Dame Heraldry

Why does a lion stand on his hind legs? What did a crusader's cross mean? An 1886 guide that teaches heraldry as bedtime stories — plus: design your own coat of arms.

Table of Contents

The Young People Who Suggested the Book

2 pages

Crusader Legends

1 page

Augmentations

5 pages

Debasement of Knights. - Tournaments

2 pages

What Heraldry Means. - College of Arms

4 pages

Classes of Arms. - Orders of Knighthood

4 pages

CHAPTER VII

5 pages

Stories About Flags, Continued, and Description of An

5 pages

Supporters. - Mottoes. - Shield. - Colors. - Metals. - Furs

4 pages

Honorable Ordinaries. - Sub-Ordinaries

15 pages

Other Decorations, Taken from Living Objects

5 pages

Decorations Taken from Other Sources

5 pages

Decorations Taken from Other Sources. - Hatchments

6 pages

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Dame Heraldry (1886) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.