Some sources claim that heraldry was being used as far back as ancient Greece and Rome, with warriors painting their own personal emblem on their sheild. However, heraldry as we know it; Heraldry as formal identification, with all the elaborate terms, probably didn't come into play until somewhere around the 12th century.
At that time, armies didn't wear uniforms, and it was fairly hard to tell who was who when everyone was wearing armor. The theory is that heraldry evolved to help the common soldier identify his leader on the battlefield, and to give the troops a rallying point. By painting his emblem on his shield, surcoat and banner, a leader became much more visible to his troops. Later on, heraldry was used in tournaments, to help spectators identify their favorites.
Most of the rest of the terms used in heraldry will be described on the relevant pages, but if you don't understand a specific term, it's probably in the glossary. So, if you're ready to continue, go on ahead to the tinctures page.
