In heraldry, an achievement, armorial achievement or heraldic achievement (historical: hatchment) is a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled.[2] An achievement comprises not only the arms displayed on the escutcheon, the central element, but also the following elements surrounding it (from top to bottom):
Heraldic achievement forming the Garter stall plate of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (d. 1444), KG, St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The earliest garter plate with supporters.[1] It includes the badge of an ostrich feather, here shown as a pair, blazoned: feather argent pen gobonne argent and azure
Sometimes the term "coat of arms" is used to refer to the full achievement, but this usage is incorrect in the strict sense of heraldic terminology, as a coat of arms refers to a garment with the escutcheon or armorial achievement embroidered on it.[3][4]
The ancient term used in place of "achievement" was "hatchment", deriving (through such historic forms as atcheament, achement, hathement, etc.) from the French achèvement,[5] from the French verb achever, a contraction of à chef venir ("to come to a head"), ultimately from Latin ad caput venire, "to come to a head",[6] thus: "to reach a conclusion, accomplish, achieve". The word "hatchment" in its historical usage is thus identical in meaning and origin to the English heraldic term "achievement". However, in modern heraldry the word "hatchment" has come to be used almost exclusively to denote "funerary hatchment", while "achievement" is now used in place of "hatchment" in a non-funereal context. An example of the historic use of "hatchment" in a non-funerary context to denote what is now termed "achievement" appears in the statute of the Order of the Garter laid down by King Henry VIII (r. 1509–1547) concerning the regulation of Garter stall plates:[7]
It is agreed that every knyght within the yere of his stallation shall cause to be made a scauchon of his armes and hachementis in a plate of metall suche as shall please him and that it shall be surely sett upon the back of his stall.
^Boutell, Charles & Charles Fox-Davies, Arthur (1914), The handbook to English heraldry, Reeves & Turner, p. 100, Achievement, or Achievement of Arms. Any complete composition of Arms.
^A.G. Puttock, A Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects, Exeter 1985. Blaketon Hall. ISBN0907854931. p. 40
^Stephen Friar (ed.), A New Dictionary of Heraldry, London 1987. Alphabooks/A&C Black. ISBN0906670446. p. 96.
^Collins Dictionary of the English Language, London, 1986.
^Larousse Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise, Paris, 1979: "lat. pop. capum, class. caput.
^ Round, J. Horace, Family Origins and Other Studies, Page, William, (ed.), London, 1930, pp. 174–89, "The Garter Plates and Peerage Styles", p. 174.
External linksEdit
. An Tir College of Heralds. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011. An 'achievement' is a full formal display of a coat of arms.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armorial achievements.
August 29, 2023
achievement, heraldry, heraldry, achievement, armorial, achievement, heraldic, achievement, historical, hatchment, full, display, depiction, heraldic, components, which, bearer, coat, arms, entitled, achievement, comprises, only, arms, displayed, escutcheon, c. In heraldry an achievement armorial achievement or heraldic achievement historical hatchment is a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled 2 An achievement comprises not only the arms displayed on the escutcheon the central element but also the following elements surrounding it from top to bottom Slogan or war cry Mantle and pavilion Crest placed atop a Torse or Cap of Maintenance as a special honour Mantling Helm of appropriate variety if holder of higher rank than a baronet issuing from a Coronet or Crown not used by baronets of appropriate variety Console Supporters if the bearer is entitled to them generally in modern usage not baronets which may stand on a Compartment Motto if possessed Order if possessed Badge if possessedHeraldic achievement forming the Garter stall plate of John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset d 1444 KG St George s Chapel Windsor The earliest garter plate with supporters 1 It includes the badge of an ostrich feather here shown as a pair blazoned feather argent pen gobonne argent and azure Contents 1 Coat of arms 2 Hatchment 3 References 4 External linksCoat of arms EditSometimes the term coat of arms is used to refer to the full achievement but this usage is incorrect in the strict sense of heraldic terminology as a coat of arms refers to a garment with the escutcheon or armorial achievement embroidered on it 3 4 Hatchment Edit Garter stall plate of John Russell 1st Earl of Bedford c 1485 1554 5 installed as a Knight of the Garter 18 May 1539 showing his achievement at that time termed hatchment The ancient term used in place of achievement was hatchment deriving through such historic forms as atcheament achement hathement etc from the French achevement 5 from the French verb achever a contraction of a chef venir to come to a head ultimately from Latin ad caput venire to come to a head 6 thus to reach a conclusion accomplish achieve The word hatchment in its historical usage is thus identical in meaning and origin to the English heraldic term achievement However in modern heraldry the word hatchment has come to be used almost exclusively to denote funerary hatchment while achievement is now used in place of hatchment in a non funereal context An example of the historic use of hatchment in a non funerary context to denote what is now termed achievement appears in the statute of the Order of the Garter laid down by King Henry VIII r 1509 1547 concerning the regulation of Garter stall plates 7 It is agreed that every knyght within the yere of his stallation shall cause to be made a scauchon of his armes and hachementis in a plate of metall suche as shall please him and that it shall be surely sett upon the back of his stall References Edit Planche J R Pursuivant of Arms 1851 p xx Boutell Charles amp Charles Fox Davies Arthur 1914 The handbook to English heraldry Reeves amp Turner p 100 Achievement or Achievement of Arms Any complete composition of Arms A G Puttock A Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects Exeter 1985 Blaketon Hall ISBN 0907854931 p 40 Stephen Friar ed A New Dictionary of Heraldry London 1987 Alphabooks A amp C Black ISBN 0906670446 p 96 Collins Dictionary of the English Language London 1986 Larousse Dictionnaire de la Langue Francaise Paris 1979 lat pop capum class caput Round J Horace Family Origins and Other Studies Page William ed London 1930 pp 174 89 The Garter Plates and Peerage Styles p 174 External links Edit What is an Achievement An Tir College of Heralds Archived from the original on 20 April 2011 Retrieved 16 May 2011 An achievement is a full formal display of a coat of arms Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Hatchment Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 13 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 62 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armorial achievements Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Achievement heraldry amp oldid 1157908450, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
