arms, with low family number, but an important role in Polish history: Coat of Arms Leliwa ( a cross with three bars, the right part of the lower bar is missing) for the families Tarnowski, Melsztyński, Tyszkiewisz and Morsztyn,
• Coat of Arms Pilawa (peaks up introspective Crescent, about a six-pointed star ) of the house Potocki.