- published: 13 Sep 2012
- views: 1980165
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which consists of shield, supporters, crest and motto. The design is a symbol unique to an individual person, and to his family, corporation, or state. Such displays are commonly called armorial bearings, armorial devices, heraldic devices, or simply armorials or arms.
Historically, armorial bearings were first used by feudal lords and knights in the mid-12th century on battlefields as a way to identify allied from enemy soldiers. As the uses for heraldic designs expanded, other social classes who never would march in battle began to assume arms for themselves. Initially, those closest to the lords and knights adopted arms, such as persons employed as squires that would be in common contact with the armorial devices. Then priests and other ecclesiastical dignities adopted coats of arms, usually to be used as seals and other such insignia, and then towns and cities to likewise seal and authenticate documents. Eventually by the mid-13th century, peasants, commoners and burghers were adopting heraldic devices. The widespread assumption of arms led some states to regulate heraldry within their borders. However, in most of continental Europe, citizens freely adopted armorial bearings.
That dawn, envoy arrives
Morning of October 28th
No day, proven by deed
Descendence of Sparta,
Athens and Crete!
Look north, ready to fight
Enemies charge from the hills
To arms, facing defeat
There's no surrender,
there's no retreat
Time after time,
force their enemies back to the line
Call to Arms banners fly in the wind,
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of Arms reading freedom or death,
Blood of king Leonidas
Air raid, pounding the land
Bombers are flying both day and night
Endure, six days of rain
Dropped by invaders,
bomb raid in vain
Strike hard, the tables have turned,
Drive them back over the hills
At arms, just like before,
Soldiers, civilians, Hellas at war
By their own hand,
force their enemy out of their land
Call to Arms banners fly in the wind,
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of Arms reading freedom or death,
Blood of king Leonidas
Just like their ancestors ages ago
Fought in the place of the greeks
Cause we will remember what the place were called
Freedom or death in the plains
Just like their ancestors ages ago
Fought in the face of defeat
Those three hundred men left a pride to uphold
Freedom or death in effect
Then, now again
Blood of heroes saving their land
Call to Arms banners fly in the wind,
For the glory of Hellas
Coat of Arms reading freedom or death,