e use the words pennon, banner, and standard almost interchangeably, however, they have very distinctly different meanings and purposes.

ennons were small flags carried on the lance head of knights, or by prominent squires ~ if they had sufficient followers. This flag was about a foot long, had swallow tails and would carry the arms of the knight. In granting the elevation to banneret, the swallow tails would be cut off, and the result was a small banner.

anners were reserved for kings, princes, dukes, counts and barons. A few knights were given the right to carry a banner, in recognition of their prowess on the field and these were known as "knights banneret". Banners were usually two to three feet long and half as wide, and would be carried by a loyal follower, making it easy to know the loaction of the owner.

tandards were most commonly used in battle and were borne by peers, knights and those of higher stations. There were two primary varieties ~ the full standard and the informal one. The formal, or full, standard size depended upon the rank of the individual. The duke's was seven yards, the count's six yards, the baron's five yards, the knight banneret's was four and a half yards, and a knight's was four. The informal one would be used to mark the headquarters tent of a group or possessions of a househould and would usually be no more than six to seven feet long. When riding into battle under someone's banner, you litteraly rode UNDER their standard, and met justice under their rules. This may be where we get the phrase "being held to a different standard". These standards did not bear the arms of the owners, but rather their badges. These same badges were usually worn by the soldiers who marched under that standard. Between 1300 ~ 1500 standards might have had the cross of St. George in the section nearest the staff. The body was often split lengthwise with the persons livery and usually carried a motto.

here is a great deal of variety in the mottoes. For the most part, they were not registered, inhereited, or part of one's arms, unless you were Scottish. A family may have had several, they could change on a whim, and may have had one of several origins.

Many undoubtedly began as war cries such as ~ "Fight", "Forward", "Through", "Lead On!", or "Not for King or country, but for Both". Others came from specific events such as "Agincourt" from the battle, or "The Day of my Life" taken by a knight after the battle of Poitiers. Still others were the fancy of the bearer, or perhaps some inside joke such as "He who looks at Martin's Ape, Martin's Ape shall look at him", or "Let Curzon hold what Curzon held".

The motto, when placed upon a standard, was usually done on a bend of white or written on the standard between two bends of white. Often one motto was divided between two bends or two mottoes were displayed on the same standard. They were not exclusively written in Latin, but could also be found in Old English and French. A mediveal army on the march would have had banners, pennons and standards fully displayed. Not only did this help locate specific groups and people on the march and battle, but the show also must have made a formidable impression upon the enemy.

Following are several examples of mottoes, any of which you may wish to use as your own...

ibliography ~

A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Revised and annotated by J.P. Brooke - Little Norroy and Ulste King of Arms, Bonanza Books, London, England 1985.

A Dictionary of Chivalry, Grant Uden, W.S. Cowell Ltd., Butler Market, Suffolk, England 1968.

Smith's First Year Latin, Revised by Harold G. Thompson, Allyn and Bacon, Norwood Press, Norwood, Mass. 1936.

Medieval Warfare, Terrence Wise, Hastings House, Publishers, New York, NY 1976.

Copyright 1997, SCA - Elina of Beckenham ~ [mka Tobi Beck]

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