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Heraldry of Castile
The coat of arms of Castile was the heraldic emblem of its monarchs. Historian Michel Pastoureau says that the original purpose of heraldic emblems and seals was to facilitate the exercise of power and the identification of the ruler, due to what they offered for achieving these aims. These symbols were associated with the kingdom, and eventually also represented the intangible nature of the national sentiment or sense of belonging to a territory.
The blazon of the arms of Castile is:
Gules a triple-towered castle Or masoned Sable and ajoure Azure.
The Royal Arms of Castile was first adopted at the start of the age of heraldry (circa 1175), that spread across Europe during the next century. The Spanish heraldist Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués wrote that there is no evidence that there was a consolidated Castilian emblem before the reign of King Alfonso VIII or that these arms had pre-heraldic history as the heraldry of León.
The chancery of Alfonso VIII adopted a Signum Regis (seal) in 1165. This device had wheel shape, a defining characteristic of the chancery of monarchs of Castile since 1157. This author has pointed out that the emergence of the castle device Castile was similar to that of the Leonese lion but at a more accelerated pace. One of the earliest known testimonies documenting the origin of the castle emblem was carried out by bishop Lucas de Tuy. In Castile, the first examples of the castle as heraldic symbols have been found on the reverse of pendent seals, as was common at the time. The Signum Regis of King Alfonso VIII does not always depict a castle. Alfonso initially used a seal with a cross and a staff. By the year 1163 a single side with an equestrian image of Alfonso VIII holding a lance without a standard was used; this element allowed the determination of the royal device used at that time. Later seals continued to depict equestrian images as their central motif. The castle appeared for the first time on the reverse of pendent seals. The first preserved seal impression with the castle dates from 1176, contained in a document located in the Toledo Cathedral. The matrix of this seal dates back before 1171, as indicated by its typology. According to Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués it is likely that the device of the castle was adopted in 1169, when Alfonso VIII came of age at age fourteen. The castle was adopted with a clear territorial connotation, a clear example of canting arms. This decision may have been motivated by a desire to claim the sovereignty of the Castilian monarch over the Kingdom of León.[citation needed]
The castle from its inception has retained a basic design - three towers, higher the central than lateral ones - suggesting that it is a native innovation, different from that existing in Central Europe.[citation needed]
Concerning the colours of the arms (tincture according to heraldry), the combination of "Or on a Gules field", was already fixed at least since the reign of King Ferdinand III, who was known as the Saint. This selection was indicated by the heraldry of the consort of the King Alfonso VIII, Queen Eleanor of England, daughter of Henry II, King of England. The arms used by the Queen were the Royal Arms of England, three identical gold lions (also known as leopards) with blue tongues and claws, walking past but facing the observer, arranged in a column on a red background. Although the tincture "azure" of tongue and claws is not cited in many blazons, they are historically a distinguishing feature of the Arms of England. These arms, which are one of the oldest heraldic emblems, were easily recognisable at a distance.[citation needed]
This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the marriage of Alfonso VIII and Eleanor was celebrated from 1170 to 1176, immediately prior to the adoption of the emblem according to preserved sources. Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués defends as another possible reason for this combination of colors for appearing more frequently in the arms. The selection of the third colour, shown in the door and windows, Azure (blue) could be due to the contrast with the other two, or to the fact that it was the third most commonly used colour after the previous.[citation needed]
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Heraldry of Castile
The coat of arms of Castile was the heraldic emblem of its monarchs. Historian Michel Pastoureau says that the original purpose of heraldic emblems and seals was to facilitate the exercise of power and the identification of the ruler, due to what they offered for achieving these aims. These symbols were associated with the kingdom, and eventually also represented the intangible nature of the national sentiment or sense of belonging to a territory.
The blazon of the arms of Castile is:
Gules a triple-towered castle Or masoned Sable and ajoure Azure.
The Royal Arms of Castile was first adopted at the start of the age of heraldry (circa 1175), that spread across Europe during the next century. The Spanish heraldist Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués wrote that there is no evidence that there was a consolidated Castilian emblem before the reign of King Alfonso VIII or that these arms had pre-heraldic history as the heraldry of León.
The chancery of Alfonso VIII adopted a Signum Regis (seal) in 1165. This device had wheel shape, a defining characteristic of the chancery of monarchs of Castile since 1157. This author has pointed out that the emergence of the castle device Castile was similar to that of the Leonese lion but at a more accelerated pace. One of the earliest known testimonies documenting the origin of the castle emblem was carried out by bishop Lucas de Tuy. In Castile, the first examples of the castle as heraldic symbols have been found on the reverse of pendent seals, as was common at the time. The Signum Regis of King Alfonso VIII does not always depict a castle. Alfonso initially used a seal with a cross and a staff. By the year 1163 a single side with an equestrian image of Alfonso VIII holding a lance without a standard was used; this element allowed the determination of the royal device used at that time. Later seals continued to depict equestrian images as their central motif. The castle appeared for the first time on the reverse of pendent seals. The first preserved seal impression with the castle dates from 1176, contained in a document located in the Toledo Cathedral. The matrix of this seal dates back before 1171, as indicated by its typology. According to Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués it is likely that the device of the castle was adopted in 1169, when Alfonso VIII came of age at age fourteen. The castle was adopted with a clear territorial connotation, a clear example of canting arms. This decision may have been motivated by a desire to claim the sovereignty of the Castilian monarch over the Kingdom of León.[citation needed]
The castle from its inception has retained a basic design - three towers, higher the central than lateral ones - suggesting that it is a native innovation, different from that existing in Central Europe.[citation needed]
Concerning the colours of the arms (tincture according to heraldry), the combination of "Or on a Gules field", was already fixed at least since the reign of King Ferdinand III, who was known as the Saint. This selection was indicated by the heraldry of the consort of the King Alfonso VIII, Queen Eleanor of England, daughter of Henry II, King of England. The arms used by the Queen were the Royal Arms of England, three identical gold lions (also known as leopards) with blue tongues and claws, walking past but facing the observer, arranged in a column on a red background. Although the tincture "azure" of tongue and claws is not cited in many blazons, they are historically a distinguishing feature of the Arms of England. These arms, which are one of the oldest heraldic emblems, were easily recognisable at a distance.[citation needed]
This hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the marriage of Alfonso VIII and Eleanor was celebrated from 1170 to 1176, immediately prior to the adoption of the emblem according to preserved sources. Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués defends as another possible reason for this combination of colors for appearing more frequently in the arms. The selection of the third colour, shown in the door and windows, Azure (blue) could be due to the contrast with the other two, or to the fact that it was the third most commonly used colour after the previous.[citation needed]