Oxford University Heraldry Society lecture: Nicolas Vernot on “Heraldry and Magic”.

When examining the origin and meaning of coats of arms, the emphasis is generally placed on practical and social considerations, heraldry being a means of identifying and distinguishing individuals and families. However, the armigers of the past lived in a world of beliefs that was significantly different from our own, developing a whole iconography which, in a more or less ritualised form, sought to invoke divine protection, escape the forces of evil or, more generally, conciliate the invisible forces governing the universe. To what extent did coats of arms, in their composition or presentation, reflect these perceptions, acting as graphic prayers, talismans or incantations? Using an anthropological approach that combines written and iconographic sources, we will examine the performance of heraldic images from the perspective of magic, in other words, their ability to interact with the invisible forces in which the armigers believed.

Illustration: “Arma Artis”, Splendor Solis, f° 2r° (Germany, 1582), British Library, Harley 3469.

Nicolas Vernot is Guest Researcher at the University Research School “Humanities, Creation, Heritage”, a unit welcoming practice-led Masters and PhDs in an interdisciplinary approach, at the University of Cergy Paris.

To join by Microsoft Teams, please email: secretary@oxford-heraldry.org.uk