"_Armoiries de Dignité_," showing the distinction or dignities with which a person was endowed, and which were added to existing family arms.
"_Armoiries de Famille_," as their name indicates, distinguishing one noble family from another. This class was further divided into three others, "_Substituées_," "_Succession_," or "_Alliance_," terms which explain themselves.
"_Armoiries de Communauté_," distinctions given to noble chapters of military bodies, corporations, societies and the like.
Finally there was a class which belonged to warriors alone.
At all times illustrious soldiers adopted a _devise_, or symbol, which they caused to be painted on their shields. These were only considered as _armoiries_ when they were inherited by one who had followed in the footsteps of his ancestors. This usage dates from the end of the ninth century, and it is from this period that _armoiries_, properly called, came into being.
The banners of the feudal sovereigns were, many of them, very splendid affairs, often bearing all their arms and quarterings. They were borne wherever their owners went,--in war, to the capital, and at their country houses. At all ceremonious functions the banners were ever near the persons of their sovereigns as a sign of suzerainty. The owner of a banner would often have it cut out of metal and placed on the gables of his house as a weather-vane, a custom which, in its adapted form, has endured through the ages to this day. In tournaments, the nobles had their banners attached to their lances, and made therewith always the sign of the cross before commencing their passes. Also their banners or _banderoles_ were hung from the trumpets of the heralds of their house.
Another variety of feudal standard, differing from either the _bannière_ or the _pennon_, was the _gonfanon_. This was borne only by _bacheliers_, vassals of an overlord.
"_N'i a riche hom ni baron_ _Qui n'ait lès lui son gonfanon._"
The feudal banner, the house flag of the feudal seigneurs, and borne by them in battle, was less splendid than the _bannière royale_, which was hung from a window balcony to mark a kingly lodging-place. It was in fact only a small square of stuff hanging from a transversal baton. This distinguished, in France, a certain grade of knights known as _chevaliers-bannerets_. These chevaliers had the privilege of exercising certain rights that other knights did not possess.