Heraut

Fr. herald. During the old monarchy of France there were thirty heralds each distinguished by the name of some particular province. The first of these who was king at arms, bore the title of Montjoy St. Denis: he had the privilege of wearing a royal coronet over the fleur de luce. On solemn occasions the king and the heralds at arms appeared in their coats of arms made of violet colored crimson velvet, with three golden fleurs de luces before and behind, and as many on each sleeve where the name of the province stood, to which the herald belonged. They wore a black velvet cap ornamented with golden strings, and half boots, when they appeared on peaceable occasions, with whole boots on warlike or martial ones. In solemn funerals they had a long robe of black velvet. The only difference between the king at arms and the heralds with respect to dre , consisted in the richne of the embroidery, that of the former being more expensive. The coats of arms which were peculiar to the heralds were called Plaques, those of the kings at arms were distinguished by the name of Tunics. They carried a stick called Caduceus (such as Mercury is represented to have borne in ancient mythology.) But this stick was not ornamented by a crown with fleurs de luce, it was only covered with crimson velvet, having a few fleurs de luce scattered here and there. There was likewise a herald, whose particular functions were to carry the king’s orders. He was entitled to a coat of arms upon violet colored velvet, interspersed with fleurs de luce and gold embroidered flammes or pendants, together with the arms and collars both before and behind. He likewise wore the cro belonging to the order which was attached to a black silk cord borne cro -ways. The author of the Dictionnaire Militaire derives the French term Heraut from the German Hérald , which signifies a man at arms, un Gendarme . Verstegan derives it from the Saxon. Other French writers derive it from an old Gallic word harou , or hara , which was used as a challenge, a notification of fresh hostilities, a ban or general a embling of the people, a loud and public proclamation of battles fought and victories obtained; on which account heralds, according to Ducange, were formerly called Clarigarvis as well as Herald us .