Coat of Arms
What is a Coat of Arms?
According to Britannica.com, a coat of arms is the principal part of a system of hereditary symbols dating back to early medieval Europe, used primarily to establish identity in battle. Arms evolved to denote family descent, adoption, alliance, property ownership, and, eventually, profession.
The origin of the term coat of arms is in the surcoat, the cloth tunic worn over armour to shield it from the sun’s rays. It repeated the bearer’s arms as they appeared on his banner or pennon and on his shield, and it was particularly useful to the heralds as they toured the battlefield identifying the dead. It also identified the knight in the social surroundings of the tournament.
What today is popularly termed a “coat of arms” is properly an armorial or heraldic “achievement” and consists of a shield accompanied by a warrior’s helmet, the mantling which protects his neck from the sun (usually slashed fancifully to suggest having been worn in battle), the wreath which secures the mantling and crest to the helmet, and the crest itself (the term for the device above the helmet, not a synonym for the arms). Additions to the achievement may include badges, mottoes, supporters, and a crown or coronet.
The Prall Coat of Arms
The Blazon of Arms
The blazon is the shield itself and consists of the colors (background) and the charges (images).
The Arms
The Prall Arms were originally a solid black, but due to the difficultly in procuring dyes at some points in history, colors were sometimes depicted with a pattern rather than solid color. Black, or sable, was depicted as the checker pattern you see in the above arms.
Crowned Lions Counter-Rampant
The lion is regarded as the noblest of all the wild beasts, making it the symbol of courage, strength, and valor.
Helmet
The helmet (or helm) varies with the bearer's rank, the century represented, or the herald's or artist's preference.
Mantle/Mantling
The mantling is not a part of the official blazon (except that sometimes the colors are specified), and the design varies with the herald's or artist's preference. This is said to represent the cloth that hung from the wreath and protected the back of the head and neck, even though it may often be depicted more like the leaves of a plant.
History of the Prall Coat of Arms
It is said that the Prall Coat of arms was brought from Holland, and was most likely displayed prominently on the property at Northfield, Staten Island by Abraham Prall (1706-1775) as he was the grandson of Arendt Jansen Prall who established the homestead at said location.
