Proper use of the Cross of St. George
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2002 1:32 am
How would an English man-at-arms fighting abroad have displayed this during the 14th century? Would it be correct to display it upon a shield and surcoat?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Brodir:
How would an English man-at-arms fighting abroad have displayed this during the 14th century? Would it be correct to display it upon a shield and surcoat?</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have an early 14th century French picture of St Louis setting off for Crusade, which shows the soldiers with St George's cross on their shields, but their surcoats are plain mustard yellow.
St George's cross, as far as I'm aware, was not confined the the English in the 14th century, and in fact I saw an article recently which stated there were conventions about national use of crosses, which if I remember rightly, originally had the red cross on white being used by France(!). However, it has to be kept in mind that nationalism wasn't as strong at this time as it was by the end of the Hundred Years War.
Additionally, the Templars in the second half of their existence were using a red cross (couped) on the right (or some say left) breast of a white surcoat. There is a mural in a French monastery dating to the late C12 of Templars setting off for battle that shows them this way. Those of their shields that are visible have individual escutcheoons, not the cross.
Hope this helps.
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Egfroth
Major Bloodnok, Queen's Forty-Third Deserters (retd.) "Do you know what it's like to be in the thick of a bloody battle, with bullets flying and sabres clashing?"
Ned Seagoon: "No."
Bloodnok: "Pity; I was hoping you could tell me . . ."
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