The symbols displayed to distinguish a
knight on the
battle - or
tournament field. The rules of how such devices could be rendered, called
heraldry , was to grow after the 14th century from an ad hoc set of customs to a more rigid set of rules, particular during the early 16th century. Prior to that time, heralds were often associated with the artistic rendering of devices upon
shields , crests, and in record books, but there was no system of registration until the 16th century.
