☙ Why Our Shields Speak, and What They Say ❧
“A man may lie with his mouth. His banner may not.”
To the untrained eye, heraldry is mere ornament: a flourish on a shield, a trinket of chivalry past. But to the Order of Vulgarian Knights, and to the heralds of Vulgaria before us, a coat of arms is a contract in color and line—a declaration of purpose, allegiance, and memory.
Every chevron, every tincture, every beast rampant or candle proper tells a tale. And when taken together, these arms form not just decoration, but a living archive:
The Codex Armorum.
✠ The Structure of Arms Within the Order
The Order’s system of heraldry is both simple and rich in meaning.
The Base Device for All Knights:
Argent, a chevron Sable — a white field with a black chevron pointing upward. This is the unifying sigil borne by all sworn knights.
From this, all other arms are derived or quartered.
✠ Commandery Arms
Each of the Four Commanderies bears its own device, which is quartered alongside the chevron:
- The Chancellery — Purpure, a columned building Or
- The Collegium — Vert, an open book Or and Argent
- The Black Chevron — Gules, two crossed swords Argent, hilts Or
- The Veiled Hand — Sable, a tallow candle proper
A knight’s personal banner may display these quarterings to indicate their service focus.
✠ Regional and Familial Arms
Those of noble station, or those who serve a particular County of Vulgaria, may also display quartered arms bearing the local blazon.
For example:
- A knight from Zatterfels may display: Argent, a chevron Sable; quartered with Azure, three towers Argent.
- A knight of Schattenburg might bear: Argent, a chevron Sable; quartered with Sable, a jackdaw rising Or.
These symbols create a narrative of origin, loyalty, and active participation in the living story of the realm.
✠ The Codex Itself
The Codex Armorum is a growing scroll—part register, part sacred ledger. It records:
- All officially sanctioned knightly arms
- The heraldry of the Provinces and Counties of Vulgaria
- Symbols of extinct lines, corrupted arms, and disputed claims
- Charges both traditional (lions, crosses, towers) and esoteric (candles, crows, chains)
It is maintained by the Collegium’s Heraldic Circle and presented annually at the Feast of Banners.
✠ Why It Matters
To bear arms is not to boast.
It is to accept memory as burden and badge.
It reminds the knight that they do not stand alone, but in the long line of those who bore the chevron before them—and that the charges on their shield are not just symbols…
…they are vows.
