Introduction
When we think of medieval warfare, images of clashing knights, soaring arrows, and charging warhorses likely come to mind. But there was another group of individuals who played a lesser-known but crucial role in deciding the victors of battles and shaping how those conflicts were recorded for posterity – the heralds.
Heralds first emerged in the 12th century as messengers and representatives for kings and noble families. Over time, they evolved into specialized experts in heraldry, genealogy, and all aspects of the pageantry and protocol surrounding medieval warfare and nobility. Their knowledge of coats of arms made them invaluable for organizing tournaments and keeping track of who was who on the battlefield.
But heralds were much more than just passive observers. As the only impartial eyewitnesses to a battle, heralds were responsible for deciding which side could claim victory. Their official pronouncements carried immense political and historical weight, giving them a surprising degree of influence that has often been overlooked.
The Heralds‘ Vantage Point
During a medieval battle, the heralds from both sides would usually position themselves together on a hill, tower or other safe but panoramic viewpoint. From there, they could observe the flow of the fighting and record key details like the location of clashes, standards captured, and nobles killed, injured or yielding themselves as prisoners.
The heralds were granted diplomatic immunity and their neutral status was denoted by their distinctive tabards – a type of embroidered surcoat featuring the coat of arms of their patron. They also carried white wands or staffs as symbols of their authority and to guarantee their personal safety on the battlefield.
This neutrality was crucial for allowing heralds to make an unbiased assessment of the battle‘s outcome. It also enabled them to move somewhat freely between the opposing sides to carry messages, arrange temporary truces to recover the dead and wounded, and facilitate peace negotiations or terms of surrender.
Deciding the Victor
While it may seem obvious to us today which side won a famous battle like Agincourt or Crecy, at the time it was the heralds who had the authority as the impartial witnesses to officially declare the victor. This judgment was not always clear-cut in an age before standardized uniforms and when battles were often highly chaotic and fluid.
The herald‘s decision was usually made after the fighting had stopped and they could take stock of the full situation – which army was left in possession of the field, the respective casualties and captures, and the fate of any disputed standards or territories. In cases where both sides withdrew, the heralds might declare the result a draw if neither could claim a clear advantage.
A fascinating example of heralds in action comes from the account of the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 between England and France, as recorded by the famous French chronicler Jean Froissart. Froissart reports that after the battle, the English and French heralds met to decide the outcome:
"The English and Gascon heralds, who were there in great numbers, discussed the matter and agreed that the victory lay with the Prince of Wales because he had remained in possession of the field…The French heralds claimed the victory for King John [of France] because he had captured the greatest number of prisoners and fought the best. But in the end, they left it in the hands of the English and went their way."
Here we see the heralds debating the ambiguous outcome based on different criteria – possession of the field favoring the English versus the French taking more prisoners. Though the French ultimately deferred in this case, it reveals the importance placed on the heralds‘ ruling. The record left by the heralds could sway how the event was remembered and its political impact.
Heralds as Historians
Indeed, beyond just declaring a winner, the heralds shaped the historical record of medieval battles through their detailed accounts and casualty rolls. The English College of Arms, formally incorporated in 1484 by Richard III, became the central repository for these heraldic records.
Some of the most comprehensive chronicles of 14th-15th century battles were written by heralds like Chandos Herald (the life of the Black Prince) and John Harding (a history of England). The heralds had access to both sides and could provide a more complete picture than other contemporary accounts.
However, heralds were not always unbiased, and there are many cases of them exaggerating victories or downplaying defeats to flatter their lords. French heralds might dispute English accounts of battles like Crecy and Poitiers. And some heralds were accused of outright fabrication, like the Burgundian chronicler Jean Le Fevre who was known as an English partisan.
So while invaluable, the heralds‘ records have to be used cautiously by modern historians and where possible cross-referenced with archeological evidence and other documentary sources. But there is no doubt that we would know much less about medieval warfare without their assiduous record-keeping and battleground post-mortems.
The Heralds‘ Influence
The true extent of heralds‘ influence has often been underappreciated. In an era of uneasy peace punctuated by frequent wars, heralds played key roles as diplomats and negotiators, helping to resolve disputes over precedence, titles and territories that could lead to conflict.
As the arbiters of battlefield victory, heralds could also decisively shape the political narrative in the aftermath. Kings vied to sway heralds to their side and heralds‘ pronouncements were used extensively in propaganda and posturing between rival rulers. Historian Maurice Keen describes this in his seminal book "Chivalry":
"The heralds‘ function in war…went beyond the mere identification of the dead and wounded…their verdict on who had won a battle, or on who had performed most creditably in it, had propagandist value which kings and commanders were glad to exploit. Heralds were therefore assiduously courted, as men who could do much to make or mar a prince‘s reputation."
The 15th century Burgundian herald Gilles de Bouvier recorded how the Duke of Burgundy lavished money and gifts on the heralds after his victory at the Battle of Gavere in 1453 to ensure a favorable write-up. Heralds were often well-compensated for their services with lands, titles and pensions from their patrons.
However, not all heralds were of noble birth themselves. Most came from the lower rungs of the aristocracy or wealthy common families. They typically started their careers as pursuivants (junior officers of arms) before being promoted to full heralds and potentially the highest rank of kings of arms. The College of Arms in England had its own hierarchy and by the 16th century employed 13 officers – 3 kings of arms, 6 heralds and 4 pursuivants.
The influence of heralds began to wane in the early modern period as medieval traditions of knighthood and feudal warfare gave way to professional standing armies and more modern military administration. But heralds continued to play an important ceremonial function, overseeing state occasions and maintaining genealogical and heraldic records for the nobility.
Conclusion
Though they may not have wielded swords or led charges, the medieval heralds played a crucial role in shaping the history of warfare in the Middle Ages. As the impartial witnesses and adjudicators of battles, their pronouncements of victory or defeat had immense political and historical consequences.
The heralds‘ detailed records, compiled from their unique vantage point with access to all sides, provide some of the most valuable accounts of medieval battles that historians rely on today. But their narratives were not always unbiased, and heralds could be swayed by political influences or the desire to please their patrons.
Nevertheless, it is thanks to the heralds that we know as much as we do about the outcomes and experiences of medieval combat. Their role in deciding the victors of battles and chronicling the deeds of warriors has left an indelible mark on the historical record.
The next time you read an account of a famous medieval battle or admire a coat of arms, take a moment to remember the heralds. These unsung heroes were the original war correspondents and their legacy continues to shape our understanding of the Middle Ages to this day.
