ARMS

ARMS, Arma,all Kinds of Weapons, whether for Defense or Offence. See WEAPON, DEFENSE, etc.

The Arms of Offense, are the Sword, Pistol, Musket, Bayonet, Pike, etc. See SWORD, GUN, etc.

Arms of Defense. See under Armor. Fire-Arms. See FIRE-ARMS.



The principal Arms of the ancient Britons, were Hatchets, Scythes, Lances, Swords, and Bucklers: The Saxons, &c. brought in the Halberd, Bow, Arrows, Arbalests, etc.

The Word is formed from the French Armes; which Nicod derives from a Latin Phrase, Quod operiant armas, because they cover the Shoulders, or Sides: But ought rather to be brought from Arma; which Varro derives from Arcendo, because they keep off enemies. It is supposed that the first Arms were of Wood, and were only employed against Beasts—That Nimrod, the first Tyrant, turned them against Men; and that his Son Cush was the first that waged War; whence, according to some, came the Appellation Bellum.—Diodorus Siculus takes Belus to be the same with Mars, who first trained Soldiers up to Battle.

Arms of Stone, &c. even of Brass, appear to have been used before they came to Iron and Steel.

Josephus assures us, that the Patriarch Joseph first taught the Use of Iron Arms in Egypt, arming the Troops of Pharaoh with a Cask and Buckler.

In the Eye of the Law, Arms, Arma, are extended to a Thing which a Man takes in his Hand in his Wrath, to cast at, or strike another.—So Crompton—Armorum appellatio non tantum Scuta et Gladios et Galeas significat, sed et Fustes et lapides.

Arms of Courtesy, or Parade, were those used in the ancient Jousts, and Tournaments. See JOUST and TOURNAMENT.

These usually were Lances not shod; Swords without Edge or Point; and frequently wooden Swords, or even Canes.

Pass of Arms, was a kind of Combat in use among the ancient Cavaliers. See PASS OF ARMS.

Place of Arms, in Fortification, &c.

Arms are also the natural Weapons, or Parts of Defense of Beasts; as Claws, Teeth, Tusks of Elephants, Beaks of Birds, etc. See BIRD, TUSK, TUSK, etc.

Some Animals are sufficiently guarded against all common Dangers by their natural Clothing, their Armature of Shells, as the Tortoise, etc. See SHELL, TORTOISE, etc.

—Others, destitute of this Guard, are armed with Horns; others with sharp Quills, or Prickles, as the Porcupine and the Hedgehog; others with Stings, etc. See HORN, STING, etc.

Arms are also used figuratively for the Profession of a Soldier.—Thus we say, he was bred to Arms. See SOLDIER.

Arms, or Armories, are also used in Heraldry, for Marks of Dignity and Honour, regularly composed of certain Figures and Colours, given or authorized by Sovereign, and bore in Banners, Shields, Coats, etc. for the Distinction of Persons, Families, and States. See FIGURE, COLOUR, SYMBOL, HONOUR, NOBILITY, etc. see also SUPPORTER.

They are called Arms, in regard they are bore principally on the Buckler, Cuirasse, Banners, and other Apparatus of War.—They are also called Coats of Arms, Coat Armour, etc. because anciently embroidered on Surcoats, etc. See COAT OF ARMS, etc.

Some will have the Name to have been first occasioned by the ancient Knights, who in their Jousts and Tournaments bore certain Marks (which were frequently their Mistress’s Favours) in their Armour, i.e. their Helms, Shields; to distinguish them from each other. See JOUST, TOURNAMENT, etc.

Arms make the Subject of the Art of Heraldry. See HERALDRY and BLAZON.

Three Flowers de lys, in a Field Azure, are the Arms of France—The Arms of England are three Lions—In the Arms of Great-Britain are Quartered the Arms of France, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

See QUARTER and QUARTERING.

There has been a great Dispute among the Learned about the Origin of Arms.—Favin will have them to have been from the Beginning of the World; Segoin from the Time of Noah; others, from that of Osiris, which is supported by some Passages in Diodorus Siculus, others, from the Times of the Hebrews, in regard Arms were given to Moses, Joshua, the twelve Tribes, David, etc.

Others will have them to have taken their rise in the heroical Age, and under the Empires of the Assyrians, Medes, and Persians, building upon Philostratus, Xenophon, and Quintus Curtius.

Some pretend that the use of Arms, and the rules of Blazon, were regulated by Alexander. Some will have them to have had their origin under the Empire of Augustus; others, during the Inundations of the Goths; and others, under the Empire of Charlemagne.

Chorier observes, that among the ancient Gauls, each man bore a mark on his Buckler, by the sight whereof he might be known to his fellows; and hence he refers the origin of the arms of noble families. Camden has observed something like this of the ancient Picts, and Britons, who going naked to the wars, painted their bodies with blazons, and figures of diverse colors, which he supposes to have been different in different families, as they fought divided by kindreds. Yet Spelman says, that the Saxons, Danes, and Normans, first brought arms from the North into England; and thence into France.

