The Armorial Achievement refers to a description of a shield, mantle, helmet, crest, motto, and supports of a coat of arms. Blazon is the language used to describe the shield. For instance, George Washington’s shield (the one that accompanies this entry) would be described as “Argent, two bars gules, in chief three mullets of the second.” In common parlance, it means the shield is silver, has two red horizontal bars, with three mullets (mullets are not stars but refer instead to spur rowels) across the upper third of the shield. These will be red in color (of the second means they are to be the color mentioned second in the blazon). In English heraldry the mullet is the mark of the third son. Other symbols were used by the English to designate birth order of sons on shields (a label…a narrow strip with three pendants…is reserved for the first born son; a crescent for the second born son; the third, a mullet; the fourth, a martlet (mythical bird).
Helmets take varying shape to indicate the rank of the person wearing the coat of arms (duke, earl, etc.). The helmet rests on a mantle. The mantle is essentially a scarf folded over to reveal the colors on both sides of the scarf. The crest usually resting on the helmet and can be various animate (hand, stag, etc.) or inanimate (scroll, scale, etc.) objects. The charges, colors, crests, and so forth all have particular meanings (like the mullet to refer to the third son).
Mottos on coats of arms were a fairly recent development. Mottos can appear above or below a coat of arms.
Supporters (animals or human forms) appear on both sides of the shield. Their use is restricted to royalty, the peerage, and some orders of knights.