Upon the whole it is certain, that from time immemorial, there have been symbolical marks in use among men, to distinguish them in armies, and to serve as ornaments of shields and ensigns; but these marks were used arbitrarily as devices, emblems, hieroglyphics, etc., and were not regular armories, like ours, which are hereditary marks of the nobility of a house, regulated according to the rules of heraldry, and authorized by princes. See DEVICE, EMBLEM, HIEROGLYPHIC, etc.

Before Marius, even the Eagle was not the constant ensign of the Roman Army; but they bore in their standards a wolf, leopard, or eagle indifferently, according to the fancy of the generals. See EAGLE, ENSIGN, etc.

The same diversity has been observed with regard to the French and English; on which account, authors are divided when they speak of the ancient arms of those countries.

—In effect, it appears from all the best authors, that the armories of houses, as well as the double names of families, were not known before the year 1000. And several have even endeavored to prove, that the use of arms did not begin till the time of the first Crusades of the Christians in the East. See CRUSADE.

The truth is, it was the ancient tournaments that occasioned the fixing of armories. See TOURNAMENT.

Henry the Fowler, who regulated the tournaments in Germany, was the first who introduced these marks of honor, which appear to be of an older standing in Germany than any other part of Europe. It was then that coats of arms were first instituted; which were a kind of livery composed of several bars, fillets, and colors; whence came the fess, bend, pale, chevron, and lozenge; which were some of the first elements of armories. See COAT, FESS, BEND, etc.

Those who had never been concerned in any tournament had no arms, though they were gentlemen. See GENTLEMAN.

Such of the nobility and gentry as crossed the sea in the expeditions to the Holy Land also assumed these tokens of honor to distinguish themselves. Before these times, we find nothing upon ancient tombs but crosses, with Gothic inscriptions and representations of the persons deceased. The tomb of Pope Clement IV, who died in 1268, is the first whereon we find any arms; nor do they appear on any coins struck before the year 1336. We meet with figures, it is true, much more ancient, both in standards and in medals; but neither cities nor princes ever had arms in form; nor does any author make mention of blazoning before that time. Originally, none but the nobility had a right of bearing arms; but King Charles V, having ennobled the Parisians by his charter in 1371, he permitted them to bear arms: From whose example, the more eminent citizens of other places did the like.

Camden refers the origin of hereditary arms in England to the time of the first Norman kings. He says their use was not established till the reign of King Henry III, and instances in several of the most considerable families in England, wherein, till that time, the son always bore different arms from the father.—About the same time it became the custom here in England, for private gentlemen to bear arms; borrowing them from the lords of whom they held in fee, or to whom they were the most devoted. Arms, at present, follow the nature of titles, which being made hereditary, these are also become so; being the several marks for distinguishing of families and kindreds, as names are of persons and individuals. See NAME, etc.

Arms are variously distinguished by the heralds.—Full or Entire Arms, are such as retain their primitive purity, integrity, and value; without any alterations, diminutions, abatements, or the like. See DIMINUTION, ABATEMENT, etc.

It is a rule, that the simpler and less diversified the arms, the more noble and ancient they are.

For this reason, Garcias Ximenes, first King of Navarre, and his successors for several ages, bore only Gules, without any figure at all.

The arms of Princes of the Blood, of all younger sons and junior families, are not pure and full; but distinguished and diminished by proper Differences. See DIFFERENCE.

Charged Arms, are such as retain their ancient integrity and value; with the addition of some new honourable charge or bearing, in consideration of some noble act.

See CHARGE.

Speaking, or Vocal Arms, are those wherein the figures bear an allusion to the name of the family—Such are those of the family of La Tour in Auvergne, who bear a tower; that of the family of Prado in Spain, whose field is a meadow.

See DEVICE, MOTTO, etc.

Most authors hold these the most noble and regular, as is shown by an infinity of instances produced by Favienne and Menestrier. They are much debased when they come to partake of the Rebus.

See REBUS.

Arms are also said to be Party, or divided; Couped; Quartered, etc.

See PARTY, COUPE, QUARTERING, etc.

Arms are said to be false and irregular, when there is something in them contrary to the established rules of heraldry. As, when metal is put on metal, or colour on colour, etc.

See METAL and COLOUR.

The laws, and other affairs of arms, with the cognizance of offences committed therein, belong, among us, to the Earl Marshal, and College of Arms.

See MARSHAL and COLLEGE OF ARMS.

Arms, in falconry, are the legs of a hawk, from the thigh to the foot.

See HAWK and HAWKING.

King at Arms, see King at Arms.

Herald at Arms, see Herald.

Pursuivant at Arms, see Pursuivant.

College of Arms, see College of Arms.

ARMS